Once a week, guests on Alphonse Island gather at the Boat House for sundowners. It is a ritual that begins with an easy cycle from the lodge through a forest of coconut palms, remnants of over a century of plantation life, interspersed with dense native coastal vegetation. The route continues along the edge of the runway, past the small cemetery tucked between the foliage. Beyond the runway, there is only the beach, the ocean, and an old coral building.

Those who know Alphonse well will be familiar with the Beach Bar, the island’s original sundowner destination, reached by bicycle or along the shoreline at low tide. The Boat House has only been open since late 2025 and is already a destination in its own right

The journey to the northwestern tip of Alphonse is part of the experience of discovering the Boat House, which faces the sunset. On a high tide, the ocean laps at the base of the building, as it has for decades, salt water against coral walls, the same rhythm that governs everything on this island. There is no better place on Alphonse to watch the light go. Feet in the sand, drink in hand, the breeze coming off the water as the sun drops, an impromptu rather than curated moment.

Inside the Boat House, the setup is deliberately spare. A simple bar serves local Seybrew beer and Slow Turtle cider, along with house wines, spirits, and cocktails. The Dawa, an East African classic made here with Alphonse’s own honey, fresh limes, and vodka, stirred over ice, has already become a house favourite. The building itself has been on Alphonse longer than almost anything else still standing.

Built in 1947 from coral and timber as the island’s receiving store, it remained operational for decades before the coastal vegetation gradually reclaimed it. For a remote atoll entirely dependent on what arrived by boat, the old receiving store would have been a lifeline. A tree fell on the roof at some point, caving it in, and for years, the Boat House sat dormant, and salt weathered.

What you see now is not so much a renovation as a respectful repurposing of a piece of island history. The roof was replaced, a new concrete floor was laid, and the seaward foundation was reinforced. Everything else was left to tell its own story. The coral walls still carry the marks of decades of salt and sand. The timber door and window frames are original, the surfaces weathered by years of sun and sea air.

Beyond the weekly sundowner, the Boat House is available by arrangement for a private dinner or a quiet afternoon with only an honesty bar and the tide for company.