South East Region Mauritius

When coming from either direction, one cannot miss stopping at Pointe aux Diable to admire the great view and take a look of the centuries old cannons stationed there by the British to fight off the French who never came.

When coming from either direction, one cannot miss stopping at Pointe aux Diable to admire the great view and take a look of the centuries old cannons stationed there by the British to fight off the French who never came.

When coming from either direction, one cannot miss stopping at Pointe aux Diable to admire the great view and take a look of the centuries old cannons stationed there by the British to fight off the French who never came.

A few kilometers out of Mahebourg, Anse Jonchee extends from the sparkling beach right up into rugged Bambou Mountains. A small windy road leads up to “La Domaine de Anse Jonchee”, home to endemic and rare kestrel falcons, where nature excursions and a restaurant as well as accommodation in typical African round-style bungalows await the visitor. A night in this quiet and pristine environment is designed to restore health and vitality of stressed out and run down city dwellers.
A few kilometers down the road, a small sign points the way to Les Huiles Essentielles de l’Ocean Indien (LHEOI), where homemade essential oils, tours of the premises and a variety of souvenirs and handicrafts can be obtained together with a tour of the interesting premises and its fauna and flora.

A real fishermen village, Bambous Virieux is located directly by he ocean and offers great views over the southern isles from its jetty. The moment you park your car you are a part of this lovely village, where time seems to stand still and Creole life in its original style can be admired still today.

Once nothing but a few rows of filao trees by the beach, Blue Bay has turned into a bustling little village, with visitors from all over Mauritius especially on the weekends or on public holidays; mingling with tourists from nearby Blue Lagoon hotel or one of the man bungalows available for rent all year round, standing in line on the jetty to go on one of the pleasure boats taking them on a tour of the outer islands or the Marine Park.

Tiny coastal village Bois des Amourettes lies spread in the shade of the towering Lion Mountain range.
Apart from a fuel depot and the rather large jetty from where sailing competition of local pirogues
are taking off on a regular basis,
It features an annual music festival. Lion Mountain though can be accessed on a fairly good and easily
recognizable trail and offers great views to the surefooted and medium sportive hiker.

Ferney Valley bears some extremely rare plants and has been developed into an exemplary nature site thanks to the initiative of Mauritian citizens and nature organizations that prevented the construction of a highway through it. The discovery of a unique endemic species of pandanus, native to only this particular site and nowhere else to be found on the planet led to the development of nature trails, guided tours and all kinds of nature activities. The well informed and very friendly staff at the Ferney visitor centre informs with great pride and care about the area and its nature treasures. Tours can be booked directly at the centre. Good shoes and mosquito-repellent are a must.

A few kilometers down the coastal road out of Mahebourg and Blue Bay Ile Aux Aigrettes the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation’s project welcomes visitors and offers glimpses into the times when Mauritius was solely inhabited by animals. The large turtles roaming the tiny islet freely are an impressive sight to see, same as the rare ebony trees and endemic birds inhabiting the island. Very charming and knowledgeable tour guides answer all the questions one could possibly have about endemic plants, birds and flowers.

Also called Ile aux Fouquets, Ile aux Phare is located right beside Ile de la Passe and Ile aux Vacoas, forming the second island of the chain. In comparison to the other islands, it is relatively hilly; on its topmost point sits the ruined lighthouse from which it derives its name. Unfortunately this lighthouse hasnot been restored and the metal parts of its once gleaming orb are scattered all over it. The ruins provide shade from the sun or shelter from the wind though and Ile aux Phare is thus a favourite pic nic spot of local people and fishermen. A colony of tropical birds is nesting right behind the lighthouse, in the steep part of the drop.

The third island in the southern chain, Ile aux Vacoas is tiny compared to the others. It has a rather nice beach though, where the boats of Lagoon Harmony stop for their lunch; providing their guests with a “private beach” experience. Its other side is very rugged and sharp corals stick out of the ground which is thrashed by the waves of the open Ocean, walk cautiously and keep watching those waves when exploring.
The lizard-like inhabitants of the island are relatives of the extremely rare Telfair skink and exist exclusively on Mauritius. Despite their appearance, skinks are rather “snakes with legs”, but there’s no need to worry as they do not bite, are not poisonous and come out of their hiding places only to share lunch with the visitors.

One of the outer isles of the South, Ile de La Passe takes its name from the passage in the barrier reef which enabled large ships entry into Old Grand Port. A large fortress originally built be the French but extended and fortified by the British takes up most of this otherwise rather flat and large island. The landing is not easy on Ile de la Passe, as there are strong currents.

Le Chaland is the name of a charming spot behind the airport on a long nature beach and also the ancient name of the Shandrani hotel which is situated right there; opposite Blue Bay in a wonderful nature environment. Guests should be aware that there may be air traffic passing overhead. Le Chaland beach is facing the wild and windy south of Mauritius and offers spectacular sights especially in the early morning or evenings when the sun creates dramatic scenes.

Once upon a time capital of Mauritius and still exuding the charms of bygone times, Mahebourg is without doubt the most Mauritian of all Mauritian cities; even more so than capital Port Louis itself! Here, the visitor can find colonial mansions beside mosques, quiet roads with small shops and lots of fresh fish, fruit and vegetables at the market by the central bus station. The Naval Museum, Raoult biscuit factory and waterfront are definitely a must to see. Plan your visit on a Monday, the largest and nicest fair of the entire island takes place regularly on this day; excellent for those hunting for colourful pictures or souvenirs.

Plaisance was once a small settlement in the middle of the sugarcane fields; today it hosts Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Airport. The airport is located about 10 minutes by car from Mahebourg, one hour from Port Louis, 50 minutes from Flic en Flac and depending of the traffic situation, between 90 minutes and two hours from Grand Bay.

On the road between Mahebourg and Blue Bay, the visitor passes through Pointe d'Esny, the small settlement along one of the most beautiful stretches of beach on the island. In summer a wonderful spot for bathing and family vacationing, it becomes rather windy during the winter months and is thus a favourite place for wind- and kite surfers as well as local and tourist families who love to spend their weekends or holidays in one of its lovely beach houses and villas.

At the far end of Grand Port Bay and with excellent views over Lion Mountain and the Bambou-Mountain Range, Pointe Jerome can be rather windy in the winter. It is thus a favourite spot for wind and kite surfers. Preskil Hotel which is built on a peninsula right on the spot offers myriad water sports.

Vieux Grand Port its name in English meaning Old Grand Port, this small village is actually the site of Fort Frederick, one of the first Dutch settlements on the island and the place where Mauritius’s first harbor was located. It was also the battle ground of the only naval battle Napoleons ships ever won against the British in 1810 and cemetery of many ships and their unlucky crew. The First Settlers Museum shows a collection of artefacts retrieved in the area and undoubtedly of Dutch origin. Close by Barachois restaurant offers superb fresh seafood, exciting nature trails through the replanted mangrove forest and exotic lodgings in rustic bungalows, some right by the water’s edge.