5 you should visit in Mauritius

beaches you should visit in Mauritius It’s no secret Mauritius is known for its many beaches. With 330kms of coast, the island has no shortage of exciting and varied beach destinations to try. 

We spent a week in the south of the island, and another in the north, and visited a different beach almost every day. Call this excessive, but on an island with this many beaches, we couldn’t just try one or two.

Here are the 5 beaches we think everyone should visit at least once while on holiday in this idyllic Indian ocean Island. 

1. Gris Gris Beach

Sunset Time in Gris Gris our first day on the island.

Gris gris is on the south of the island, and although it is a rough beach for swimming it has some of the softest sand around. It also offers exquisite sunsets and if the tide is low, you can make it to a cave off the right side, right below the cliff, and you can see bats from there plus have an unobstructed view of the ocean. If you stay until it starts getting dark, you will start seeing the giant bats flying about. I had never seeing such large bats. It’s also a very scenic beach as it sits between a cliff and the ocean.

2. Telfair Beach

Very understated beach in the village of Souillac in the south of the island. It’s used mostly by locals and if you want to have a nice experience that’s far from the tourists, this is a must visit. If you go on a Sunday or a public holiday, you may just have a local family offer you some food….yes Mauritians are this friendly! It also has a rock you can jump off from into the ocean, and mostly sandy beach area. If you are sunburnt (like I was) or simply don’t want to be completely on the sun, this beach has a beautiful garden area in front of it, where you can lay your towel or a blanket and rest while watching beach life happen.

3. Troux Aux Biches Beach

This beach is on a more touristy part of town, but still very beautiful. It is situated on the north west of Mauritius, and it’s easily reachable by public transport. It has a sandy shore and  lots of life once you get a little deeper. It has calm waters and is ideal for swimming or floating. It also has lots of resorts and hotels nearby, so there is no shortage of amenities available. This is also a great spot to go diving and snorkeling from.

4. Baie du Tombeau Beach

This was the beach in front of our apartment our second week, and we loved it. We went snorkeling here several times and I have never seen so much life so close to the shore. This beach doesn’t have a lot of tourist action, especially if you go away from the hotels. It’s popular for its corals and great snorkeling and for the locals, it is an ideal spot to catch octopus. If you stop at any of the local food stands on the street, ask for Octopus or Ourite (Creole).  Just make sure you’re ok with a rocky shore and try not to step on the corals when you snorkel, it truly is an underwater paradise.

5. La Prairie Beach

Located on the south west of the island, this beach is easy to miss because of its proximity to Le Morne Brabant beach, but it is definitely worth a visit if you are looking for a quiet sandy beach. We stopped here one afternoon on our way home from the mountains, and it was such a pleasant surprise! The water is warm, and the sand is soft- no corals! This beach is easily reachable by public transport or by car, just make sure you part across the street as there are no amenities near it and also no designated parking area.

All beaches in Mauritius are public, and even the ones reserved for the resorts can usually be accessed on the side through a public entrance.

It’s hard to pick a favorite when Mauritius offers such variety of beaches to explore, so don’t get caught up on which beach is best, and just get out there. Wherever you choose to go, make sure you pack your snorkel gear, as mauritius has enough coral reefs and underwater life for you to explore for weeks….or months! I won’t tell you how long you can stay.

What’s your favorite beach?