Mauritius Gem

Belle Mare

Ten kilometres of public beach on the east coast, with the old sugar-mill ruins behind it. Windier and emptier than the north; the sunrise side of the island.

Belle Mare, Mauritius
Photo: Guillaume, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Why go

The east coast gets the trade wind, so the resorts here are quieter and the public beach is long and mostly yours. It is the sunrise coast: come at 6am and the sun comes straight up out of the lagoon. The ruined mill chimneys and aqueduct on the road behind are what the whole coast looked like before hotels.

How to do it

Free. The public beach runs along the coast road south of the village; park under the trees. Wind is strongest June to September, which is when the kitesurfers come. Swimming is safe inside the reef.

Nearby