WATER SPORTS
Mauritius has long been a mecca for water sports enthusiasts, with most leading resorts providing a good range of complimentary non-motorised water sports – snorkelling equipment, pedaloes, kayaking, windsurfi ng and catamarans
FUN IN THE SURF M
any resorts also offer complimentary motorised watersports such as
waterskiing and glass bottom boat trips over tropical fi sh swimming around the third largest coral reef in the world. Speedboats are for hire at top resorts such as The Royal Palm and St Regis. The best and most accessible
snorkelling sites are at Trou Aux Biches, Pereybere and Grand Baie in the north and Ile aux Cerfs in the east.
“With year-round warm seas and waters protected by a coral
reef, Mauritius is the ideal destination for water sports. It’s not he surf capital of the world, but certainly offers superb water- skiing,
sailing, windsurfi ng and kite-surfi ng opportunities.” MARK BOULLÉ, MARKETING MANAGER, BEACHCOMBER TOURS
Some spectacular snorkelling can be found at National Marine Parks Turtle Bay in the northwest and Blue Bay in the southeast. Grand Baie offers the widest
selection of water-based activities on the island. It’s the only place to offer parasailing, and the departure point for northern island-hopping excursions and big-game fi shing, for which Mauritius is world-famous. It also offers unique underwater
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experiences. Captain Nemo’s Solar Walk – along the ocean fl oor – is the closest to diving non-divers can get. Blue Safari’s semi-submersible scooter, travelling past tropical fi sh within an oxygenated helmet, is unique in the Indian Ocean. For a taste of the deep without getting wet, its submarine cruises by ancient shipwrecks, turtles, clownfi sh, sting rays and sometimes even sharks. Surf’s up at Tamarin on the west coast
where a surf school teaches the basics and hires boards to those who are more experienced surfers. This is also the bay to swim with dolphins and spot whales by catamaran. Mauritius is one of the world’s
top three kite-surfi ng destinations. Club Mistral at Le Morne Peninsula, its epicentre, caters for beginners and professional kite-surfers and windsurfers between May and October. Mauritius offers some of the best
diving in the Indian Ocean and having a dive centre has become as essential as having a spa. Most fi ve-star resorts have PADI licensed centres
On, in and under the water there are a host of water sports activities
with everything from try dives to swimming with sharks and underwater photography courses. Diving is at its best in November and April. Popular sites include Aquarium at
Trou Aux Biches, where beginners can see a wide variety of corals and tropical fi sh and Cathedral at Flic en Flac, a huge cave which drops to 30 metres, and one of the island’s top dives. Off the north coast, is the wreck of HMS Sirius, sunk in the battle of Grand Port in 1810.
THE TOP TEN
Top 10 water-based activities in Mauritius • Scuba diving • Kite-surfing • Windsurfing • Waterskiing • Catamaran sailing • Big-game fishing • Underwater walk • Semi-submersible scooter • Submarine cruise • Swimming with dolphins • Sea-kayaking
SUN RESORTS
ONE & ONLY
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