I am commonly called the wild and rugged one. My coast is mainly made of black basalt cliffs and a few partially hidden precious stretches of sand. The winds caressing me come straight from the shores of Antarctica.
I begin at Mahebourg, the island’s first capital, and continue all the way around its lush and humid lower part; linking it with the dry west. The southern tip of Mauritius’ greatest reef partially covers my flanks; contributing to form picturesque Pointe D’Esny Beach, where the isles of the South beckon from afar.
Around the bend, Blue Bay is the place for a glass-bottom boat tour of famous Marine Park.
Further down and around the southernmost point, the reef is no longer a protective wall; as the famous cliffs of Gris-Gris are fully exposed to the onslaught of the Indian Ocean with whales and dolphins passing by on their long voyages. Poets have been inspired by my wild shores, and here, around the old city of Souillac is the cradle of not only the sugar cane train but also much of Mauritius’ culture.
Galets River is the place where not only large round pebbles are abundant, but also where surfers risk much to catch the ultimate wave. Many luxury hotels adorn my shores, together with a colonial house so great that they call it Chateau. Here, the coastal road winds around the viewpoint at Macondé towards huge Le Morne Mountain, which protrudes far into the Ocean and creates a peninsula formed like a T. This is the fabulous Mecca of kite and windsurfers for its ever prevailing winds; home of magical surf spot Oneye and centre of local music style Sega.
