Comoros Islands

The Comoros sit between Madagascar and the Mozambique Channel like a secret the Indian Ocean has kept to itself — three volcanic islands and one French-administered outlier, each rising steeply from deep water with almost no cruising infrastructure and almost no other boats. That combination is either exactly what you want or a firm reason to sail somewhere else entirely.

From May through September the southeast trades blow steadily at fifteen to twenty-five knots, making passages between Grande Comore, Mohéli and Anjouan brisk and mostly comfortable on a reach. The channel between islands can kick up a short, steep chop when the trades funnel, so day sailing is far preferable to night approaches — the charts are patchy and lit marks unreliable.

Mohéli's southern coast offers the most protected anchorages, particularly around Nioumachoua, where the marine park hosts sea turtles, pristine coral and the deep water where the coelacanth was famously rediscovered. Anchor in five to eight metres over sand clear of the coral heads and the place feels genuinely otherworldly.

Ashore, the culture is Swahili-Arab-African in roughly equal measure — mosques, ylang-ylang plantations, clove-scented air, and a warmth that rewards patience. French and Comorian Arabic get you further than English. Check-in at Moroni requires time and a mild tolerance for bureaucratic improvisation; carry multiple copies of everything.

There is no established charter base, which means most visiting sailors arrive on their own passage-making yachts or arrange a liveaboard through a specialist operator out of Mayotte or Réunion. Provisioning beyond basics is genuinely limited, so arrive well stocked.

Experienced bluewater sailors with well-found boats are well matched to this place; novice charterers are not.