Watersports in Mauritius

Whatever level you are – a fully-fledged expert, a beginner needing a new adrenaline rush, or a family with older children looking for their next big adventure, Mauritius is perfect. Many of our resorts offer a fabulous range from gentler kayaking and snorkelling adventures to the more active Sailing and kitesurfing. Certain waters around the island offer better opportunities for different sports – here are some ideas to help you narrow down your choice.

Kite surfing

With the growing popularity of kitesurfing, Mauritius has fast gained a reputation as a world-class location for all levels of expertise. With over 300 days of wind a year, and an enviable variety of beaches, you’ll be able to find the perfect spot. Le Morne is the most well known spot, located in the south west of the island, and has become a right of passage for kitesurfers all over the world. The wind is most consistent from May – Setpember. Expert kitesurfers can enjoy the “one-eye” reef, widely regarded as one of the top five waves in the world for kitesurfers, whilst there are also waist deep waters perfect for beginners. The notoriety of the spot however does lead to crowds, and so the kitesurfers in the know head for Heritage Le Telfair Golf and Spa Resort located in Bel Ombre, which is open to riders of all levels from the age of eight and offers excellent wind and sea conditions. With its ideal location at Le Morne, the St Regis offers guests a unique kitesurfing experience. The kitesurfing centre here provides private lessons and exclusive use of a boat to take you to the best and less frequented kitesurfing spots.

Protected by an enormous reef, The east coast is less choppy than the south, yet still enjoys south-easterly winds throughout the Mauritian winter. The long beach at Belle Mare with its calmer waters is a good choice for beginners. However, with wind speeds between force 4-6, Belle Mare still provides a good adrenaline rush.

Diving

The warm and clear waters of Mauritius make snorkelling and Scuba diving very popular. Like most sports here, there are opportunities for all levels of experiences and with the variety of both reef and wreck diving, divers are spoilt for choice. In summers divers can easily catch sight of exotic fishes like parrot fish, groupers, wrasses, sweetlips, angelfish, sergeant majors, trumpet and clown fish, moray eels, crayfish and a variety of corals and sponges. Whilst diving is possible all year round in Mauritius, it tends to be more popular between the slightly warmer months in October to May, and the clearest water tends to be April/May and September/October when the sea is calmer. Mauritius has many good quality un-damaged reefs, and unlike other busier scuba diving locations such as the Maldives, there is usually only one dive boat at a time in an area, creating a more personal diving experience.

As far as diving locations go, the whole of the Mauritian coastline offers great diving, with dive sites easily accessible wherever you are staying. The underwater topography is varied across Mauritius, and it is the North West coastline that has a sandier and gentle shelving coral reef, and arguably some of the best reefs are here, with excellent opportunities to spot tropical fish. The east coast is different, and slightly more dramatic with stronger currents and rocky boulders that fish hide behind; here you will find it more oceanic, with more open water, making it possible to see Eagle rays, octopus, and other bigger fish.

There are several interesting features on the west coast, and here at the bay of Tamarin and around the Riviere Noire area, there are opportunities to see dolphins. A few kilometres up the coastline is Flic-en-Flac. Here the underwater “Cathedral” begins at 18m and then drops to 27m between two cliffs. This rock formation has extensive caverns and arches and is known for its high density of fish in the area such as stonefish, Lionfish and Moray Eels. For experienced divers, the wreck of Tug II, sunk in 1982, lies at a depth of 19m. This wreck is small, and also widely varied in marine life, and it is possible to see the uncommon scorpion fish. A Scott Dunn recommended Diving School is the Blues Diving Centre based at the Belle Mare Plage, and used by the Constance Le Prince Maurice and The Residence. The Centre offers experienced yet fun tuition, allowing even a complete beginner to enjoy diving in Mauritius. Along the same coastline lies the Anahita with its PADI dive centre, catering for all levels.

All Beachcomber resorts such as the Dinarobin Hotel Golf and Spa, Paradis Hotel and Golf Club, Trou aux Biches Resort & Spa feature PADI Diving Centres offering diving expeditions at an additional cost, and can be trusted with supplying a qualified diving instructor.

Sailing

Many of the lagoons around the island are an exceptional location to learn to sail, or for the more experienced, the chance to take out a dinghy and enjoy the fresh breezes. Most resorts have first class water sports facilities, offering complimentary use of equipment, making it relatively easy to rent a boat for the morning or afternoon. Professional lessons with qualified instructors in warm waters are sure to give your children the sailing bug. There’s no better way to learn how to handle a dinghy than in fun, group lessons and it gives children a real sense of independence. Adults too can learn easily, and there are several resorts around the island offering both individual and group lessons.

With its location, on the east coast of the island, Consdtance Prince Maurice is the perfect spot for watersports. The resort also offers plenty of free sports including; windsurfing, sailing, snorkelling trips, kayaks and pedal boats. All the Constance resorts provide excellent water sports facilities and families staying in one of these properties can take advantage of their weekly sailing lessons and the fabulous array of complimentary equipment. Another east coast resort, The Four Seasons has a beautifully protected lagoon in which learning to sail is a safe and fun activity. All non-motorized watersports equipment here is free of charge, and guests can also kayak, windsurf, water ski, snorkel and dive.