Le Morne Beach deserves a place in any top list of best beaches in Mauritius. There isn’t more picturesque beach in Mauritius than Le Morne, and it is here that the most elite and expensive hotels of the island are located. I will tell you as well as show it through photos why Le Morne is so good.
7 Reasons to Choose Le Morne Beach for Mauritius Holidays
- Le Morne is a great beach for an all-inclusive holiday when you don’t need or want to leave the hotel grounds. Moreover, on the first line of Le Morne there are some of the best hotels on the island.
- Le Morne is one of the most picturesque beaches in Mauritius. Mount Le Morne Brabant on one side, the ocean on the other, palm trees and a strip of sand in the middle.
- Close to the main attractions of the island – it is in the south of the island that the seven-colored sands of Chamarel, Chamarel waterfall, La Vanille park and other places are located.
- Water sports – Le Morne beach is great for wind and kite surfing. It is here that one of the famous kite schools in Mauritius is located.
- Leisure. Le Morne Beach offers many options for outdoor activities: hiking, horseback riding, quad biking, etc.
- Diving. Near the beach is one of the dive spots included in the TOP 50 best dive sites in the world.
- Adult only hotels – if you want to be sure that there will be no crying children in the next room, then it is on this beach that you’ll find Adult Only hotels.
What does Le Morne beach look like: photo review and description
Le Morne is a beach on the peninsula of the same name, which is located in the south-west of Mauritius and protrudes into the sea with a land area several kilometers long. Most of the coastline is divided between hotels, but from LUX * Le Morne to Beachcomber Dinarobin there is a public beach, which, in fact, is called Le Morne. Sometimes you can hear the name Sugar Beach, but now it is outdated and not often used.
The sandy strip on Le Morne is white, with coarse coral sand and interspersed with basalt stone. The entrance to the sea is gentle at low tide, while at high tide, the transition to depth occurs quite quickly. There are reef areas further from the coast, but they do not form a continuous barrier.
The beach along its entire length is framed by lush thickets of casuarina trees, in the shade of which it is convenient to hide from the sun’s rays. On the grass under the trees, locals often have picnics, especially on weekends.
From all points of the beach, the main attraction of the Le Morne peninsula is visible – Mount Le Morne Brabant, which is 556 m high. Its slopes covered with greenery are pitted with caves, in which in the time of XVIII-XIX century runaway slaves were hiding. Mount Le Morne is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Local hotels try to position themselves so that the windows offer a view of the beach.
Le Morne is a quite civilized beach, although it cannot boast of a developed infrastructure of Grand Baie or Flic-en-Flac. The strip of sand is deserted for the most part, although there are showers and free toilets.
On the beach, you can sign up for a trip on a boat or a glass bottom boat, rent a kayak or rent equipment for diving and various types of surfing.
There is a parking lot near the beach, but in fact many people ignore it, preferring to park right under the trees.
At the end of the beach there is a snack bar Emba Filao with a large selection of dishes and snacks. The menu includes chicken stew, tuna steaks, salads, sandwiches, paninis, burgers, Asian dishes and more. You can also have a bite to eat with food bought in portable tents, which are especially plentiful on weekends.
🍔 List of 10 dishes to try in Mauritius
Which hotel to choose for a holiday on Le Morne beach
As I already mentioned, some of the best hotels in Mauritius are located on the Le Morne peninsula. You can also rent comfortable apartments here, and some of them are specially “sharpened” for lovers of water sports.
- JW Marriott Mauritius Resort 5*. Hotel page on Booking.
- RIU Creole 4* All inclusive. Hotel page on Booking.
- LUX* Le Morne Resort 5*. Hotel page on Booking.
- Paradis Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa 5*. Hotel page on Booking.
- Beachcomber Dinarobin Hotel Golf & Spa 5*. Hotel page on Booking.
Things to do in Le Morne: Attractions and Activities
In addition to the usual beach activities and picnics in the shade of casuarina trees, Le Morne offers several other interesting leisure options. First of all, this applies to those who are staying in one of the hotels on the peninsula, but some entertainment is also available to outsiders.
- Mauritius attractions – a large list of interesting places on the island
- List Top 10 excursions in Mauritius worth visiting
I recommend renting a car and driving around the island on your own. It is the best way to see all the hidden treasures of Mauritius.
For my vacation, I booked a car online on the Localrent website. The site offers cars only from Mauritian rentals. I used this site in other countries – Cyprus, Thailand, Montenegro, so I trust it. But if you are used to renting a car from international car rentals Sixt, Avis, Europcap, etc., then they are all on the economybookings.com website. I shared my experience about renting a car in Mauritius in the detailed article →
Kite, wind and casual surf
Le Morne is unique in its location in an area of extreme wind activity that creates excellent conditions for water sports. Its lovers come here to train, not only from all over Mauritius, but sometimes from other countries. Everyone can rent equipment or book classes with experienced trainers.
The largest of the clubs providing such services is ION CLUB Le Morne. It is based in the premises of the former Indian Resort, but also closely cooperates with the St. Regis, RIU, LUX and Beachcomber Dinarobin.
Diving
Le Morne usually doesn’t get much attention when diving is concerned, which is wrong. From here, off-site diving excursions are made to many famous spots, including the natural cathedral La Cathédrale, which is included in the Top 50 best places to dive in the world.
There are diving sites closer to Le Morne. Among them are the “Japanese Garden” and “The Eye of the Needle”.
Dolphin
Watching Ile aux Bénitiers, a two-kilometer crescent north of Le Morne, deserves special attention. Under water near its shores, you can see rare species of fish, and from land or from a boat it is very convenient to watch dolphins.
In Mauritius, boat trips are organized so you can watch or even swim with dolphins. On this page you can read a detailed description of such a trip and even book a seat.
Climbing Mount Le Morne
Although most of Le Morne Brabant is privately owned, it is accessible to the public with a guide. There are a variety of routes – both for beginners and experienced climbers. At the very top there is a metal cross erected in memory of those who died in slavery. But from the height at which most routes end, there is still a stunning view of the ocean and the southern tip of Mauritius. Also, during the ascent, you will see some of the caves where runaway slaves once hid.
The ascent with a guide lasts 3.5-4 hours, the total length of the main route is 6 km. I booked a guide two days before the hike online. Because I really liked the guide, I can honestly recommend him to travelers – Here is a page with a description of the trip. The guide is very experienced, kept a good pace, prompted in difficult places (and there were some).
You can take the risk of climbing the mountain yourself, but if you are caught doing it, you may have to pay a bribe or pay a fine.
I am talking about other interesting hiking peaks on the island in this article →
A visit to the authentic village of Trou Chenille
It is difficult to name the date when the settlement, later called Trou Chenille, was founded on the southern slope of Le Morne Brabant. It is only known for certain that during the years when slavery flourished in Mauritius, there was a camp here, and after the year 1835, families of former slaves lived in Trou Chenille. The village consisted of about fifty dwellings and became a cultural center for smaller settlements in this region.
In 1945, the thatched huts were destroyed by a hurricane, and their inhabitants moved to another place. But the village has remained a cultural heritage, and now reconstruction work is taking place in it. The goal of the project is to create an open-air museum that allows you to get acquainted with the way of life of the Mauritians. The work is still ongoing, but even still you already have something there to see.
Horse Riding
Due to the picturesque nature of the Le Morne peninsula, horseback riding is very popular here. During a horse-riding tour with an instructor guide, you will explore the coastline of Le Morne and some of its natural attractions.
Most often there are individual horseback riding. Their route covers the northern and southern ends of the peninsula, as well as the surroundings of Le Morne Brabant.
Downsides of Le Morne
Le Morne beach does not have many disadvantages, but there are still some to be mentioned.
An undercurrent that carries all bathers along the coast. Adult swimmers have nothing to fear, but for children this can cause a problem.
Shards of coral and sea urchins are characteristic of all Mauritius beaches, but on Le Morne beach, fragments of basalt rock are added to them. Because of this, you need to constantly look under your feet. Also, some vacationers note that the sand here is larger than on other beaches and is not so pleasant to the touch.
Hello!
My name is Tatiana, and I am glad to see you in my Mauritius travel guide.
For more than 12 years I have been traveling and creating travel guides to different countries. For the first time I got to Mauritius in 2018. I got inspired by the island so much that I decided to create this guide.
I personally visited all the places described on this site. Photos and texts are also taken and written by me. I update articles regularly to keep them up to date.
I hope you’ll forgive any errors or awkward phrasing, as I am not a native English speaker.
Websites to help organize your trip to Mauritius:
- Find the best flight to Mauritius – Trip.com.
- Score a sweet deal on a hotel – Booking.com
- Hire a car – Localrent.
- Book a taxi from / to the airport – GetTransfer or KiwiTaxi.
- Find interesting or unique tours & activities – GetYourGuide.