The East
Discover the East coast of Mauritius
The east coast of Mauritius is a world away from the souvenir shops, nightclubs, and mass tourism like some other parts of the island, namely like in the north. It has a succession of beautiful white-sand beaches which are set next to clear blue lagoons. You will find many up-market hotels on this side of the island, as well as traditional villages.
Towns and Villages
One of the biggest villages on the Eastern side of the island is Centre de Flacq where you can find everything you need. It is worth visiting on a Wednesday or Sunday when there is a large bustling open-air market. Near to Centre de Flacq, you will find the village of Poste de Flacq where there is an amazing golf course. The closest the east comes to a tourist resort is in Trou d’Eau Douce where there are many famous plush hotels. But what's beautiful with Trou D'Eau Douce is that though it is home to luxurious hotels, it has not lost its identity of an interesting fishing village.
Heading further south you will come to the little village of Vieux Grand Port which is well known for the important battle which took place between the English and French in 1810. Here you can visit the Frederick Hendrick Museum and the Valley de Ferney, a nature reserve of 200 hectares.
Beaches
A spectacular beach on the eastern coast of the island is Belle Mare. Here you will find some of the best white sands on the island. It is one of the preferred beaches of locals during the weekend.
Another amazing beach is Bras d’Eau which is in a bay inside the lagoon of Poste Lafayette. Because of the view towards the south you can see both the sunrise and sunset, an experience which is unique on this side of the island.
Towns and Villages
One of the biggest villages on the Eastern side of the island is Centre de Flacq where you can find everything you need. It is worth visiting on a Wednesday or Sunday when there is a large bustling open-air market. Near to Centre de Flacq, you will find the village of Poste de Flacq where there is an amazing golf course. The closest the east comes to a tourist resort is in Trou d’Eau Douce where there are many famous plush hotels. But what's beautiful with Trou D'Eau Douce is that though it is home to luxurious hotels, it has not lost its identity of an interesting fishing village.
Heading further south you will come to the little village of Vieux Grand Port which is well known for the important battle which took place between the English and French in 1810. Here you can visit the Frederick Hendrick Museum and the Valley de Ferney, a nature reserve of 200 hectares.
Beaches
A spectacular beach on the eastern coast of the island is Belle Mare. Here you will find some of the best white sands on the island. It is one of the preferred beaches of locals during the weekend.
Another amazing beach is Bras d’Eau which is in a bay inside the lagoon of Poste Lafayette. Because of the view towards the south you can see both the sunrise and sunset, an experience which is unique on this side of the island.
The villages of Poste de Flacq and Roches Noires both have calm beaches which haven’t yet been touched by upmarket development.
What to Do
Despite the tranquillity of this side of the island, there is still plenty to do. Visit the island of Ile aux Cerfs where you will find restaurants, long beaches, a tortoise farm, and an 18-hole golf course. You can get there by speedboat, pirogue, glass bottom boat, catamaran, or even on a pirate ship. The trip to this island often includes a stop at Grand River South East with its’ impressive gorge and waterfall. It is easy to get to the island from Trou d’Eau Douce.
A unique place to visit in Poste de Flacq is the Sagar Shiv Mandir. It is a Hindu Temple located on a small island known as Goyave de Chine situated only a few meters from the mainland. It is found in a bay bordered by two prestigious hotels on the island with the Prince Maurice on the left and on the right, one of the first luxury hotel on the island, the iconic Saint Géran. What makes it unique is its location as it is surrounded by the sea, when there are high tides or heavy rainfalls, the little bridge becomes flooded and you need to walk in the water to reach the temple. The temple is not very old, it was built in 2007 as a place of worship for the Hindus. As its name suggests it is a temple at the glory of the Lord Shiva though it is home to other deities as well. It hosts a bronze statue of Shiva which is 108 feet high. It was build in honour to Lord Shiva.
The beach of Belle Mare is well known for its watersports activities ranging from parasailing, tube ride, underseawalk. Get ready for some fun at sea.
In Roches Noires you can visit some spectacular caves where Mauritian fruit bats and swallows live. Here you can see how volcanic activity formed the island many years ago. There are also lava tubes which have been changed into cool, freshwater springs.
Don’t miss a trip to the Bras d’Eau National Park which can be discovered by foot or on a bicycle. It is a beautiful park to wander through and you can also see the remains of an old sugar factory. You might even catch a glimpse of the Mauritian kestrel or the Mauritian Paradise flycatcher.
From Roches Noires to Bois des Amourettes in the south, you will find acres of sugar cane fields.
Best Time to Visit
Cooling breezes make summer the best time to visit the east of Mauritius, while in the winter strong onshore winds are good for sailing.
