Mauritius Information East
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The East
Coast is the region that has witnessed the fastest tourist
development in the last 10 years. Apart from the private
bungalows that were built there since the 1920's or so,
the East coast was left wild for many years.
The first two modern hotels were built there in the 70's; they
remained on their own for approx 10 years until the promoters,
local and international understood the great potential of the
longest and nicest beach of "Belle Mare." Contrarily
to other coasts of Mauritius, the important villages of the
East are relatively far from the shore. When residing on the
East coast it is essential to rent
a car to discover the island. |
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Climate |
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Like the south coast,
the East coast faces the southeast trade winds, which prevails
almost all year round. The region often gets too windy especially
in winter where high-pressure cells pass by.
During winter, (June to August) it can get cool as early as
5 p.m. and warm clothes are necessary after sunset. |
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| Topography |
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The longest
and largest lagoon of Mauritius starts at the very South-East
point of Pointe D'Esny and stretches on twenty-two Kilometres
along the East coast, up to Trou-d'Eau-Douce. ānd from the North
of Trou-d'Eau-Douce, stretches the lagoon of Palmar / Belle
mare. In most places, these lagoons are shallow with deep canals,
generating hundreds of different greens and blues on sunny days.
The lagoons of the East are not the sole attraction of
this region. In the south-eastern part, especially around the
"Vieux Grand Port" the mountains come down steeply into the
sea.
The view of the lagoons on one side and the vegetation-rich
mountains on the other makes this region without any doubt,
the richest coastal scenery of Mauritius. It is also one of
the few coastal roads having few walls and buildings obstructing
the view.
The East coast of Mauritius is in fact the place for real "sea,
sand and sun" holidays, especially outside the winter months
of June through August
In order to fully enjoy the beach, we
recommend residing in a beach
villa or a hotel
on the beach. The wonderful public beaches and of course the
famous "ile aux Cerfs" are good solutions for those having
found an off-beach accommodation as they are and rather quiet
on week days. |
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Ile
Aux Cerfs |
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Ile aux Cerfs
is an islet in the lagoon of "Trou d'eau Douce" which is exploited
by a group of hotels; which recently set a magnificent golf
course on the islet. However, the resort can be visited and
enjoyed by everyone. There are regular shuttles from the shore
that take people to Ile-aux-Cerfs and back.
The disappointing aspect of Ile aux Cerfs is that it
is highly visited by Mauritians and Tourists and the boat traffic
is intense. It has a few restaurants and now a 5
star golf course. According to our clients and visitors,
Ile aux Cerfs remains a place of rare beauty with its sand bank
and the colours of the lagoon around it. Furthermore, it was
still easy to find a sweet spot to spend a wonderful day. They
are absolutely right! |
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| Grande
Riviere Sud-Est |
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Grande
Riviere Sud Est is the longest river of Mauritius
and it is possible to charter boats from Trou d'eau Douce to
go up its mouth and bathe under the short cascade that makes
the last step before it meets the sea. The vegetation is wild
and rich, making it possible to spend most of the day in the
shade while staying on the boat. Several speedboats and catamarans
visit the place every day; it is therefore not the undiscovered
sweet spot; however the trip offers magnificent sceneries and
occurs within the lagoon. Good reasons to spend a fantastic
day at sea. Pointe
du Diable is just a point along the coastal road
where |
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the French had erected
a fort and a cannon battery to defend the "Vieux-Grand-Port"
from (English) invaders. The stonewalls are still there and
traces of the great "Vieux-Grand-Port" (1810) battle can still
be observed. "Pointe du Diable" is also the ideal spot to stop
for a rest as it is a viewpoint on the "Vieux-Grand-Port."
For those who like trekking,
the Lion mountain which in the vicinity is
easy to climb and offers a magnificent view on almost a quarter
of the country and on the lagoon. |
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Roches
Noires |
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Roches Noires
is exclusively a residential area along the East coast of Mauritius
Island where most bungalows
and villas are secondary residences; making it an ideal
hideaway for those seeking peace & tranquility, away from
urban buzz.
This part of the East coast of Mauritius is peculiar
as it consists of several secluded tiny coves of white beach
ensuring privacy and intimacy. The lagoon is several kilometers
long and magnificent with myriads of greens and blues.
Roches Noires pleases the sportsmen also as within a 20 minute
drive towards the East, one can kitesurf (school and
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rental
centre nearby,) play Golf on superb 18-hole courses of
“Links” in
“Belle Mare” or the “Ile
aux Cerfs” championship course. In “Trou-d’eau-Douce”
it is also possible to join a sailing boat trip or rent a power
boat.
In terms of restaurants
and greengrocers the region is now better geared. A good restaurant
& pizzeria is now open along the coastal road. "L’admirable"
the grocery shop nearby has more than the basic stuff. For a
wider choice, a supermarket is found at the entrance of the
village of Goodlands, at a 15 minutes’ drive towards the
North / Grand
Bay.
View
location on Google Earth. |
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| Trou
d’eau Douce |
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Trou
d'eau Douce is to our opinion it is the most typical
and worth passing by. Trou d'eau Douce is like most coastal
regions, a weekend and summer resort for those who own beach
cottages, but it is also a fishermen's village. Trou
d'eau Douce has chosen to remain the remote coastal
village despite the emergence of hotels nearby.
The houses are modest but well kept and are generally hidden
behind as much trees and plants as it is possible to grow in
the tiny surfaces of their gardens.
People are generally poor and the level of education remains
relatively low. These factors give the impression they are all
blunt and unfriendly. In fact, the people of Trou d'eau
Douce are simply in their own world and generally do
not interfere with foreigners unless solicited to do so. Clocks
in living rooms are mainly for ornamental purposes as the rhythm
to the lives of its inhabitants depends on the tide and the
moon phases.
Trou d'eau douce being the starting point
of numerous sea excursions, the village has
since a few years lived a fantastic upspring, fortunately quite
muted in terms of buildings and infrastructure. |
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The
people of the surrounding regions have moved in and now the
village is quite animated at some times of the day. One
can see Mauritians and tourists of all kinds all happy with
the smile that strongly contributes to the good reputation of
Mauritian hospitality..
View location
on Google Earth. |
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Activities
& Places to visit |
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Hiking,
mountain-biking
or quad
biking within the largest natural reserve of Mauritius.
Rent a speedboat to Ile aux Cerfs or preferably to some
of the islands outside Mahebourg. Please carefully choose whom
you deal with and although several operators own a skipper's
licence, many of them drive like crazy.
Kite Surfing Conditions are excellent along the East coast.
Kite2Fly kite school & rental operates every day at La Colombiere
Kite surfing residence, Poste Lafayette (25 minutes drive from
Trou d'Eau Douce.) The Links and Ile aux Cerfs Golf
courses are accessible against a green fee.
Diving is possible by contacting the numerous dive centres
operating from hotel premises. |
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| Accommodation |
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Private
beach villas remain the best alternative for those who wish
to discover the Mauritian "art de vivre," peaceful, quiet, luxuriant.
The few apartments and guesthouses
offer quality accommodation at reasonable costs; ideal family
accommodation solutions.
Of course, the hotels
remain the most popular partly due to their wonderful settings.
The East coast counts several 5 star resorts with Golf
Courses and Spas. |
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Updated: June 2007
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