At the heart of the Indian Ocean, some 650 km to the north-east of Mauritius, Rodrigues Island is the part of Africa that is closest to Australia. Born from volcanic activity between 1.3 and 1.5 million years ago, the island – 18 km long, 8 km wide, a surface area of 108 km2 – is the smallest of the Mascarene archipelago. It is a mountainous island with a succession of valleys plunging to the 300 km2 lagoon, bringing an exhilarating feeling of weightlessness whilst meandering through steep escarpments and terraced fields towards its 80-km coastline. One of the most characteristic features of this enthralling though accessible island is its relief.
The island enjoys a tropical climate with temperatures varying between 28ºC and 35°C during the Southern summer, which coincides with the cyclonic season (November to April) and between 18ºC and 27°C in winter. South-east trade winds bring an invigorating drizzle during the “cold” season. The rainy season is rejuvenating, turning drained rivers into unsuspected torrents gushing down to the sea, at times transforming into spectacular but ephemeral waterfalls.
Some 20 coral islets bearing such evocative names as Gombrani, L’Hermitage and Ile aux Chats nestle in the lagoon, mainly towards the south and north-east. Some of them, namely Ile aux Cocos and Ile aux Sables, are renowned bird sanctuaries.