Le Plate Island is also known as Île Plate and Flat Island. The island is located 11 kilometres north of Cap Malheureux, the main island’s northernmost point. It is part of the administrative area of Rivière du Rempart District. The small nature reserve of Coin de Mire lies between the two islands, Îlot Gabriel and Pigeon Rock.It covers an area of 2.53 square kilometres. The area is in danger of possible submersion due to the historical rise in the sea-level
The Catamaran
Le Plate Island is uninhabited, though there is a small army base on the island. This the largest islet of Mauritius with an extent of 253 hectares.
Historical significance of Flat Island is that it served as a quarantine station from the mid-19th century to the 1930s. It was reserved for immigrants to Mauritius, mostly indentured labourers, undergoing quarantine for cholera, although it was sometimes used during other epidemic outbreaks such as smallpox and malaria.
Infrastructure built between 1856 and 1870 consisted of stone and wooden buildings comprising living quarters and offices for medical, police, and immigration officials.Kitchens, stores, toilets, privies, two hospitals, and a distillation plant used for water supply were also constructed. Many of these structures are still preserved.
Llighthouse
A lighthouse, built in 1855, on the southwest side of the island is still operational.
Le Plate Island is a popular venue for snorkellers, and access to the island is possible via chartered yacht and catamaran. Pigeon Rock harbors an internationally famous dive site called The Shark Pit where divers can witness sharks swirling within the pit for the rich oxygen available due to the crashing waves against the cliffs of Pigeon Rock. The place is popular among tourists as well as locals.
Nearest hotels and restaurants are found only in Cap Malheureux. Breakfast and lunch is served in the catamaran.
