Hotels in Mauritius West Coast

Mauritius West Coast: Sun, Reef, and the Morne Peninsula

The west coast of Mauritius stretches roughly 60 km from Port Louis south to Le Morne Brabant, a basalt peninsula inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. The region's lee position shields it from the south-east trade winds, giving beaches like Flic en Flac and La Preneuse calm, clear water for most of the year. Sunset colours here are reliable entertainment — the sky faces west across the Indian Ocean with no obstruction.

Visitors come for the water. Flic en Flac is the largest public beach on the island and a base for diving the Rempart, Cathedrale, and Shark Pit reef sites. Kite-surfers target the southern end near Tamarin, where a right-hand surf break has drawn wave riders since the 1970s. Inland, the Gorges de Rivière Noire (Black River Gorges National Park) covers 6,574 hectares and holds the last substantial native forest on the island, home to the Mauritius kestrel and pink pigeon.

Practical Tips

• Getting there: Taxi from Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport to Flic en Flac takes about 45 minutes; public bus Route 99 runs from Port Louis to Flic en Flac hourly.
• Best period: May to November offers dry, cooler conditions with calmer seas.
• Currency: Mauritian rupee (MUR); most hotels quote rates in EUR or USD.