Mauritius is a tropical island with beautiful beaches, delicious food and friendly people. However where you stay can affect the enjoyment of your trip. Not all beaches are equal and if you want to have an amazing trip then you’ll want to stay on, or close to one of the best beaches in Mauritius.
Some beaches in Mauritius are stunning, while some are not so great. Accommodation standards also vary hugely. To make sure your trip is as relaxing as possible it makes sense to book accommodation in areas that you’ll enjoy being in.
Where to stay in Mauritius
I went to Mauritius in need of a beach break and some relaxation. That’s what Mauritius is good for. What I hadn’t realised is that Mauritius is fairly big and it can take up to 2 hours to drive from North to South.
I booked accommodation for my whole stay in the North with the intention to explore from there. I didn’t realise that to get to some one of the best beaches on the island (Le Morne) would take more than 3 hours by car, as a return trip. When you are craving relaxation and a beach, spending 3 hours of your day driving is not ideal.
In hindsight I would have spent half my trip in the North and the rest in the South or on the East Coast, so that day trips by car were short rides instead of hours of traveling.
Many of the interesting lookout points, hikes and waterfalls are in the South, so that is another reason to stay close to that area.
Beach hopping to find the best beaches in Mauritius
One thing that is good to know ahead of your trip to Mauritius , is that much of the East Coast taken up with private resorts. These resorts block the view of the beach from the road. This makes it tricky to just explore and stop at multiple beaches for a swim. This is not to say that you can’t explore the island, but if you are expecting miles of rugged and untouched coastline you will be disappointed. The West Coast is much less developed.
You can go to any public beach to swim or you can visit a resort to eat lunch and then swim in the ocean while you are there. The good thing about Mauritius is that the beaches are not private. Anybody is allowed to swim in front of the resorts. It is possible to park close to a public beach and just walk toward the resorts for a bite to eat, drink, swim or just explore the coastline.
The best beaches I found during my trip were:
1) Le Morne
2) Flic en Flac
3) Pereybere
4) Belle Mare
Booking Accommodation in Mauritius
To book accommodation close to or on the best beaches it’s best to use the map function on Booking.com. This way you can find something that is close to the beaches marked on the map above.
It’s obviously ideal to stay somewhere beachfront, but this might not be possible, depending on your budget. If beachfront accommodation is above your budget, I recommend finding somewhere that has more of a jungle vibe as opposed to a concrete block.
Handy Tips
- It’s really useful to have a hire car to explore
- The wettest months are January, February and March.
- A popular activity to do in Mauritius is a catamaran trip with a BBQ. I didn’t do this because the wind was too high, so boats were not sailing. If you do this please report back and tell me what I missed out on!
- Look out for the Mauritian craft beer called ‘Thirsty Fox’.
- The supermarkets are amazing if you love French food, especially the cheeses and fresh bread – Yum!
- There is a great little sunset bar and restaurant in Pereybere called ‘Landshark’. They serve decent fish tacos and the view isn’t bad either.
Accommodation and it’s location can make or break a trip. Follow this simple advice and you’re sure to love your time on this beautiful island.
I hope you found this post useful. If so, follow me on Instagram for more travel tips and inspiration. Still undecided on Mauritius? Then how about the Maldives on a budget .
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