RANDONNÉE COTIÈRE

This is one of the most beautiful hikes on the island, and one that is very popular with travelers, without detracting from the magical feeling of being alone in the world. Devote at least half a day or a full day to it, including a picnic - except for lunch in one of the seaside restaurants or huts.

The landscape alternates between immaculate, solitary dream beaches, sublime coves and rocky areas overlooking the ocean. First we pass the long, beautiful, wild beach of Graviers, where the sea is quite rough. Then we come to Anse Bouteille, with its superb sandbank overlooking a clear stretch of lagoon squeezed between two walls. The anse Philibert (or Grande Anse) we reach next is named after a former governor of the island, Philibert Marangon. Beware of the currents in this cove. What a gift when, from the top of a cliff, you come upon Trou d'Argent, THE most talked-about beach on Rodrigues: a stretch of cove sandwiched between two cliffs, ideal for swimming... The water is so clear that, even without a mask, you can see the bright colors of the fish. A little further north-east, between Baie de l'Est and Tasman, we cross a protected area replanted with filaos. The path then skirts the coast again, crossing the superb beaches of Saint-François, Anse Ally and Fumier, idyllic in their gentle solitude. Finally, you arrive at Pointe Coton, where, after a last swim in a deep lagoon, you can enjoy a drink at the Cotton Bay bar (if re-opened).