Flat Island and Ilot Gabriel

Flat Island, Ile Plate, lies about eleven kilometres north of Mauritius, a low coral and basalt island with a lighthouse built in 1855 on the adjoining Pigeon Rock and the remains of a quarantine station where arriving ships were held during nineteenth-century epidemics; a cemetery from that period survives. Ilot Gabriel sits just south of it, separated by a shallow channel of very clear water that is the reason most trips come: the lagoon between the two islands is sheltered, sandy and good for swimming and snorkelling. Day trips from Grand Baie take an hour and a half each way by catamaran, usually with a barbecue lunch on the beach. Both islands are nature reserves and part of a restoration programme.

What you actually see

• The lagoon channel - the shallow clear water between the two islands.
• The lighthouse - the 1855 tower on Pigeon Rock.
• Quarantine ruins - the station buildings and cemetery on Flat Island.
• Beach and reef - the sand and snorkelling ground on Ilot Gabriel.

When to go

May to December for calmer crossings. The trip is long and exposed, so rough weather cancels it or makes it unpleasant. Book early in the day; boats leave Grand Baie in the morning.

Honest expectations

The crossing takes about ninety minutes each way and seas can be rough enough to cause seasickness. Trips are packaged with fixed timings and can be crowded when several boats arrive together. There is no shade or facilities beyond what the boat brings.

Nearby

Coin de Mire lies between the islands and the coast; Grand Baie is the departure point.