The South Coast

The south is the least built and wildest stretch of the Mauritian coast: sugar cane, cliffs and beaches open to the ocean. At Bel Ombre the Bel Ombre Nature Reserve covers 1,300 hectares, the largest on the island, including the waterfalls and viewpoints of Frédérica and the La Réserve golf links. Heritage Le Telfair and Shanti Maurice are on this coast.

In the south-east, Blue Bay Marine Park covers 353 hectares. It became a marine park in 2000 and a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in 2008, and its clear, shallow water is among the best on the island for snorkelling.

Close by is Mahébourg, a town first laid out by the Dutch and developed by the French; its wide streets still show that past, and a naval museum tells the story of the sea battles of the nineteenth century. Offshore lies Île aux Aigrettes, a nature reserve since 1965.

The international airport at Plaine Magnien is on this coast, so it is an easy place to begin or end a journey, at Anantara Iko on Le Chaland beach.