| Rodrigues Island | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Country |  Mauritius |
|---|---|
| Area | 109 km² |
| Population | 41 669 hab. () |
| Density | 382,28 inhab./km² |
| Location | |
 19 ° 43 ′ 0 ″ S 63 ° 25 ′ 0 ″ E | |
| Official site | |
TheRodrigues Island is a dependency of Republic of Mauritius. Located approximately 560 km east of Mauritius in theIndian Ocean, it has the particularity of having a lagoon with an area twice the size of the land area.
Small in size (100 km2), Rodrigues is an island that lends itself wonderfully to walks and strolls.
Understand
Cities
Other destinations
To go
- 1 Plaine Corail Airport (IATA : RRG, ICAO: FIMR, Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport) (in the extreme southwest of the island)
| Airline company | Destinations |
|---|---|
 Air Austral | Seasonal:ZSE Saint-Pierre (Pierrefonds) |
| Air Mauritius | MRU Maurice-Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam |
last updated: Nov 2019
From Mauritius, you can get there by plane (daily flights of1 h 30) or by boat (3 to four times a month; journey of 27 h). Whether you choose the air or the sea, you must book your trip in advance (the national company sometimes offers preferential rates to those who use its international lines to go to Rodrigues).
Circulate
See
Rodrigues Island is lived in observer. Lovers of nature, the sea, crafts, life, meetings: nothing beats getting lost here. Buses, numerous and picturesque, as well as taxis crisscross the island. The walk is pleasant to a certain extent (it can be tiring at the edge of the roads), the bicycle is recommended for those who do not fear the uneven (they are numerous and impressive) and the motorbike is ideal for the adventurers (one can rent at Port Mathurin).
Here we drive slowly, we stop often. Small grocery stores are the focal points of many Rodriguan villages. The men sit in front to drink, play dominoes and chat. Do not hesitate to forget your shyness to start the discussion.
Water sports enthusiasts will be delighted: big game fishing, water skiing, diving, windsurfing ... the choice is yours. (personally it will be beach, book and swimming at Pointe Coton)
Some essentials
The Saturday morning market in Port Mathurin. A noisy and colorful dive into the local cuisine and agriculture. Lovers of jams, exotic fruits, spices, peppers, straw hats: bring an extra travel bag!
The Potato Cave. A beautiful natural curiosity with Stalagmites (those which rise) and stalactites (those which fall).
The giant tortoise reserve François Leguat. Opened in 2007, it offers to discover this animal reintroduced to the island.
St Gabriel's Cathedral. It can accommodate 2,000 people, which does not prevent it from being full for the two Sunday morning services (7 h and 9 h)
Learn
As small and isolated as it is, Rodrigues inspired a Nobel Prize for Literature, the Franco-Mauritian Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio.
The Gold Digger published in 1985 by Gallimard.
Travel to Rodrigues published in 1986 by Gallimard.
Housing
From guest rooms to luxury hotels Rodrigues offers a wide variety of accommodation and prices. The island is very small and very quiet, but some places are more isolated than others. Nightlife enthusiasts (you shouldn't dream too much though) will prefer accommodation in Port Mathurin, the small capital.
