Les Ilots

One of the beautiful things about Mayotte are the small uninhabited islands that surround it. There is the main island, or Grande Terre, where most of the people live. Then there is Petite Terre where the airport and a handful of the population live. A number of tiny picturesque islands dot the waters around these two primary land masses. Local fishermen will occasionally agree to take visitors in and around the lagoon: we were not to be left out!

Two of our days were spent "small island" hopping. The first was to the Ilots du Sud. This included Ilot de Sable which is a breathtaking white sandbar in the south, only present during low tide. As deserted and silent a place as you’ll ever visit, we snorkeled and lounged along the shore. Later in the week, we traveled to the Ilots du Nord, spending hours quietly exploring the small territories of the north. In these places, we had entire aqua beaches to ourselves. Perhaps tourism will one day explode on Mayotte, but these days are quiet and untouched.