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South Mauritius holidays
Mauritius’ tallest mountains, densest forests and hidden falls have kept the developers out of the south, and locals say this coast reminds them of the good old days. Head here for cliff top walks, otherworldly hiking trails, and relaxation that runs deep.
- Flight time
- 12h
- From London
- Currency
- MUR
- Mauritian Rupee
- Time zone
- GMT + 4h
Getting to South Mauritius
Although Mauritius’ main airport, the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU), sits in the south, winding roads mean transfers to the southern coast’s main hotel complexes work out similar to those elsewhere on the island -- around 45 minutes for Souillac, 1 hour for Bel Ombre and 1 ¼ hours for Le Morne.
For a seamless transition from plane to the pool, check whether your hotel offers airport transfers and if not speak to one of our team about arranging one.
Average weather in South
- Temperature (°C)*
- Rainfall (Inches)*
Holidays in South Mauritius
Relaxing evenings to end adventurous days are the order of business in the deep south. So, if you’re after a week of bar hopping and dubstep, this coast might take the wind out of your sails. Instead think sunset movie screenings on the beach, cocktails by the pool and stiffer stuff in colonial-style bars.
When your hotel has a choice of 12 restaurants and bars, like the Heritage Le Telfair and Heritage Awali, most evenings will doubtless be spent checking out the resort cuisine. But if cabin fever sets in, sunset cruises are a great way to get out and about without requiring too much energy, where you’ll sip local rums and listen to your crew’s musical talents with the setting sun. For something livelier, the C Beach Club at Bel Ombre, though a kid-friendly bar with private beach in the day, morphs into a strobe-lighted club which draws international DJs by night.
In the wild south, brushes with nature aren’t just the stuff of the day and for an exciting evening activity, check out the Frederica Nature Reserve’s night safaris, where you’ll take a 4x4 tour of the reserve as stags, boar and bats emerge, before drinks and appetizers round the lodge’s campfire.
The gorgeous grub served up on the daily in the all-inclusive south Mauritian resorts is unlikely to leave you hungry… but there are several southern dining experiences we’d be remiss not to mention.
For hearty, authentic curries your Mauritian grandma could have made, Chez Rosy at the Gris Gris beach is a must if you are touring the south coast -- you can’t go wrong with the fresh seafood curries or lobster in “sauce rouge”. If your adventures take you to the Vanille Nature Reserve, set your sights high, literally, and lunch at the Hungry Crocodile, a restaurant in the treetops where you can try crocodile steak, crocodile vindaloo, sweet and sour crocodile...though there are plenty of burgers and curries if your courage deserts you.
Finally, if your travels take you to the Chamarel or you’re staying in Le Morne, make time for the Restaurant Le Chamarel, where you can eat European-Mauritian fusion food with a panoramic view of the Le Morne Bay. When a menu contains dishes like roasted pineapple topped with papaya chili ice cream, just be sure to book in advance.
Though Mauritius’ south coast is more about nature than nurturing a shopping addiction, it’s just a short drive to some of the bigger cities and markets where you can indulge the inner magpie. For a proper Mauritian market experience, head to Mahebourg on a Monday, when the waterfront’s transformed into an open air flea market, where you can pick up silk scarves, spices and teas, before lunching on moreish street foods.
For the next biggest centre that accepts credit cards, the plateau city of Curepipe is under an hour’s drive north of Bel Ombre and the second city in size and importance after Port Louis. Here you’ll find duty free shops, modern clothing stores, and a range of dinky boutiques. Highlights include the model ship boutique, Voiliers de l'Océan, where you can watch masters produce mind-bogglingly intricate models. The Beauté de Chine, one of the island’s oldest shops, is crammed with antiques and trinkets. You will also find interesting shopping centers like the old-fashioned Arcade Salaffa, worth an hour or so pottering about.
Slightly more up to date, in the southwest, Black River is an up and coming part of the island, where the Ruisseau Creole Commercial Centre contains an eclectic range of boutiques,cafes and well-known brands like Diesel and L’Occitane.
Activities in South Mauritius
Numerous scenic hiking trails wind through the south, ranging from day excursions to a few shorter tours, such as on the Black River Peak. The drive through the Black River Gorges National Park is equally rewarding and spectacular. Take a break at panorama viewing areas, or enjoy picking up the guava fruit growing at the Grand Bassin is a lake situated 6km South East of Mare aux Vacoas in a secluded mountain area, deep in the heart of Mauritius. Grand Bassin with its Hindu temple is a holy lake for Mauritians of Hindu faith. The lake rests in the crater of an extinct volcano. It is said that the water inside the lake communicates with the waters of the holy Ganges of India. The Hindu community performs there a pilgrimage every year on the Maha Sivaratri (Shiva’s Great Night), on this day they honor the Lord Shiva. Beside the lake you will find a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and other Gods including Hanuman, Lakshmi, and others.
Watersports
Diving in South Mauritius
Due to the lack of a reef, there aren’t many dive sites directly off the south of Mauritius. Head to the southeast or southwest sides, however, and the deep is teeming with descents, excellent visibility (20 to 25m) and bath-like temperatures (22 in winter and 25 in summer).
For beginners, the Blue Bay Marine Park in the southeast is ideal.This crystal clear lagoon is only around 5-6m deep, but packed with tropical beauties like damselfish, trumpet fish and known as one of THE places for learning how to dive. Le Morne in the southwest, meanwhile, is home to the Easydive centre - where PADI certified instructors will help you get the hang of 5-point descents, hand signals, emergency ascents and the essentials.
If you already have a few dives under your belt, the Pass St. Jacques in the southwest is considered Mauritius’ best drift dive, descending from 3 to 30m past a congregation of barracudas, turtles and moray eels. Round at Le Morne, pay a visit to local celebrity Barbara, a 2m moray eel who lives at La Murene.
Surfing in South Mauritius
While the sunseekers head north and east, the deep south is where it’s at for the surf set.
Tamarin Bay once reigned supreme with Mauritius’ surfers, but Le Morne is where it’s all happening these days, a sheltered lagoon protected by the flat-topped Le Morne Brabant mountain - creating conditions friendly enough for beginners and intermediates and challenges for those at O’Neill World Cup level. A famed left break dubbed “One Eye” sees currents so fast, hotel surf schools won’t bring you here... A step down from One Eye extremes, Manawa is another exposed reef break. 2km offshore with consistently large, strong waves, and potent south easterly offshore winds, this is best reached by boat. Beginners and intermediates, meanwhile, will have a whale of a time practicing in the lagoon and on private or group lessons with the Ion Club.
Though past its heyday, Tamarin Bay, a 15-minute taxi up the coast from Le Morne, still packs a punch in the right conditions. This popular lefthander first breaks on a reef, and then on a sandy bottom, which can result in rides which go on for days when the swell’s going strong. Last time we checked, the excellent Tamarin Surf School here offered beginners lessons for under £20 and rented boards for a pittance.
Accomplished surfers, meanwhile, need to check out the Riviere des Galets, 20 km east along the winding south coast road. Here a moderately exposed reef and left hand surf break offer reliable waves (careful of strong currents and shallow waters over coral riffs), and host local surf competitions November-December.
Windsurfing & kitesurfing in South Mauritius
They call south western Le Morne’s sheltered bay “Kite Lagoon”, which says it all for the kiting opportunities here. The Son of Kite, the Yoaneye Kite Centre, LMKS and Ion Club are all excellent operators in the area who’ll get you kitted out and launching and landing with the pros (quite literally, this is where most of them hang out). The latter two companies have been known to offer pick-ups from hotels in Bel Ombre, so you don’t need to stay in Le Morne to kite here.
Light morning winds in the lagoon are perfect for kids and beginner lessons, while exposed reef breaks like One Eye and Manawa provide plenty of interest for the more experienced.
Head out between May and October for board season, specifically between August and October for the very best wind statistics. In these months a constant wind usually ranges from 15 to 25 knots (though can hit up to 30 knots). It’s possible to head further afield in search of the best downwinders with the Ion Club’s excursions to the Ile aux Benitiers or Bel Ombre.
Lesser known, but equally excellent, the shallow lagoon at Bel Ombre trades less shelter and stronger currents for fewer kiters and surfers, making it another great place to pick up the sport. The highly-rated Kiteglobing School here will help you pick up new tricks, or learn them from scratch.
Sailing in South Mauritius
The south’s choppy waters and strong southern winds don’t lend themselves to the long, scenic sailing tours you can enjoy in the north, east and west - luckily Black River’s just round the corner, where catamarans will take you on idyllic trips beneath the iconic Le Morne Mountain. If you’re up early enough, you may even see dolphins in Tamarin Bay. Other excursions include the Ils aux Benitiers and Crystal Rock, or evening cruises with drinks and music on the island’s sunset coast. JPH Charters have picked up top reviews for both.
Fishing in South Mauritius
Mauritius has been making waves in the fishing department and today you’ll find more fishing charters in the southwest than you’ll know what to do with; half and full day, shared or private excursions for experienced anglers, beginners and everyone in between.
In the southwest, big-game fishing brings all the anglers to the yard, and it’s not unheard of to strike six of the seven billfish (black, blue and striped marlin, spearfish, swordfish, sailfish and possibly sharks, wahoos, bonitos and tuna) on a single trip from Black River. Operators like JP Henry offer shared and private charters for a full or half-day. Though prices can be steep if you’re hiring a sailboat for one, band together with fishing mates and private hire starts looking affordable (last time we checked, 6 people aboard JPH’s cabin cruiser works out at £70 a head for a full day’s trip). If you’re fishing solo, a shared trip will be the most economical way to bag big game (though you’ll want to check if you can keep your prize catch afterwards).
Fish Whisperers are another top quality team in these waters, with a professed 85% catch rate. Their full day trips mix several hours of deep sea fishing with several hours of small game fishing to focus on all the different species. To up the ante, head to south Mauritius in January, when the Le Morne Angler’s Club hosts the South Indian Ocean Billfish Competition, offering cups and cash prizes and tense nightly fish weigh-ins. To participate you simply book a boat.
Canoeing & kayaking in South Mauritius
The rugged south coast does things differently to the rest of Mauritius, and the same applies to its kayaking trips. Rather than bright, blue lagoons you could paddle in your sleep, in the south excursions have more grit - basalt grit to be precise. Options include a thrilling cave kayaking excursions from Albion, paddling into 8 different caves hewn into the cliffs.
Over in the south east, Yemaya Adventure’s kayaking trips will take you through the historical bay of Mahebourg and its islets, requiring concentration as you paddle into the wind and learn all the historical facts about this route. The tour starts in a mangrove lined river, enters the Grand Port bay, passes the Cat and Monkey islands and visits the site of a fierce naval battle between the English and the French.
For more casual kayaking, all the main hotels offer rentals. Standouts include the Heritage Awali’s “see-through” kayaks, windows into the crystal blue waters beneath you.
Land activities
Golf in South Mauritius
Now’s the time to discover Mauritius’ up-and-coming golf scene, before your putting pals do, and for the pick of the best courses, the south is only rivalled by the east.
Four Championship courses are spread across the south west and last time we checked, several resorts offered complimentary access to the Heritage Awali, Avalon, Tamarina and Paradis. The Awali draws the pros (you may know it as the Chateau Bel Ombre). This hosted the first ever AfrAsian Open in 2015 – and again in 2017 – an honour shared only with the Anahita course in the East. Thrilling elevated and downhill holes, plus plenty of hazards from the St Martin and Citronniers rivers make this a thrill from start to finish. But 5 possible tee positions at each hole ensure a course that challenges professionals is also enjoyable for everyday golfers. Stay at the Heritage Awali or Heritage Le Telfair and access has traditionally been free.
Cycling & mountain biking in South Mauritius
Souillac’s E Bike Discovery has thrilling rides all over the South, on which you can turn to motorised assistance. Their full-day Chamarel tour packs in some of the south’s best bits - the Seven Coloured Earth, Chamarel’s rum distillery and a coffee tasting session. If all the monuments dotted along the south coast have intrigued you, opt for the Souillac tour which takes you along the coast so your guide can explain the statues’ significance and pop into local fishing villages.
For a ride on the wilder side, hit up Yemaya Adventures for MTB tours of the Macchabee forest (lakes, waterfalls, and technical trails) that will require leg muscle.
With routes like these, Mauritius’ hotels often offer bikes for hire, and exploration of the coastline with a picnic on the beach makes for a great day out. Last time we checked, Lux Le Morne even offered complimentary biking tours to guests, taking you to the kitesurf lagoon and a local fishing village - a great way to get stuck in on the first few days.
Walking & hiking in South Mauritius
828m above sea level isn’t a bad place to be on lush tropical island, as the photos from the Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire, Mauritius’ highest peak, prove. Vistas soar across the 67sq km of the Black River Gorges National Park, a wonderland of soaring ebony trees, hidden waterfalls and thriving, once-endangered species. The park’s name comes from the dark stones that line the river, which Dodos used to swallow to help them digest their meals… we suspect hikes through the park’s 120km of well-marked trails will be better for the figure. And tour guides like Yanature Adventure offer routes which range from gentle 6km strolls to bracing 8km climbs. When the going gets tough, the sheer beauty of the place keeps you going and you’d be surprised at how sightings of macaque monkeys, flying foxes, pink pigeons and lime green echo parakeets can put a second wind in your sails.
The entire deep south is packed with terrific treks, another with historical significance being the 6km Slave Route on the South West coast. This climbs the monolithic Le Morne Brabant mountain up to a plateau where runaway slaves used to take refuge.
Those looking to cover some serious ground in the south should pick up a copy of Philip LaHouse’s Mountains and Trails – Trails in the Black River Gorges for further suggestions.
