Our ranking of the 15 most beautiful beaches in Mauritius

A ranking nobody can make objectively

I have to start with a confession: ranking Mauritius’s beaches is an almost impossible thing to do objectively. Each one has its own personality, its own light, its own best hours. A gorgeous beach on a quiet Tuesday morning can be packed and noisy on a Saturday in July. The very same stretch of white sand can feel like paradise when you have it to yourself, and disappointing when you’re fighting for space.

So this ranking is mine — subjective, personal, built on years of repeat visits at different seasons and different times of day. Take it for what it is: one point of view among many, useful for shaping your own exploration. For a broader look at your beach options, our guide to the beaches of Mauritius covers every beach by region with practical details.

I’ve picked fifteen beaches, ranked from fifteenth to first. The early ones are good, and the first is extraordinary.

At a glance
Where	Beaches spread across all four coasts of the island, from the north to the southeast
Price	Free — by law, every beach in Mauritius is public, including those in front of hotels
Time needed	About half a day per beach on average, a full day for Île aux Cerfs
Getting there	A rental car is recommended for combining several beaches — see our car rental guide to Mauritius
Best time to visit	May to December for calm seas, early weekday mornings to avoid the crowds

15. La Preneuse (west coast)

Less known than its west-coast neighbors between Tamarin and Le Morne, La Preneuse is a small, low-key beach. Its advantage: hardly anyone comes here. Its downside: it’s narrower and the seabed can be rocky in places. Great for a peaceful swim outside high season, less versatile for families with young children.

14. Rivière des Galets (west coast)

This little beach tucked at the back of a sheltered bay is one of the west coast’s best-kept secrets. The river that flows into it here creates a mix of fresh and salt water that gives the water an unusual color. Few visitors, plenty of coconut palms, a wild atmosphere — a beach for travelers looking to step off the usual tourist trail.

13. Cap Malheureux (north coast)

Cap Malheureux beach is famous for its red-roofed church, endlessly photographed in guidebooks. The beach itself is solid — white sand, calm water — but what makes it memorable is the view of Coin de Mire, the basalt outcrop rising out of the sea a few kilometers offshore. At sunset, the light on the two islands is spectacular. Reachable from Grand Baie in a 20-minute drive.

12. Mont Choisy (north coast)

One of the island’s largest beaches — roughly 3 uninterrupted kilometers of white sand. Mont Choisy is popular with local Mauritians on weekends, giving it a lively, local atmosphere very different from the hotel beaches. Filao trees line much of it, offering welcome natural shade around midday. Very close to Trou aux Biches.

11. Pereybere (north coast)

Pereybere is the north coast’s “popular” beach — livelier, more colorful, with beach vendors, bars and music. It’s not the most visually stunning, but it’s one of the most alive. Snorkelers find plenty of fish among the rocks that line the shore. Worth a visit if you’re after local buzz rather than calm. Snorkeling straight off the beach here is some of the most accessible in the region — our snorkeling and diving guide recommends Pereybere for beginners.

10. Pointe d’Esny (southeast)

Close to Blue Bay and 20 minutes from Mahébourg, Pointe d’Esny is a small white-sand beach of remarkable quality — the sand here is especially fine and white, almost powdery. The beach is fairly quiet, and its proximity to the Blue Bay marine reserve makes it a good starting point for snorkeling. There’s a view of Île aux Aigrettes from the shore.

9. Trou-aux-Biches (north coast)

The north coast’s signature beach. Wide, well maintained, white sand, calm and shallow lagoon — Trou aux Biches ticks every box for the ideal family beach. Its popularity also makes it one of the island’s most crowded. Go on a weekday morning to enjoy it in peace. It’s the go-to beach for families with young children — shallow, safe, crystal-clear water for 50 meters out.

8. Tamarin (west coast)

Tamarin beach has a different character from Mauritius’s classic lagoon beaches. It’s a surf beach — real waves rolling in from the open ocean, and a seabed that drops off faster. Not recommended for family swimming, but beautiful in its raw, wild way. Surfers waiting for the next set, fishermen coming back in, flamingos in the nearby estuary — it all adds up to a unique atmosphere. Tamarin is also where boats leave for swimming with dolphins and, in season, whale watching.

7. Île aux Cerfs (east)

Technically an island, reachable only by boat from Trou d’Eau Douce, Île aux Cerfs lives up to its postcard-paradise reputation. Its waters are an extraordinary blue-green, its sand pure white, its vegetation lush.

The catamaran trip to Île aux Cerfs with lunch on board is one of the island’s most popular activities. Downside: crowds can be intense during high season. Tip: arrive before 9am to enjoy the beaches while they’re still quiet.

6. Gris-Gris (south)

Gris-Gris isn’t a swimming beach — the violent currents and massive waves make it dangerous for swimmers. But it’s one of the island’s most spectacular spots: black basalt cliffs, a raging ocean, and a view stretching endlessly across the Indian Ocean. Made for photographers and daydreamers, not sunbathers. Worth visiting on a road trip through the wild south — it’s one of the most dramatic stops on that route.

5. Belle Mare (east coast)

Belle Mare is the east coast’s big beach — several kilometers of exceptionally fine white sand, lined with luxury hotels but with plenty of public access points. The water here is slightly less sheltered than on the north or west coast (a few more noticeable waves), but the beauty of the place is beyond question. Belle Mare is especially lovely in late afternoon, when the low golden light makes the sand glow. It’s the ideal beach for families looking for space and quality sand.

4. Flic-en-Flac (west coast)

The big Flic en Flac beach could easily have ranked higher — it’s arguably the most all-round beach on the island. Long, lively, lined with restaurants and bars, with interesting marine life for divers and a reputation for unbeatable sunsets. I’ve ranked it fourth only because crowds can build up during high season. Flic en Flac’s dive clubs are among the island’s best for exploring the reefs.

3. Le Morne beach (Le Morne peninsula)

The beach that lines the Le Morne Brabant peninsula enjoys an exceptional setting: on one side, a volcanic mountain plunging into the sea; on the other, a deep blue lagoon where kitesurfers make the most of the wind. The beach itself is lovely, lightly visited by tourists (most just drive past), with a wild atmosphere that very few Mauritius beaches still have.

The water here is shallow and clear — perfect for snorkeling, with abundant marine life. And the ever-present view of Le Morne mountain gives this beach an almost dramatic quality that others on the island don’t have. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the peninsula is steeped in history.

2. Blue Bay (southeast)

Blue Bay has the island’s best coral reef, classified as a marine park and protected by the state. The color of the water here is unlike anywhere else — a luminous blue-green with an almost unreal clarity. The seabed at Blue Bay, with its healthy corals, tropical fish and the occasional passing sea turtle, is among the finest of any swimming beach in Mauritius.

The beach itself is beautiful — white sand, coconut palms, a calm atmosphere on weekdays. It’s the snorkeling straight off the shore (no boat needed) that makes it exceptional. With just a mask and snorkel, you can see here what other beaches only offer through a paid excursion.

For a guided tour of the marine park, snorkeling excursions at Blue Bay include equipment and a local guide. A day at Blue Bay is a must on any trip itinerary — check our 7-day itinerary, which includes this stop.

1. Île aux Aigrettes / Mahébourg (as seen from the public beach at Mahébourg)

For first place, I’m choosing not a single beach, but a moment and a place: the public beach at Mahébourg, facing the little island of Île aux Aigrettes, in the late afternoon on a weekday.

It’s not the most beautiful beach in the conventional sense. The sand isn’t the whitest, the water isn’t the most turquoise. But this is where I’ve experienced my most peaceful moments in Mauritius: old Mauritian fishermen mending their nets in the shade of the filao trees, children playing in the shallow waves, Île aux Aigrettes standing out in dense green against the horizon, and the end-of-day light gilding everything.

It’s the kind of place that reminds you the most beautiful beaches aren’t necessarily the ones in the brochures, but the ones where you feel like you belong — where you feel you’ve found something other people aren’t even looking for.

How to use this ranking

This ranking isn’t a checklist — you don’t need to visit all fifteen beaches in order. Use it instead as a map for inspiration:

• If you’re after a beach for snorkeling: Blue Bay first, then Pereybere and Le Morne beach.
• If you’re after a romantic sunset: Flic en Flac, hands down.
• If you want to avoid crowds: Rivière des Galets, La Preneuse, or Mahébourg beach.
• If you’re traveling with young children: Trou aux Biches and Mont Choisy. Check our family itinerary.
• If you’re after adventure and watersports: Tamarin and Le Morne beach.
• For the full Île aux Cerfs experience: set aside a whole day and leave early.

And don’t hesitate to step off the beaten path. Some of Mauritius’s most memorable beaches aren’t on this list, because they don’t have a name on any map — just a dirt track between two sugarcane fields that ends on an empty stretch of white sand.

You’ll find those by driving along the coast on a whim during a road trip, trusting your curiosity. They might just deserve first place.

Sheltered beach or open beach: what it actually means

Not all of Mauritius’s beaches have the same relationship with the sea. Understanding the difference between a sheltered lagoon beach and one exposed to the open ocean will save you a fair few disappointments.

Beach type	Characteristics	Examples	Best for
Reef-sheltered lagoon	Calm, shallow water, ideal for swimming and snorkeling	Trou aux Biches, Mont Choisy, Blue Bay	Families, snorkeling beginners
Exposed to the ocean	Waves, stronger currents, wild atmosphere	Tamarin, Gris-Gris	Surfers, photographers, walkers
Island beach	Boat access only	Île aux Cerfs	Day trips, postcard atmosphere
Off-the-radar beach	Little infrastructure, few visitors	La Preneuse, Rivière des Galets	Travelers seeking quiet

What this ranking doesn’t tell you: sea safety

On lagoon beaches, swimming is generally safe thanks to the coral barrier that breaks the swell. Still, stay alert around passes (the gaps in the reef where water flows out), where stronger currents can form. On exposed beaches like Tamarin or Gris-Gris, don’t swim without knowing the spot, and never alone. The safety flags posted outside some hotels are a good indicator, even on a public beach. Our Mauritius safety guide covers these precautions in more detail.