Grand Baie Beach Mauritius

Grand Baie beach can be found in the north of the island of Mauritius. Once a small fishing village that relied heavily on fisherman, it is now one of the most lively and most developed beach resorts in Mauritius. There are many hotels that have a prime spot along the coast so the beach is also private and tourists cannot swim there but Grand Baie also has a public beach. It’s very small and there are many boats that still dock there.

Grand Baie has developed dramatically in the last 5 years; there are loads of arts and craft shops, boutiques, duty free shopping and a large local market. Many tourists enjoy shopping in Grand Baie as all the shops sell good quality items and genuine designer clothes and accessories at a fraction of the price. There are also many new developments in Grand Baie so tourists have a wide range of places to stay such as B&B’s, self catering apartments and budget or luxury hotels. Due to the popularity of this area there are also many well known clubs in Grand Baie and excellent restaurants that have some of the country’s best chefs.

Grand Baie is also a very good location for a primary base as other beach resorts are within driving distance such as Pereybere and Mont Choisi both very popular with tourists. If you do decide to rent a car for part or the whole of your holiday, then places such as Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens are also within easy reach.

Another advantage of staying in Grand Baie is that it is where most excursions are available from such as visiting the nearby islets (eg Ile aux Cerfs) or day trips around the island of Mauritius. If you choose to have a trip on a catamaran then you will have to meet at a specific location and 9 times out of 10 that location will be Grand Baie.

Grand Baie has attracted some unwanted attention in recent years. As the area becomes more touristic and as the popularity soars, burglaries and thefts will also increase. Mauritius as a whole is still a safe place to visit, if you come on holiday during peak time then beware of any strange or nosey people. Try not to get too personal with any Mauritians you may encounter on holiday and beware of pickpockets as they frequent the area.

Grand Baie is a nice place to visit and if you have some money to spend, then you will surely find something here. As well as a gorgeous beach, there are excursions such as Ilot Gabriel and Flat Island that can be booked locally, supermarkets if you have a self catering apartment and many places to visit in the surrounding areas.