Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ILE SAINTE MARIE
The best thing about Ile Sainte Marie is that it contains all the ingredients for a great vaca-
tion
and
great travel. This is a very long (57km), thin, lush, and relatively flat tropical island
surrounded by beaches and reef, and spotted with thatched villages, with the port of Am-
bodifotatra, a quarter of the way up the western coast, being the only sizable town. South of
here, the shore is lined with a great variety of hotels and resorts, but without overpowering
the setting, culminating in the small island of Ile aux Nattes, a postcard for tropical paradise,
where one can easily imagine pirates coming ashore with treasure chests in tow. In contrast,
the upper half of the island is quite wild, and its great length means that there is plenty of
room for exploration. There is a fantastic adventure to be had by buggy, quad or dirt bike
through remote villages and along beautiful paradisiacal shoreline, culminating in the natur-
al pools at the island's northern tip. So if you just sit on the beach, you have greatly missed
out.
