Aldabra Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
atoll
About Aldabra
The name Aldabra (originallyAl-HadraorAl-Khadra) was given by Arab seafarers for "the atoll’s harsh, sun-baked environment". In the middle of the 18th century, the atoll became a dependency of the French colony ofRéunion, from where expeditions were made for the capture of the Aldabra giant tortoises. As there are no surface freshwater sources on Aldabra, the interests of the explorers was merely to exploit the species of tortoise, turtle and fish, and not to inhabit the atoll. Sailors landed on the atoll in the 19th century and captured tortoises as food. Despite a ban on the killing of tortoises enacted in 1891, by 1900 the tortoises were nearly extinct. In 1888, the first settlement was established on Picard Island facing west near the beach. A two-room jail was built on the island, the
Aldabra Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 5 sections including: