Lake Dziani: a walk on Petite-Terre in Mayotte

During the four years I spent in Mayotte, I had several opportunities to complete this short hike around Lake Dziani Dzaha. This article follows on from my guide to the 20 things to do in Mayotte. Today’s walk takes you to Petite-Terre.

Mayotte is made up of two main islands: Grande-Terre, where most of the population lives, and Petite-Terre, where the airport is located. A number of smaller rocky and white-sand islets are scattered around them, within the lagoon and along the coral reef.

Lake Dziani Dzaha—“dziani” means “lake” in Shimaore, one of the local languages—is located at the northeastern end of Petite-Terre. If you’re staying on Grande-Terre, you’ll need to take the barge, the local ferry, from Mamoudzou to Labattoir on Petite-Terre. The crossing takes around 15 minutes. Once you arrive, you have two options: walk across Petite-Terre and include the Lake Dziani trail in a longer route, or take a taxi and ask to be dropped off near the start of the hike. The best choice depends on how you want to explore the island and how far you feel like walking.

If you decide to walk around Petite-Terre, the route follows the Badamiers road, passes the Lake Dziani trail, continues toward the well-known beaches and maars of Moya—former volcanic explosion craters—then heads to La Vigie near the airport, through Pamandzi, and back to the barge. The route is about 15 km, so allow a full day. It is worth noting that the former long-distance route around Mayotte is no longer officially classified as a GR trail. Along the way, you’ll also see local homes traditionally built with sheet metal and coconut leaves.

Back to the walk itself. From a geological perspective, Lake Dziani is a shallow volcanic crater lake formed several thousand years ago. Studies of this unusual Mahoran site, including sediment cores, have shown that its green water is salty, highly alkaline, and largely deprived of oxygen. That’s enough geology for now.

The hike begins along the Badamiers road, just beyond the village of Totorossa. A short trail quickly leads to the edge of the crater, where the scenery changes completely.

Beautiful views of Lake Dziani, even though the weather wasn’t perfect

From the top, you get a beautiful view over the lake and its turquoise-green water, whose color changes with the weather and light. I recommend turning left and following the narrow dirt path around the crater rim. On the other side, you can also admire Grande-Terre and the lagoon.

A little farther along, another viewpoint opens up, giving you a full view of the lake and its striking color. Swimming in the lake is prohibited, even though a small beach can theoretically be reached at the water’s edge.

Continue along the trail and you’ll reach the last major viewpoint over the lake, above Papani Beach, known locally as Mtsanga Papani. From here, the view stretches across the ocean and the volcanic cliffs, with sections of rock that have collapsed onto the beach below.

From there, you can either return to your starting point or continue toward the Moya beaches, which is the option I recommend. If you set off early enough, you can stop in the shade beneath the photogenic white cliffs, take a swim, and explore the mangrove. You may even spot tracks left by sea turtles that came ashore to lay their eggs during the night.

Fallen boulders on the beach (left) – Seaside cliffs at Moya Beach (center) – Viewpoint from the cliffs around Lake Dziani (right)

For those who want to continue, the trail crosses scrubland toward La Vigie, through cassava fields and along the slopes of the ancient volcano. You then reach the eastern side of Pamandzi, from where you can walk back to the barge for Grande-Terre. Personally, I find the final section less interesting, so I recommend taking a taxi back to the ferry terminal.

• Loop around the lake: about 45 minutes and roughly 4 km,
• Walk around Petite-Terre: about 15 km, so allow a full day,
• Highest point on the lake circuit: approximately 105 m,
• Bring water, sunscreen, and a hat, as there is very little shade,
• Wildlife lovers may come across makis, or lemurs. -> Thanks to everyone who pointed out that there are, in fact, no makis on Petite-Terre. Let’s blame that mistake on the heat around the lake…
  

That’s all for this short outing. I hope you enjoyed discovering it. Although the site is well known locally, it is still not especially busy overall. For another walk with memorable views over Mayotte, take a look at the Mount Choungui hike.

You can also visit the Mayotte Tourist Office website, which presents the Lake Dziani hike and other places to discover around the island. The page is in French.

See you again soon.

Written by Sylvain PONS

From 2011 to 2015, Mélanie and I lived for four years on the island of Mayotte. This allowed us to appreciate the island's beauty, its culture, and its endearing population. It was undoubtedly one of our best life experiences!

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