Home / Experience Mauritius / Beaches / Tamarin Beach
A wide river-mouth bay on the west coast where the island’s surf culture began — and where the spinner dolphins come in most mornings just beyond the break.
Tamarin sits where the Rivière du Rempart meets the sea on the west coast, and the gap in the reef at the river mouth is what gives the beach its character. Waves reach the shore here in a way they do not almost anywhere else on the island, and the left-hand point break offshore — known simply as Tamarin Bay — is where Mauritian surfing started in the 1960s and 70s and still carries a certain reputation. The sand is broad and gently sloping, backed by low dunes and casuarinas, with the peaks of Rempart and La Tourelle standing behind the village.
The other reason people are here is offshore and much earlier. Pods of spinner dolphins rest in the bay in the hours after sunrise, and dolphin-watching trips leave from Tamarin and Black River from around six in the morning. It is genuinely remarkable, though it is worth choosing an operator that keeps its distance rather than chasing the pod. Back on land, the swimming is fine when the swell is small but can be rough and rippy when it is up — read the water before going in, and note that there are no lifeguards. The west-facing bay also makes this one of the better sunset beaches on the island.
Fine in a small swell, rough and rippy when it is up — the reef gap at the river mouth lets real waves through. No lifeguards. Read the water before going in, and keep clear of the surf line-up.
A towel and sun protection; a warm layer for a dawn dolphin trip. Surfboard hire and lessons are available in the village.
Free parking behind the sand, some shade and shops, cafes and surf hire in Tamarin village. Boat operators run dolphin trips from here and neighbouring Black River, mostly at dawn.
At the entrance to the village: the last working salt pans in Mauritius, still raked by hand.
Fifteen minutes inland at Cascavelle: safari drives, big cats, zip lines and family zones across the hillside.
Further south in the same lagoon, and usually the next stop on a morning boat trip out of this coast.
Tamarin public beach,
Tamarin, Rivière Noire District,
Mauritius
Around 15 minutes from Flic-en-Flac
Approximately 40 minutes from Port Louis
Around 30 minutes from Le Morne
Signposted through Tamarin village off the coast road, with free parking behind the sand at the river mouth.
Yes — pods of spinner dolphins rest in the bay in the hours after sunrise, and trips leave from Tamarin and Black River from around six in the morning. Choose an operator that keeps its distance and does not chase or crowd the pod.
It is the birthplace of Mauritian surfing. The gap in the reef at the river mouth produces a left-hand point break, best in the southern winter months. It is a respected wave with a established local line-up rather than a beginner spot.
Usually, when the swell is small. Because the reef is open here, waves and rips can be significant when a swell is running, and there are no lifeguards. Read the water first, and stay clear of the surf line-up.
Very early — boats typically leave between six and seven in the morning, and the dolphins move offshore as the day warms. Book the night before, and bring a warm layer for the crossing.
The salt pans at the entrance to the village — the last working ones in Mauritius — plus surf hire, cafes and restaurants along the road, and a west-facing bay that makes for excellent sunsets.