The east coast of Mauritius runs from Poste Lafayette and Roches Noires in the north-east, through Belle Mare and Palmar, down to Trou d'Eau Douce and the Anahita estate at Beau Champ. It has some of the island's longest white-sand beaches, many of its larger resorts, four golf courses and the boat trips across the lagoon to Île aux Cerfs. Inland, the Bras d'Eau forest gives walkers a quiet change from the beach.

The south-east trade winds blow here for much of the year. They keep the coast fresh, but the sea can be choppier than in the north or west, especially in winter. Belle Mare is about 65 minutes from the airport and about 50 minutes from Port Louis. Drive times in this guide are by car without traffic, rounded up.

Belle Mare and Palmar

Belle Mare Public Beach is the public stretch of the long Belle Mare shore, proclaimed a public beach by the Beach Authority. Hotels stand nearby, but this is public shoreline, open to everyone. Where: Belle Mare.

The water off Belle Mare has its own rules for boats. Under the Tourism Authority's Belle Mare regulations of 2016, a snorkelling zone off Trou Corne is marked with red buoys and no pleasure craft may operate inside it, and pleasure craft are held to 10 knots in the speed-limit zones along this shore.

Next to the public beach, Splash N Fun Leisure Park has water slides, pools, rides and food outlets, which makes it a family outing. It is separate from the public beach beside it. Where: Belle Mare.

Trou d'Eau Douce and Île aux Cerfs

Trou d'Eau Douce is a fishing village about 15 minutes' drive from Belle Mare, and the place where boats leave for Île aux Cerfs and the waterfall at Grand River South East.

Île aux Cerfs is a leisure island off Trou d'Eau Douce with beaches, sandbanks, lagoons, restaurants and activities on land and water. A shuttle boat runs during the day between Pointe Maurice and the island's jetty. Note the time of the last boat back. Where: Trou d'Eau Douce.

Johaness Cruises runs speedboat and catamaran trips from the bay at Trou d'Eau Douce, as group or private outings. Routes include Île aux Cerfs and the Grand River South East waterfall, with time to swim and snorkel (the equipment is on board) and lunch on the island or out on the lagoon. Some cruises add dolphin watching, so choose the itinerary that matches what you want to see. Where: Trou d'Eau Douce.

On the island, La Chaumière Masala is a beach restaurant run by the golf club, with tables on stilts or on the hillside and a menu that mixes Indian, Mauritian and Asian cooking. Where: Île aux Cerfs, off Trou d'Eau Douce.

Golf on the east coast

The east has four golf courses.

  • Île aux Cerfs Golf Club is a Bernhard Langer design, with holes spread across the island's coastal landscape and views out to the ocean. It is reached only by boat or helicopter, and the boat transfer is included with the green fee. A dress code applies. Where: Île aux Cerfs, off Trou d'Eau Douce.
  • Anahita Golf Club plays an 18-hole course designed by Ernie Els on the Anahita estate, beside the lagoon. Where: Beau Champ, Grand River South East.
  • The Legend Golf Course is an 18-hole, par-72 layout by Hugh Baiocchi, set among indigenous forest at Constance Belle Mare Plage, with lessons from resident professionals. Where: Poste de Flacq.
  • The Nine at Azuri is a nine-hole, par-three course designed by IMG. A round takes about 90 minutes, each hole has several tees for different levels, and the clubhouse has a restaurant, a bistropub, a pro shop and a golf academy for lessons. Where: Azuri Village, Roches Noires.

Poste Lafayette, Roches Noires and Bras d'Eau

Poste Lafayette Public Beach takes in several proclaimed public-beach sections along the Poste Lafayette shore, about 20 minutes' drive north of Belle Mare. Bras d'Eau Public Beach is another public stretch in the Poste de Flacq area, close to the national park of the same name. Where: Roches Noires and Poste de Flacq.

Bras d'Eau National Park covers about 497 hectares, with native plants, endemic birds and the remains of an old sugar mill and settlement. The Coq des Bois Trail runs from the visitor centre to Mares Chevrettes, a fairly easy five-kilometre return walk, and the Coq de Bois Loop extends it. The Mare Sarcelle wetland has mangroves and migratory birds. The park is about 25 minutes by car from Belle Mare; take water and stay on the marked trails. Where: Roches Noires.

Where to eat

Two local restaurants sit on Royal Road in Trou d'Eau Douce, handy before or after a boat trip. La Case Poisson is a seafood restaurant with an open-air barbecue that buys its fish each morning from artisanal fishers. It serves lunch and dinner from a daily menu, and fresh fish, prawn and lobster dishes are made on request. CHEZ TINO Restaurant cooks Creole, Chinese and seafood dishes, with outdoor seating and pickup. Where: Trou d'Eau Douce.

On the Coastal Road at Poste de Flacq, Sunshine Fusion Restaurant serves seafood with a fusion approach and has outdoor seating; it marked ten years open in 2026. For something sweet, Delila Délices is a small pâtisserie in Camp Poorun that takes orders, rather than a full-service restaurant. Where: Poste de Flacq.

Azuri Village has two more. Black Rock Bar & Grill, a short walk from the beach and Market Square, serves fresh fish, grilled meats, salads, burgers and tapas, with a terrace facing the sea and sport on screen in its Beer Garden; it opens daily for lunch and dinner. Café Gioia, overlooking Market Square, does breakfast, then salads, wood-fired pizzas and sandwiches at lunch and homemade pasta in the evening. Where: Azuri Village, Roches Noires.

Inland, Sous Le Cocotier is a Mauritian restaurant and bar-and-grill on Martine Road. It offers dine-in, takeaway and delivery, and tables must be reserved. Where: Montagne Blanche.

For more choice across the island, see where to eat in Mauritius.

Where to stay

Belle Mare and Palmar suit travellers who want a long beach outside the door. Long Beach has four pools, a spa, a gym, five restaurants, two bars, kids' and teens' clubs, and free green fees with transfers at Anahita and Île aux Cerfs. The Residence Mauritius takes its style from the old plantation houses, with garden, ocean and ocean-front rooms (some with butler service) and The Sanctuary spa. Veranda Belle Mare, formerly Veranda Palmar Beach, is all-inclusive, with kayaking, pedal boats, paddleboarding and kitesurfing on the lagoon. Where: Belle Mare.

Several adults-only hotels share this stretch. Ambre, A Sunlife Resort has 297 rooms and suites along the beach, an all-inclusive plan and an infinity pool. Every room at Solana Beach Mauritius has an unobstructed ocean view, and the garden has a jacuzzi with a waterfall. SALT of Palmar includes kayaking, guided snorkelling, paddleboarding, pedal boats and glass-bottom boat trips, and has its own bakery. Seasense Boutique Hotel & Spa has 63 rooms on two levels in a tropical garden by the beach, with three restaurants and a spa. For more on couples' stays, see Mauritius for honeymooners. Where: Belle Mare and Palmar.

Poste de Flacq has two resorts at the north end of the Belle Mare coast. One&Only Le Saint Géran sits on a private peninsula between the ocean and the lagoon, with an overwater restaurant, a Guerlain spa, a boat house for snorkelling trips and a helipad. Constance Belle Mare Plage has two kilometres of sand, eight restaurants, eight bars and both the Links and Legend golf courses. Where: Poste de Flacq.

Trou d'Eau Douce and Anahita are the bases for boat trips to Île aux Cerfs. Shangri-La Le Touessrok has beachfront rooms, suites, private beach villas and multi-bedroom family villas, a kids' club, and boat trips to Exclusive Island and its beach restaurant. Families can try Friday Attitude, with family rooms for two adults and two children, a daily kids' club for ages three to twelve and a free shuttle to Île aux Cerfs. Its adults-only neighbour Tropical Attitude has seafront rooms, villas with their own garden and pool, and the same free shuttle. Where: Trou d'Eau Douce.

On the Anahita estate, Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita has villas and residences with private gardens and pools, and a boat to the resort's beach on Île aux Cerfs. The Bay Club at Anahita has suites and villas, two private beaches (one on Île aux Cerfs), tennis and clubs for children and teens. It is about 15 minutes' drive from Trou d'Eau Douce. Where: Beau Champ.

Poste Lafayette and Azuri are on the north-east coast. La Maison D'Été Hotel is a smaller hotel with two pools, a spa, two restaurants, breakfast included and La Vigie, a suite on stilts. Radisson Blu Azuri Resort & Spa has rooms, family rooms and villas with private pools, five restaurants and bars, and the Ti Krab Kids' Club. Where: Poste Lafayette and Azuri, Roches Noires.

A day in the east

Start with a swim at Belle Mare Public Beach. Drive about 15 minutes to Trou d'Eau Douce and spend the middle of the day on Île aux Cerfs, either on the shuttle from Pointe Maurice or on a Johaness Cruises boat trip; if you stay on the island, eat at La Chaumière Masala. Back on the mainland, finish with dinner at La Case Poisson or CHEZ TINO on Royal Road.

If you would rather walk than swim, swap the island for Bras d'Eau National Park, about 25 minutes from Belle Mare, and eat afterwards at Black Rock Bar & Grill or Café Gioia in Azuri.

Weather and when to go

The east is the wettest of the three main coasts, and the coolest by day. The weather service's station at Fuel records more than 1 mm of rain on about 173 days a year, against 148 at Pamplemousses in the north and 64 at Medine in the west, and about 1,962 mm of rain a year. February is the wettest month and October the driest, and September to November are the three driest months. Mean maximum temperatures run from 28.8°C in January to 23.7°C in July, July nights average 17.3°C, and the coast gets between 6 and 7.3 hours of sunshine a day depending on the month (climate table for the east). For the island-wide picture, see the best time to visit Mauritius.

Putting the east together

For every place to stay, eat and visit on this coast, see the East area page. It pairs well with the north, about 45 minutes from Belle Mare to Pereybère, while the west is about 65 minutes away at Flic en Flac.