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Mauritius / Port Louis & the North / Grand Baie

Grand Baie

The North Coast's Busy Bay: Boats, Beaches and Nightlife

Plan this trip
3 daysIdeal stay₹5,960From / night₹1,600Food / dayFreeEntry

A sheltered bay on the north coast and the island's liveliest resort town: restaurants and bars, shopping on the main road, and the jetties where boats leave for the northern islets (Coin de Mire, Île Plate, Île Gabriel) for snorkelling and picnics. Pereybère's small public beach is just north. Hotels run from guesthouses to big resorts, and Indian, Chinese and Creole restaurants line the road. About an hour and a quarter from the airport, more at rush hour through Port Louis.

Highlights

  • Catamaran to Coin de Mire and Île Gabriel
  • Swim at Pereybère
  • Red-roofed church at Cap Malheureux
  • Restaurants and bars on the bay
  • Snorkelling in the northern lagoon
  • Sunset at Cap Malheureux

Things to do

  • Catamaran day to the northern islets with lunchMorning · 7h
  • Swim and snorkel at PereybèreAfternoon · 2h 30m
  • Sunset at Cap Malheureux churchEvening · 1h 30m
  • Dinner on the bayEvening · 2h

Tours & tickets

Tours & tickets in Grand Baievia GetYourGuideTours & tickets in Grand Baievia Klook

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When to go

Best time: May – December

Worth knowing

Cyclone Season: Watch the Class Warnings

January to March is the height of the cyclone season. Most weeks pass with heat, humidity and short downpours, but when a cyclone nears, Mauritius Meteorological Services issue warnings from Class I to IV: from Class III everyone stays indoors, buses stop, shops and sights close and flights are often cancelled for a day or two. Keep a spare day before your flight home, take travel insurance that covers weather delays, and follow your hotel's advice.

Heads up

Cyclone Season

The cyclone season runs from November to April, with most storms from January to March. Early and late in the season a cyclone is less likely, but watch the forecast in the week before you fly.

Heads up

Festive Peak: Higher Prices and Minimum Stays

Over Christmas and New Year beach hotels charge their highest rates, often with minimum stays and gala dinners billed on top, and flights from India fill early. Book by September, or come in early December or mid-January.

  • Thaipoosam Cavadee — The Tamil festival of Murugan: after days of fasting, devotees carry the cavadee, a wooden arch with flowers and pots of milk, to the kovils (temples), many with their cheeks and tongues pierced. Processions in Port Louis and the towns from early morning. A public holiday.
  • Ganesh Chaturthi — Ganesh's festival, kept mostly by Marathi-speaking Mauritians: home and temple prayers, then processions carrying the idols to the sea or rivers for immersion the next day. A public holiday.
  • Divali — The festival of lights: houses and temples lit with clay lamps and fairy lights, sweets (gateaux) shared with neighbours, and fireworks after dark. A public holiday, and one of the busiest weeks for flights from India.