Mauritius for Honeymooners: Which Coast to Stay On, and the Day Everyone Remembers

Mauritius is about 65 kilometres long. You can reach any part of it in a day trip, so nobody needs to change hotels. Pick the coast for the kind of mornings you want.

Cooler, drier months

May to December

Hot and humid, with cyclone risk

January to March

Money

Mauritian rupee

Languages

English, French and Creole; Hindi is understood by many

Entry for Indian passports

See our Mauritius page for current rules

The four coasts

• North (Grand Baie, Trou aux Biches): calm lagoons, the most restaurants and shops. The easy choice for a first visit.
• East (Belle Mare): the longest white beaches and the big resorts. It is breezier in the cooler months.
• West (Flic en Flac, Tamarin): sunsets over the sea, and the boats that go out to look for dolphins.
• South (Le Morne, Bel Ombre): wilder, greener and quieter, under the island's most famous mountain.

Three days out

Ile aux Cerfs is the one people talk about afterwards: a speedboat across the east-coast lagoon, a stop at a waterfall, then a low island of white sand and shallow turquoise water with a barbecue lunch. Go on a clear day.

The south tour is the scenery day: the Trou aux Cerfs crater, the sacred lake at Grand Bassin with its tall statue of Shiva, the Chamarel waterfall and the Seven Coloured Earths. The north tour is the easy one: Port Louis and its waterfront, the giant water lilies at Pamplemousses, and the red-roofed church at Cap Malheureux.

Half board, and why it suits Mauritius

Resorts sit on their own stretches of beach, and the nearest restaurant can be a taxi ride away. A half-board plan, breakfast and dinner at the resort, saves that taxi most evenings. Indian vegetarian food is easy to find across the island; mention any other needs when you book.