Home / Experience Mauritius / Beaches / Grand Baie Beach
The sheltered bay at the centre of everything in the north — a small public beach, a harbour full of catamarans, and the island’s busiest strip of shops, restaurants and nightlife right behind it.
Grand Baie is a deep, almost enclosed bay that has been the centre of tourism in the north for decades, and it is worth understanding what it actually is before you go. The public beach itself is modest — a short arc of sand at the head of the bay, calm and shallow, backed by casuarinas and busy with people rather than sunbathers. If you want a long stretch of empty sand, Pereybere or Mont Choisy a few minutes away will serve you better. What Grand Baie has instead is everything else.
Because the bay is sheltered on almost every side, it is the island’s main departure point for boats: catamaran cruises to Coin de Mire, Flat Island and Gabriel Island, dolphin and snorkelling trips, undersea walks, parasailing and deep-sea fishing all leave from here, most of them in the morning. Behind the water, the village runs on for a couple of kilometres — boutiques and tailors, supermarkets, the Sunset Boulevard shopping complex, restaurants of every price and the busiest evenings in Mauritius. Come in the morning for the water and stay into the evening for the rest; treat the beach as the starting point rather than the destination.
Calm and shallow at the head of the bay, but this is a working harbour — stay well clear of the moorings and boat channels. No lifeguards. For a proper swim, La Cuvette or Pereybere are a few minutes away.
Little — everything is available in the village. Bring cash and a card for shopping and boat trips, and book cruises the day before in high season.
Free parking in the village, which fills quickly, plus shade at the public beach and every kind of shop, restaurant and operator within walking distance. Expect to be approached by boat touts; agree the price and duration before committing.
The wedge of rock on the horizon and the target of most catamaran cruises leaving the bay — a protected nature reserve offshore.
Ten minutes north at Cap Malheureux: the red-roofed chapel beside the lagoon, and the most photographed view in Mauritius.
Half an hour south: the oldest botanical garden in the southern hemisphere, with giant water lilies and palm avenues.
Grand Baie public beach,
Royal Road, Grand Baie,
Rivière du Rempart District, Mauritius
Around 35–40 minutes from Port Louis
Approximately 10 minutes from Cap Malheureux
Around 1 hr 15 min from the airport
Follow the M2 north and turn off for Grand Baie; the public beach sits at the head of the bay off the Royal Road, with free parking in the village that fills quickly at weekends.
The water at the head of the bay is calm and shallow, but the public beach is small and it is a working harbour with moorings and boat traffic. For a proper swim, La Cuvette, Pereybere or Mont Choisy are all a few minutes away.
Catamaran cruises to Coin de Mire, Flat Island and Gabriel Island, dolphin and snorkelling trips, undersea walks, parasailing and deep-sea fishing — most departing in the morning. Book the day before in high season.
More than anywhere else in the north: boutiques and tailors, supermarkets, the Sunset Boulevard shopping complex, restaurants across every price bracket, and the island’s busiest bars and nightlife.
Politely. Being approached is normal here, and many of the trips are genuinely good. Agree the price, the route and the duration before you commit, and prefer operators recommended by your hotel where you can.
Morning for the water and the boat departures, evening for the village. The middle of the day is the busiest and the least rewarding, and parking fills fast at weekends.