Grand Baie, Mauritius
Grand Baie is the first resort on the island to experience the full force of the “tourist boom” that hit Mauritius. After the impact of the tourism industry, this region has somewhat lost its former charm of paradise deserted landscapes, but has acquired a developed infrastructure with many restaurants, shops, hotels and diving centers. See Citypopulationreview for weather in the capital of Mauritius.
If you go from north to south, Grand Baie and the surrounding area can be divided into several beaches: Pereybere, Grand Baie Bay and Pointe aux Canonniers, Mont Choisy and Trou aux Biches.
The “Big Bay” even today attracts sun worshipers and fans of whistling on the board along the crest of the wave from all over the world. The main local “trick” is the ideal beaches and a lot of water activities.
The beaches of Grand Baie
Pereybere, unlike Grand Baie, has just a gorgeous beach, ideal for families with children. This is one of the fastest growing resorts on the island: there are many cafes and shops, and local hotels are mostly oriented towards the middle class. There are two diving centers in Pereybere that organize dive safaris to neighboring islands, and you can explore the coral reef passing near the beach line on your own – with a mask and fins.
Grand Baie Bay is the main resort in the north of Mauritius. It has everything you need for a comfortable and fun holiday: a rich nightlife, many hotels (from budget apartments to luxury complexes), shops and restaurants, as well as all kinds of entertainment on water and land. Swimming in the bay itself will not appeal to everyone because of the abundance of fishing boats – on the other hand, there are many beautiful beaches very close, which can be reached by taxi, bus or scooter. Two colorful Tamil temples serve as local attractions.
The “Great Bay” (namely, this is how the Grand Baie is translated) even today, like a magnet, attracts sun worshipers and lovers of whistling on the board along the crest of the wave from all over the world.
Cape Pointe aux Canonniers, located a little to the north, forms a zone of small secluded beaches surrounded by modern resort complexes.
Mont Choisy and Trou aux Biches (Mont Choisy, Trou aux Biches) – a three-kilometer beach with the purest sand and one of the best places for swimming, sunbathing and diving in the north of the island. Most local hotels are bungalows, apartments and villas designed for middle-class tourists. Moreover, almost every house on this stretch of coast offers rooms for rent. There is no shopping as such, but a lot of water-related entertainment: diving centers, kayaking, glass-bottom boat trips, deep-sea fishing, windsurfing, catamarans, water skiing, parasailing. On land, there is also something to do: a 9-hole golf course at the Trou aux Biches hotel, a horse riding school Horse Riding Delights at the Tarisa Resort hotel.
Entertainment and attractions of Grand Baie
Cruises are one of the popular ways to spend time in Grand Baie. Yacht Charters organizes trips on the vintage yacht Isla Mauritia twice a week with traditional music, swimming, snorkeling and barbecues in Turtle Bay. In addition, you can sail on modern catamarans to the northern islands or arrange a romantic cruise with dinner at sunset.
In addition, two diving centers are responsible for the good mood of tourists at the resort, Sportfisher with deep-sea fishing programs and Captain’s Nemo Undersea Walk, which organizes walks under water at a depth of 25 m for everyone over 7. While men travel on the bottom of the sea, ladies prefer to pamper themselves at the Grand Baie Hydro Spa.
Maeburg, Mauritius
Maheburg used to be an important economic center of the country. Founded in 1804, the city witnessed the only naval victory of the Napoleonic army over the British. The famous slave market was also located here. Today, this town with a rich past pleases tourists with its atmosphere and sights. There are no beaches in Mahebourg, but it is very convenient to get to Blue Bay and Pointe d’Esny, from where boats go to the Aigrettes Islands.
The local market, which takes place every Monday, is considered one of the best on the island. The location is near the bus station.
How to get there
Maheburg is an important transport hub of the city. Express buses from Port Louis stop here every half an hour, and from Curepipe every 15 minutes. Most of these buses also make a stop at the airport along the way. Shuttles to Blue Bay leave every 30 minutes.
In addition, buses run every 20 minutes to Center de Flac via Vieux Grand Port. Buses run south to Souillac (next to which there is an interesting crocodile farm).
A taxi from the airport to Maheburg will cost ~ 350 MUR, the journey takes 15 minutes. Taxi from Port Louis ~ 600 MUR.
Entertainment and attractions in Maheburg
An interesting castle is Chateau Robillard, built at the entrance to the city, which now houses the Museum of National History with old maps and engravings, swords of corsairs and the remains of sunken ships.
In addition to walking along the picturesque sleepy streets and shops, it is worth visiting the confectionery factory and the church of Notre-Dame-des-Anges.
