Mayotte Comoros Cruise Port Guide

The Comores archipelago tip of Madagascar and about the same distance from the East African coast.

Geographically, the Comores comprise four islands: Grande Comore, Anjouan, Moheli and Mayotte. Politically, the first three are part of the Federal and Islamic Republic of the Comoros having declared their independence from France in 1975, while Mayotte chose to remain French as a Collectivite Territoriale. This allows the Mahorais to enjoy a legal minimum wage established by France, which is six times the average wage of that of the independent Comoros, as well as surfaced roads, schools and a program to control malaria. Still, Mayotte remains very much a colonial backwater. A detachment of the French Foreign Legion is permanently based at the rocky fortress of Dzaoudzi, Mayotte's military and administrative center located across the channel.

Sea horse-shaped Mayotte is the oldest and most southerly of the Comoros.

It is split into Grande Terre, the large central island, and the tiny islet of Pamandzi where the airport is located. Mamoudzou on Grande Terre is the island's only town and the major port. A ferry service connects Mamoudzou with Dzaoudzi, the latter of which is sometimes referred to as France's "Rock of Gibraltar." Less mountainous than the three other Comoros islands, agriculture is the basis of the local economy in Mayotte. Ylang-ylang plants cover one third of the arable land. Other crops grown for the domestic market include rice, maize, manioc (cassava), sweet potatoes, bananas and citrus fruits. Tourism is still only a minor component of the local economy. Travelers who have discovered this remote and tropical hideaway will experience a laid-back lifestyle, unspoiled natural beauty and deserted beaches for swimming, snorkeling and diving.