Mauritius Gem

Snorkelling in Mauritius

The lagoons are beautiful and mostly sand. Coral is in specific places: the marine park at Blue Bay, the sheltered side of Coin de Mire, the northern islets, and the rocky ends of a few beaches. Go to those and you see fish; go anywhere else and you see your own feet.

Flic en Flac, Mauritius
Photo: HAI YANG, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The places

  1. Flic en Flac, Mauritius

    01 · West

    Flic en Flac

    The long public beach of the west coast: calm lagoon, filao shade, food stalls at weekends and the island's most reliable sunsets.

    When
    Any month; October to April for warmest water
    Time
    Half a day

    BeachesSnorkellingSunsetsWith childrenFree

  2. Blue Bay Marine Park, Mauritius

    02 · East

    Blue Bay Marine Park

    The best snorkelling reachable from the shore: a protected lagoon near the airport with corals metres from the beach and a public beach behind it.

    When
    October to April for warmest, clearest water
    Time
    Half a day

    SnorkellingBeachesWith childrenFree

  3. Île aux Cerfs, Mauritius

    03 · East

    Île aux Cerfs

    The east coast's island day trip: sandbars, a shallow lagoon, parasailing and a lot of other people. Go early, go on a weekday, walk away from the jetty.

    When
    May to November for calmer water; weekdays always
    Time
    Full day

    BeachesSnorkellingWith children

  4. Coin de Mire (Gunner's Quoin), Mauritius

    04 · North

    Coin de Mire (Gunner's Quoin)

    The wedge-shaped islet off the north coast, a nature reserve you circle by boat. Diving and snorkelling in its lee, tropicbirds on the cliffs, and the view that fills every north-coast photo.

    When
    October to April for calm sea and clear water
    Time
    Half to full day by boat

    NatureSnorkellingWildlifeViewpoints

  5. Pereybere, Mauritius

    05 · North

    Pereybere

    A small, deep, sheltered cove between Grand Baie and Cap Malheureux: the best swimming beach in the north, good snorkelling off the rocks, and food vans on the road.

    When
    Any month; October to April for warmest water
    Time
    Half a day

    BeachesSnorkellingWith childrenFoodFree

Questions people ask

Where is the best snorkelling in Mauritius from the beach?
Blue Bay Marine Park, in the south-east near the airport. Coral starts a few metres from the sand and the reef is protected. Second choice: the rocks at the northern end of Pereybere.
Do I need to bring my own snorkel?
Bring one if you have it. Hotels and beach operators rent them, but the fit is rarely good and the mask is usually scratched.