7 great reasons for the nature traveler to visit Rodrigues Island
Last updated on March 31st, 2025 at 05:27 am
There are two main reasons you might know about Rodrigues Island – the tortoises and the kitesurfing!
But, there are a few other things to keep you busy while you are on this remote and beautiful island. Apart from driving around the island sampling the Créole, European and Indian fusion of feasting, visiting the very vibrant and colorful markets, and lazing on some pretty lovely beaches underneath the casuarina trees, there is plenty to do if you want some action.
It may be a tiny island but has a lot to offer the outdoor and wildlife enthusiast – giant tortoises, a mass of birdlife, clear turquoise waters teeming with fish, turtles and corals, hiking and great creole food to fuel the activity. For kite surfers it is a paradise, and there is plenty for the adrenalin junkie too – abseil, via ferrata, ziplines and a King Swing. So before we look at the best things to do in Rodrigues, lets cover a few basics!
So where and what exactly is Rodrigues Island?
Rodrigues Island is a tiny 104 square km (40 square miles) dependency of Mauritius. It is east of Mauritius itself in the middle of the Indian Ocean between Madagascar and Australia.
How do I get to Rodrigues Island?
There are daily flights from Mauritius with Air Mauritius.
Air Austral also have flights between Rodrigues and Reunion Island on a Wednesday.
You can also jump on the cargo / passenger ship ‘Mauritius Trochetia’ from Mauritius twice a month. It takes from 36-48 hours depending on weather and the sea state. Having sailed this ocean, I can say it could be a lot of fun, but the sea state can be pretty gnarly!
How do I get around on the island?
Honestly, your best bet is to hire a car. You can compare prices and find the best deals with Rentalcars.com but if they have nothing I used Hermitage Car Rental.
There are buses the bus, which can be musical and fun! But the buses stop running at 6:30p.m. and are few and far between on Sundays.
Another great option, if you are not wanting to hire a car and be too busy, but want to see the island, is to go on a tour. See more about the The ORIGINE Guided Tour and The UNIVERS Tour below.
What language and money do they use on Rodrigues Island?
The everyday language used by the locals is Rodriguan Creole – very similar to Mauritian creole. But French is widely spoken, and English is used for business, government and administration.
The Mauritian rupee is used across the island as well as Mauritius. There are a number of ATMs – mostly in Port Mathurin.
Plan for your trip
Insurance – Click here for travel cover with SafetyWing – almost any nationality, its ok if you are already traveling, up to 64 years old. Or click here for cover with EKTA – any nationality, any age and its ok if you are already traveling!
Flights – find a good deal through Kiwi.com
Accommodation – book a hotel with booking.com or Tripadvisor, or, a hostel with Hostelworld
Internet – get a highly rated yesim eSim before you go – click here for yours
Car rental – compare prices and get the best deals with Rentalcars.com
Hikes and walks – sign up to AllTrails for offline maps and guides to the best walks in the area
Tours and Activities – book with Viator or GetYourGuide. Two highly rated tours are:
- The ORIGINE Guided Tour – learn about the history of the area, go to the best island viewing areas and have a delicious local lunch, or,
- The UNIVERS Tour – learn about the Island’s history and daily activities, take part in some local traditions, learn to bake a pie and have an excellent meal
What are the best things to do on Rodrigues?
The best things to do in Rodrigues fit in nicely with the things an outdoor and wildlife enthusiast likes to do. These are my top 7 – and a bonus one!
1. Get up close with the tortoises at the Francois Leguat Giant Tortoise Reserve
I better start with the tortoise drawcard. Not only was it the main reason I was ever on Rodrigues Island, it was without a doubt the highlight for the wildlife-hiking-swimming focussed nut that I am. Unfortunately, there’s a sad backstory to the reserve. Once literally thousands of giant tortoises covered the island. But unfortunately once man found, and then colonised, the island, they became extinct in the late 1700’s.
More happily, in 2006 Francois Leguat Ltd re-introduced two species of tortoises (Aldabra and Radiated Tortoises) that are the closest living tortoise species to the extinct Rodrigues tortoises. They came from Mauritius and Francois Leguat is now home to over 3000 tortoises
What is so special about this reserve is that they are now breeding the endangered Ploughshare Tortoises from Madagascar and also making a huge impact with returning native plants to the land. The reserve has a fantastic reforestation project going on. It is really obvious when you compare the reserve to the rest of the island which is quite barren.
As for visiting, well its a joy. The tortoises essentially live in a natural canyon and seem perfectly happy for you to interact with them – especially if you rub their necks! They love it. Rangers wander the 2km valley floor and are very helpful and informative. There is a nursery as well which is fun for watching the little ones scurry around – a lot faster than their aged parents!
The Grande Cavern is a network of caves beneath the reserve which most people visit to see the interesting rock formations. I didn’t as I was too obsessed with the tortoises. The museum and information center has some informative exhibits and I did manage some time in there!
2. Learn to kitesurf in Mourouk
We met an Aussie staying on Rodrigues Island for six months – purely for the purpose of kitesurfing! I’m not saying that is normal but it is an indication of how good it is here for kiters! I’m not a kiter but my daughter is and, given its a big drawcard I’d be remiss not to talk about it!
The reason its so good is that during the season (May to November) the south-east trade winds blow straight from Western Australia – a fair old distance! With steady trade winds, azul waters, and sloping beaches the set up is simply perfect for this headrush of a sport. There are four kitesurfing schools based around Anse Mourouk, and if you haven’t tried it yet, this is a great place for beginners too.
3. Walk in Rodrigues Island’s Grande Montagne Nature Reserve
The last big one for the wildlife and bird lovers is Grande Montagne Nature Reserve. A massive project by the Mauritius Wildlife Foundation to remove all introduced species from this area and restore the native flora and fauna has been a huge success story.
There are guided visits at 9.30 and 1.30 during weekdays with really passionate and informative guides who will point out all the endemic flora and fauna, including the Rodrigues Warbler and Rodrigues Fody birds who have had a spectacular recovery from about 10 birds or less each in the 1970s to thousands now. Absolutely fantastic work. There are even tortoises roaming in the stunning forest. And as a little bonus – a viewpoint with super views across the island. It really is another must-do!
4. Take a boat to Ile aux Cocos
The top trip to take from the island, and another great draw for wildlife lovers like me, is to the beautiful lagoon of the Ile aux Cocos off the west coast.
A sandbar with 45,000 sea birds – sound good to you? The beautiful white fairy terns, alongside brown Noddys and Lesser Noddys and hopefully some sooty terns. Hop on a tour to the island, walk through the forest with your guide to see the birds but also swim and snorkel in the water surrounding this little paradise. Bliss!
5. When on Rodrigues Island…. get an adrenalin fix!
If you need an adrenalin fix head straight to Tyrodrg, where you’ll get it – times four!
Abseil, via ferrata, ziplines and a King Swing – I don’t think you can ask for a lot more. Package it into a bundle for the full on adrenaline junkie, or just pick and chose.
Start with the walk over the rope bridge over the ravine at Cascade Pistache, and for the adrenaline – jump….with a harness. Its a pendulum swing like a bungee except the harness is around your body. You can add on abseiling from this bridge as well. And for those of us that don’t need the full on endorphin rush, just walking over the bridge is good fun.
Next on the list is to fly along the fourth longest zipline in the world. Three zip lines over three valleys and a nature reserve, with tropic birds whirling and a view out to shimmering Anse Mourouk is almost guaranteed to take your breath away.
For your final fix, the 500m via ferrata awaits. Cling to the cliffs overlooking the trees and La Ferme village below – don’t worry you will be harnessed, and the guides will talk you through the whole journey!
6. Snorkel and dive in the vibrant blue hues
Île aux Chats and Île Hermitage are popular snorkelling spots, along with Ile aux Cocos in Rodrigues. However, if you have been to Ile aux Cocos and would rather go it alone, try (at low tide only) ‘the Aquarium!’
Access is from the rocky headland at the end of the Banana River beach. You will see beautiful plate coral and it is alive with multitudes of neon-colored fish. A perfect spot. The water here rarely drops below 22c so you will be able to enjoy the water for as long as the tide lets you!
For divers there are caves and canyons, 280 types of coral, turtles, rays and I don’t know how many fish species. You might already know that my ears stop me from diving but there are plenty of dive centres around the island.
7. Hike the St. Francois to Mont Lubin trail
Start at St Francois (check the AllTrails map) and walk the coastline, then take a turn inland and climb to the top of Mont Lubin.
It was quite windy and grey the day we did this, but still absolutely worth the beautiful coastal walk from Saint Francois. Cruise the sandy bays, rocky sea cliffs, casuarina trees for shade, glens of dizzy lizzy flowers (lovely), and the odd curious goats! And we were the only ones walking. Parfait!
There are places to buy foods once you get back to the road – in Gravier and Mourouk!
Shorter versions are to walk to Trou d’Argent and Grand Anse (30 minutes), have a swim and return. And then do the quick 15 minutes walk to the top of Mont Limon the highest peak on the island. You can use the same AllTrails map for these.
A bonus – visit Rodrigues Island’s St Johns Chapel
Just so its not all wildlife and action, drive to the beautifully located and unique St Johns Chapel for a small architectural fix! I think it is the most stunning building on the whole of Rodrigues Island. Built by local craftsmen and designed to look like a boat, it is small but stunning!
Where to eat on Rodrigues Island
Rodrigues Island has a wonderful seafood-based creole cuisine – using fish, octopus and local fruit and vegetables. The popular lemon drink, made from the local lemons is incredibly refreshing, and also a key ingredient in the favorite local cocktail – ti Punch.
Something not to miss is the local Rodrigues Lemon jams by the astonishing Valerie, a blind patissier and proprietor of Valerie’s in Citronelle. At Café Mourouk, close to the beach, try the smoked marlin salad, and at Ti La Passe Restaurant & Chambre d’hote try the authentic Rodriguan creole fresh seafood dishes.
Up on a hill is the Basanio Snack Boutik which is well-known for its seafood – lobsters, octopus, kono kono, crabs, prawns, and calamar, all while taking in the panorama below.
Lastly, don’t walk by the markets for fresh fruit to snack on as you go- it tastes of the sun!
Where to stay on Rodrigues Island
Rodrigues has everything from guest houses to hotels scattered across the island. If you have a car then it will not matter where exactly you stay unless you are there to kitesurf and then you might want to be at Mourouk. I stayed with friends so cannot comment on any particular accommodation.
However, I always book a hotel or guesthouse with booking.com. These options are all rated very highly at the time of writing!
Higher End – Au Temps D’antan- Ile Rodrigues – rated at 8.6/10
Mid Range – Lily Pad lodge rated at 9.3/10
Budget – Le Pecheur du sud – a 3-bed apartment rated at 9.6/10
Great Value – this Two bedroom apartment for kite surfers – La Belle du Sud at 9.6/10
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