Best and stunning Mauritius beaches

Are you dreaming of enjoying beautiful Mauritius beaches?

Oh, yes, Mauritius is a paradise destination that attracts beach and nature lovers more and more every day. This exotic island, nestled in the Indian Ocean, was on my travel list for a long time. Finally, my wish came true in April 2023.

Even now, when I look at the photos and videos made in Mauritius, I wish to go back there again.

 

 

The best Mauritius beaches

The azure water of the Indian Ocean laps the coast of Mauritius which is 330 km long.

After the forming of the island after the volcano eruption, one part of the soil rose along the volcano and made the protective reef. This reef is almost all around the coast protecting the island from large waves, as well as sharks. Because of this, swimming and snorkelling in the lagoons are completely safe.

 

Each coast part offers a unique experience, from hidden lagoons and long sandy beaches to rugged cliffs. This guide will take you through the best beaches on the north, south, west, and east coasts of Mauritius.

Generally, the beaches are public. But the space and facilities in front of the hotels and resorts are for their guests. By the way, the public beaches are crowded during weekends. Beside tourists, Mauritian families arrive equipped for picnics, carrying everything from food to sunbeds and tarps to protect them from the sudden rain!

 

Definetely, it is not possible to see all beaches during one vacation. So make a plan and enjoy your time 🙂

 

Mauritius beaches on the west coast

Since our apartment was in Flic en Flac, I will start with the west and southwest coast.
This part of the island is a very popular tourist spot with many facilities and a wide range of accommodation.

So, the most famous beaches in this part are Flic en Flac, Le Morne and Tamarin Beach.

 

Flic en Flac Beach

 

Flic en Flac is located in the village of the same name, probably derived from the Old Dutch word for “free flat land”.

 

The beach is almost 8 km long with a nice natural shade of native casuarina trees. The water is warm and shallow, which is perfect for families with kids. Besides swimming and snorkelling, there are water sports such as parasailing, jet skiing, paddle boating, banana boating, kayaking and deep-sea fishing.

 

Around the beach, there are many bars, restaurants and food trucks offering fresh seafood and dishes from local cuisine.

 

By the way, the weather could change suddenly. It means that you are enjoying sunbathing, and in 15 minutes, dark and grey clouds come and rain starts, together with thunderstorms. Sometimes it is a light rain, and soon, the sun is shining again. But sometimes it is heavy rain for hours and hours. During our stay, we experienced both situations, even if it was in Aprile, the period when few rainy days are expected.

This beach is known for its spectacular sunsets.

 

You can see people coming to the beach just to catch these romantic moments.

 

Accommodation in Flic en Flac

Flic en Flac offers a wide range of accommodations for every budget. You can choose from apartments, 2* hotels to luxurious villas, bungalows and 5* hotels.
Some of the best hotels are Hilton Mauritius Resort&Spa, Sofitel Mauritius L’Imperial Resort, Sugar Beach Mauritius, and Maradiva Villas Resort&Spa. 3* Aanari Hotel is a very good choice for a mid-range hotel, located close to the beach.

The rent prices of the apartments are different, depending on the location and equipment, and they range from 35 to 100 EUR per day.

 

Tamarin beach

About 10 km from Flic en Flac, there is the Tamarin beach in the village with the same name.
It belongs to the district of Black River. Once it was a fishing village, but today is a popular residential and tourist area. There are various boutique hotels, villas, apartments and hotels from 2* to 5* hotels.

Tamarin Beach is a wide sandy beach with waves, perfect for surfers and water sports.
Close to the beach, there are saltpans, Tamarina Golf Club, Casela Nature Parks, and Cascavelle Shopping Village with local and international brands.

 

Le Morne Beach 

Well, Le Morne Brabant is the most famous place in Mauritius.
This landscape of Mauritius is located peninsula of land on the southwest coast of Mauritius. Casuarina trees and the Le Morne Brabant Mountain surround the beautiful beach with white-gold sand.

 

By the way, Le Morne was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site List. In the previous posts about Mauritius, I wrote about the sad story of the runaway slaves who lived on the mountain. In 1834, slavery was abolished. But when maroons saw the British soldiers who wanted to tell them that they were free, they feared being recaptured again. So, they committed suicide and threw themselves from the top of Le Morne mountain. They choose death, without knowing that finally, they could be free…

If you like hiking, there are three-hour hiking tours with a guide to the top of the mountain. The tour is not easy, but you will be rewarded with a fantastic ocean view and coast from the top.

 

In my opinion, Le Morne is the best beach on the island.

 

It is known as a unique natural phenomenon: it is an underwater waterfall! Actually, it is an optical illusion, but it can be seen only from the air! We thought to make a video by drone, but it was too windy on that side of the beach and ocean, so we gave up.
So, I hope to visit Mauritius again and see it on a helicopter tour (it costs around 600 EUR for 2 people, a 30-minute flight ).

 

Kitesurfing on the Le Morne Beach

 

Because of its specific location, Le Morne is a perfect place for kitesurfing.
Actually, it is one the best spots in the world, with a big lagoon and warm water all year.

 

The best time is from June to November, and the wind speed is about 15-25 knots.

 

Accommodation in Le Morne Beach

This area is also known for the most luxurious resorts on the island.

 

So, you can find there several 5* luxury resorts, such as JW Marriot Mauritius Resort, LUX Le Morne, RIU Palace Mauritius, Grand Beachfront Villas, and Paradis Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa. Also, around Le Morne, there are apartments, villas, and small boutique hotels.

 

Mauritius Beaches in the South 

Some of the beaches on the southern part of the island are Baie Du Cap (close to the Maconde viewpoint), La Cambuse, Pomponette, Souillac, Le Bouchon, Riambel, and Gris Gris.

Gris Gris Beach

We were so delighted by the Gris Gris!
Even though this gold sandy beach looks marvellous, it is very dangerous. Swimming and snorkelling are not allowed. The reason are wind, rocks, strong sea currents, and big waves. In this part, there is no coral reef, which means that waves are crushing strongly on the rocks in the water.

 

I think that I could stay there all day, just watching the powerful play of the wind and waves!

 

Mauritius beaches on the northern side

The most popular beaches of the North are Trou aux Biches, Mont Choisy, La Cuvette, Grand Baie, Pereybere, and Cap Malheureux.

Troix aux Biches is located in the town with the same name, and it is one of the favourite beaches among tourists. Since we had limited time, we just stopped for a while at Grand Baie.

 

It is a very popular tourist place with many various types of accommodation, shops, nightclubs, bars and restaurants.

 

Cap Malhereux Beach and the Church with red roof

Going further on the north, we visited Cap Malhereux Beach.
It is located in a small fishing village close to Grand Baie. This is the most northerly point of the island.

 

The beach is surrounded by a beautiful lagoon with a few islets.

 

By the way, “Cap de Malheureux” means “Unlucky Cape”, and the name was given by the French who controlled the island in the 18th century. But in 1810, the British surprised them. They landed there and the French were defeated. Because of it, this area got its name as a reminder of the British invasion.

 

However, it is also known by the Notre Dame Auxiliatrice Church or the Red Roof Church. Indeed, the church has a red roof which is not very common.

 

The blue ocean, lagoon and church offer visitors an unbelievable scene. It is a very popular place for wedding ceremonies. We saw that during our excursion because, at that moment, it was full of guests who were waiting for the wedding ceremony to start 🙂

Take a look at the lagoon, the Red Roof Church, the boats and the ocean…
I hope you enjoy the view (drone by Aleksandar Petrović:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mauritius beaches on the east

The most popular beaches on the east are Belle Mare, La Pointe d’Esny, Post Lafayette, and the beach of Ile aux Cerfs.

In this area, there are 5-star hotels such as Shangri-La Le Touessrok, LUX Belle Mare, Constance Belle Mare Plage Mauritius, 4-star Radisson Blu Poste Lafayette Resort & Spa, and several 3-star hotels, as well.

From Trou d’Eau Douce start excursions to the island of Ile aux Cerfs, one of the most popular things to do in Mauritius.

 

Catamaran Adventure to Ile aux Cerfs

So, several private operators offer this excursion, for a half or the whole day. You can take a speedboat, catamaran or yacht to Ile aux Cerfs.

The cheapest way is the boat, which will take 15 minutes to reach the island, and it costs around 30 EUR per person.
If you enjoy catamaran tours, it will cost you approximately 65 to 125 EUR per person, depending if the transfer to your hotel is included or not.

 

So, we took a catamaran tour and we enjoyed sailing around the East Coast and Ile aux Cerfs.

 

Usually, this tour includes a visit to the famous Grand River South East (GRSE) waterfall which is about 500 m upstream. We moved from a catamaran to a speed boat and went close to the waterfall, going around the river banks surrounded by trees, rocks and greenery. Sometimes you can see the monkeys as well.

 

What to do on the Ile aux Cerfs?

Then we came back to the catamaran and sailed to Ile aux Cerfs or Deer Island.
The island got its name because it was once inhabited by deer brought from Java by the Dutch in the 17th century. Today, there are no more deers on the island, and the area of ​​87 hectares is a tourist attraction.

 

So, you can swim, snorkelling, walk around or soak up the sun on the island. Water sports are also available, such as parasailing, water skiing, wakeboarding and banana rides. Depending on the operator, the tour includes a BBQ lunch set with soft drinks, water, beer, wine or local rum, on the beach or the catamaran.

 

Well, I have to admit that I enjoyed the wind, the sailing and the view of the waters of the Indian Ocean 🙂

 

 Golf and Bubble Lodge

Golf enthusiasts can enjoy the Ile Aux Cerfs Golf Club, an 18-hole golf course. It was designed by the famous golf champion, Bernhard Langer.
There are no hotels on the island, but there is something: Bubble Lodge Ile aux Cerfs.
You can spend the night in luxurious “balloons”. There are only three balloons and being in them is a unique experience. The package includes a private boat transfer, dinner and breakfast at the golf club restaurant, access to the club’s private beach (towel, sunbeds, umbrellas) and a golf lesson. Roughly, one night in this balloon costs around 500 euros, and reservations are made through the golf club.
For more nights, check out various hotels on the coast of Trou d’Eau Douce.

 

Definitely, Ile aux Cerfs is one of the top excursions in Mauritius 🙂

 

Enjoy stunning Mauritius beaches

I hope you enjoyed my story of the beautiful Mauritius beaches.
The crystal clear water, endless white-gold sandy beaches and breathtaking sunsets give an unforgettable experience for travellers.

 

While I looked at the sun going down, I was so happy and thankful to have the opportunity to visit this paradise place. There are no words to describe the feeling of being surrounded by amazing nature and powerful waves.

And yes, it is not just a feeling that you are “lost somewhere in the ocean”.
It is true, especially when you see Mauritius as a small point on the world map, somewhere in the blue Indian Ocean…