The best sport spots and adventures in Mauritius – travel tips, packing lists and first-hand experience from DOMISPORTS.
Black River · Kitesurfing, Windsurfing, SUP · Best time: May–Nov
A kite lagoon beneath the UNESCO mountain: inside you stand in hip-deep flat water and learn, outside wait the wave and the notorious One Eye — one of the fastest wave spots in kiting. The southeast trades deliver most reliably in the southern winter. From first waterstart to strapless session, it all stays in one arena. Flat water lagoon for learning, One Eye for experts only.
Black River · Surfing, Scuba Diving, Snorkeling · Best time: May–Oct
Tamarin bay bundles three sports in one place: waves at the river mouth, dolphin pods in the early morning and west-coast dive sites a short boat ride away. The town has stayed what it was — a surf village, not a resort strip. In the southern winter the swells run most consistently. Dolphin tour at 6am — be there before the mass boats.
Black River · Hiking, Trekking · Best time: May–Oct
Mauritius' green interior: in Black River Gorges National Park you hike through rainforest to lookouts over waterfalls and up to the island's highest point. The trails are very manageable, the views big. Combine the peak with Chamarel's waterfall and the Seven Coloured Earths. Black River Peak (828m) — Mauritius' highest point, 3h hike.
Flacq · Kayaking, Parasailing, Snorkeling · Best time: Year-round
A lagoon playground off the east coast: paddle a kayak across turquoise shallows, snorkel the coral patches and hang from the parasailing chute for the panorama. Come early on the first boat and the sandbanks are still yours — from midday it fills up. Kayak instead of speedboat — calmer and cheaper.
Black River · Scuba Diving, Snorkeling · Best time: Oct–Apr
The west coast's dive territory: right off the long beach drop sites like the Cathedral — a chimney cave full of glassfish — plus walls and wrecks a short boat ride out. In the summer half-year the water is clearest and calmest. Snorkelling happens in the lagoon straight off the beach. Cathedral Dive Site — a cave-and-wall site with a light dome.
Grand Port · Snorkeling, Kayaking, Scuba Diving · Best time: Oct–Apr
Protected marine park in the southeast, averaging less than six metres deep – you snorkel over 38 coral species and around 72 fish species, including a brain coral five metres across. The water is shallow and calm, so it works even if you've never had a mask on. Want more? Paddle a kayak from neighbouring Pointe d'Esny through the mangroves towards Île aux Aigrettes. Boats leave straight from the public beach at Blue Bay – the crossing to the reef takes under five minutes.
Rivière du Rempart · Kitesurfing, Windsurfing, SUP · Best time: May–Nov
Northern tip of the island, with the reef sitting 2.5 km offshore – in between is a slab of flat water that stays waist- to chest-deep across large stretches at low tide. Translation: after a crash you walk back to your board instead of body-dragging. Wind is sideshore from the left and settles at 16–22 knots by midday – loads of space, none of the traffic jams of the famous spots. May to November is when the southeast trades are most reliable here – a 9m and a 12m kite cover most days.
Pamplemousses · Scuba Diving, Snorkeling, SUP · Best time: Oct–Apr
The dive hub of the north: boats run out between Pointe aux Piments and Pointe aux Canonniers, and you can dive here year-round. The Emily and Waterlily wrecks sit right off the beach for an easy start, while further out Coin de Mire delivers wall and wreck diving – the Djabeda, a 44 m Japanese fishing vessel at around 30 m, stands perfectly upright and is caked in pink soft coral. Macro people come for moray eels, peacock mantis shrimp and schools of striped eel catfish. The Djabeda sits at around 30 m – you need at least Advanced for that; with Open Water you stay on Emily and Waterlily.
Moka · Hiking, Trail Running · Best time: May–Nov
812 metres, the island's third-highest peak – from the car park near Saint-Pierre it's about 4.5 km return and one to two hours to the top. The final metres onto the thumb-shaped rock are a short, steep scramble where your hands get involved. Payoff: 360 degrees over Port Louis, the Moka Range and, on a clear day, all the way out to Coin de Mire. The clay path turns slick after rain – go in the dry season and wear proper lugged soles; smooth trainers won't cut it.
Rodrigues · Kitesurfing, Snorkeling, Hiking · Best time: Jun–Oct
Its own island, its own wind world: it usually blows 5 to 10 knots harder here than on the main island. The lagoon off Mourouk on the southeast coast is only about 1.5 metres deep most of the year – butter-flat, wide open, ideal for freestyle and your first clean jumps. June to October is when the southeast trades are most stable, and the school plus gear rental sit right at the Mourouk Ebony Hotel. Rodrigues is only reachable by plane (about 1.5 hours from Mauritius) or ferry – this is not a day trip.