Named for a French warship, the sandy beach was decorated with a couple of remaining cannons, and a thick, stone tower sat just behind the fringe of trees – both relics of a naval era of centuries past. La Preneuse had the advantage of sweeping views along Mauritius' southwest coastline all the way down to Le Morne Brabant, a mountainous horizon at the far end of turquoise splendor, and it was hard not to get swept out to sea while admiring the view.

Cap Malheureux, the "Cape of Disgrace" has witnessed an untold number of shipwrecks during the age of Napoleon. But the bay was jammed with pleasure boats, mostly for nearshore fishing, none of which seemed overly unlucky to me, and in the channel before the immense offshore islet called Coin de Mire ("the Gunner's Quoin [sight]")a red-sailed dhow zipped across the wind. We experience islands differently in an age where we arrive in a jumbo jet at the international airport, and drive a rented car, landside, to the points that caused sailors such distress in centuries past. These days Cap Malheureux' most important landmark isn't a series of treacherous reefs and tricky-to-navigate currents, but rather a lovely little red-roofed church, hosting a wedding the afternoon we were there.

We'd driven away from the coast line into the Black River Gorges National Wildlife Reserve, and were enjoying the sounds of the forest. Down dropped this little guy, browsing around for food. Then he got spooked, and climbed back up to the safety of a nearby branch, posing long enough for me to get this shot.

We crossed a few stream beds where the water must run several meters deep during rain storms; dark volcanic rubble polished round and smooth by the running water glistened in the afternoon sun, but for now they were dry. From the hilltop (300m) the view was outstanding: green and rumpled, as far as the eye could see. The unappreciated jewels of tropical islands are their highlands, away from the reefs and the crowds, where the breeze turns cool and the only sound is the call of the birds.