Old Pirate Haven

The island was a haven for pirates during the golden period of piracy in the 17th and 18th centuries, because to its numerous quiet coves and the fact that it was not possessed by a European power. While on raids in the Indian Ocean, it was the ideal site to rest and repair their ships without drawing attention and acquire fresh supplies.

Madagascar's golden age of piracy occurred during what is regarded as the 'Golden Age of Piracy.' This refers to the period between 1650 and 1720, when thousands of pirates preyed on international trade lines. Blackbeard, Henry Morgan, and William Kidd terrorized the high seas, capturing commercial ships while eluding the Royal Navy's capture efforts.

Piracy was most widespread in the Caribbean and off the coast of Africa in the late 1690s, but more and more crews traveled into the Indian Ocean. The 'Pirate Round,' a sailing path that began in the Western Atlantic, traveled around the Cape of Good Hope, and ended in Northern Madagascar, was responsible for this. Crews would proceed for targets in the Indian Ocean after refueling, which were mostly East India Company ships departing from Yemen and India. Thomas Tew attempted the Pirate Round for the first time in 1693, and his journey was so successful that it sparked a piratical boom across the previously ignored Indian Ocean.