Diego Garcia is one of those islands. Not ringing a bell? The coral atoll is part of the Chagos Archipelago in the British Indian Ocean Territory. Still nothing? It’s south of the Equator and India, and east of Tanzania. The islands were uninhabited, save for an occasional lost fisherman, until the Portuguese arrived in the 16th century. The French, and then the British, followed. In the late 1960s, the small population was unhappily relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles, so a British and American military base could be established on Diego Garcia. All travel to the island was recently banned.
The footprint-shaped island sits over tectonic plates that are constantly shifting. Small, but frequent, earthquakes are common. It was once full of coconut plantations, a church, a blacksmith, and even a small railroad. The falling-apart buildings, the old cemetery at Pointe Marianne, and the freed burros can still be seen. Diego Garcia is now wild and overgrown. Fish, birds, and reptiles thrive here. And since it’s in the middle of the Indian Ocean, it’s gorgeous.
Those lucky enough to have visited the island explored the old plantations and the Catalina, a patrol bomber that crashed on the island. They went snorkeling in Turtle Cove, kayaked through Barton Pass and Rambler Bay, and sailed out to Middle Island. They swam in the calm, turquoise lagoon. And they followed the Cannon Point Trail to the northwestern tip of the island to see rusted cannons and a perfect sunset.
Diego Garcia sounds like paradise. It could be, again, if the evacuees were allowed to return home, the island was open to tourists, and the military base was closed. Hopefully one day the island will no longer be needed.
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