---
name: where-to-stay-in-mauritius
description: Help a traveller choose which coast or area of Mauritius to stay in - north (Grand Baie), west (Flic en Flac, Tamarin), south (Le Morne, Bel Ombre), east or the central highlands - by climate per month, beaches, food and nightlife, activities and distance from the airport, with Maki Car Rental's local tips. Use when someone asks where to stay in Mauritius, which coast has the best weather in a given month, or what each area is like.
---

# Where to stay in Mauritius

Mauritius looks small, but its coasts differ a lot in climate, infrastructure and
atmosphere. This is Maki Car Rental's guide, with climate normals per region.
Rendered page: https://www.maki-car-rental.com/rent-a-car/mauritius-compass.html

## The areas at a glance

| Area | Main places | From the airport | Best for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| North | Grand Baie, Mont Choisy, Pereybère | 70–80 min | nightlife, restaurants, shopping |
| West | Flic en Flac, Tamarin, Rivière Noire | 60–70 min | the driest weather, nightlife, restaurants, shopping, surfing |
| South | Le Morne, Bel Ombre, Souillac | 25–50 min | resorts, nature, kite-surfing |
| East | Belle Mare, Trou d'Eau Douce | 10–25 min | resorts, drift diving |
| Centre | Curepipe, Quatre Bornes | — | where most Mauritians live; not a beach base |

### North
- Grand Baie is the main tourist centre, with a large shopping mall, nightclubs, bars and restaurants; it is busy with locals and visitors at weekends.
- Grand Baie's own beaches are small. Mont Choisy, a few kilometres away, has 5 km of white sand, pine trees and sun loungers.
- Noticeably wetter than the west (see the climate tables).
- Maki's tips:
  - Le Capitaine for seafood
  - The Beach House, a beachfront pub with South African food
  - Happy Rajah for Indian food
  - La Croisette shopping mall, with a Food Lover's Market for fresh BBQ meat and upscale produce
  - Banana Bar for live music and DJs at weekends
  - Mystik, a hotel near Mont Choisy beach that also welcomes outside guests for food and drinks

### West
- Flic en Flac and Tamarin are the largest settlements, home to many expats and affluent locals. That means big supermarkets with fresh seafood, meat, fruit and vegetables, good restaurants and some nightclubs.
- **The fewest rainy days of any region, all year round.**
- Flic en Flac has a long white beach with sun loungers and pine trees. The reef keeps the water shallow and almost without waves, and restaurants and nightlife line the beach road.
- Tamarin bay has no reef, so surfers go there; the surf is best in the Mauritian winter (June–August).
- Maki's tips:
  - live music on Sundays in the garden of Kenzi Bar (Flic en Flac)
  - nightlife at Shotz (Flic en Flac), Lakaz (Flic en Flac/Cascavelle) and Big Willy's (Tamarin)
  - Casela Nature Park for families
  - an early dolphin trip with a BBQ on Île aux Bénitiers; choose an operator committed to protecting the dolphins
  - Seastar Hotel, a boutique hotel in Flic en Flac with a restaurant focused on local fish

### South
- Most visitors stay in hotels on half-board. Fresh produce and BBQ meat are hard to find for self-caterers.
- Cloudier than the north and west, and big hotels line the beaches, as in the east.
- Allow at least 1.5 hours each way to drive to the north.
- Plenty for nature lovers: Grand Bassin with its huge Shiva statue, the most important Hindu site outside India.
- Le Morne is the kite-surfing area; "One Eye" is a well-known spot.
- Maki's tips:
  - La Vanille Nature Park (crocodiles and giant tortoises), and the cliffs at Gris Gris
  - ziplining over the forest
  - hiking Le Morne Brabant and learning about its history
  - the Macondé viewpoint on the coast road from Le Morne to Bel Ombre
  - the Seven Coloured Earths often underwhelm visitors

### East
- Fewer residents and tourists, so fewer restaurants and shops than in the north and west; good fresh (non-frozen) meat can be hard to find.
- Much windier, with emptier beaches. Most visitors stay in big hotels and use the pool and hotel facilities.
- Good drift-diving spots.
- Fewer sunshine hours and more rain than the north and west.
- Maki's tip: Île aux Cerfs, by day cruise with catering and live music. Cruises often pass the Grand River South East waterfall. Read reviews, because food, drinks and entertainment vary a lot between operators.

### Centre (highlands)
- Most Mauritians live in the central highlands around Curepipe.
- Always green, cooler, often rainy (on average at least once a day) and very humid; almost unbearably humid in summer (December–February).
- Bring long sleeves for hikes.
- Maki's tip, off the beaten track: Tavern Petit Marie, where locals eat corn fish with rum, sometimes served as a whole bottle with Sprite.

## Climate by region and month (long-term averages)

Days with more than 1 mm of rain:

| Area | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| North | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
| West | 9 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| South | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 12 |
| East | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 13 |
| Centre | 16 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 13 |

Sunshine hours per day:

| Area | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| North | 8.1 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 7.4 | 7.6 | 7.4 | 7.6 | 7.7 | 7.5 | 8.2 | 8.7 | 8.0 |
| West | 7.5 | 7.4 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 7.8 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.3 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| South | 7.7 | 7.1 | 6.9 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.1 | 5.5 | 5.9 | 6.7 | 7.6 | 8.8 | 8.4 |
| East | 7.0 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 6.0 | 6.3 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 6.8 | 7.3 | 7.0 |
| Centre | 7.3 | 6.9 | 7.3 | 6.9 | 7.4 | 7.2 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 7.3 | 7.6 | 7.9 | 7.2 |

Mean daily maximum / minimum temperature (°C), 1971–2000:

| Area | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| North | 31.1 / 22.1 | 29.8 / 20.8 | 25.7 / 16.1 | 28.4 / 17.7 |
| West | 30.4 / 22.5 | 29.5 / 21.3 | 25.8 / 17.0 | 27.8 / 18.6 |
| South | 29.8 / 23.0 | 28.2 / 21.8 | 24.2 / 18.1 | 26.4 / 19.2 |
| East | 28.8 / 22.0 | 27.6 / 21.2 | 23.7 / 17.3 | 25.4 / 17.9 |
| Centre | 27.6 / 20.4 | 26.3 / 19.6 | 21.8 / 15.3 | 24.1 / 16.5 |

Reading the tables:
- The **west** is by far the driest coast all year, with only 2–5 rainy days a month from May to November.
- The **north** gets slightly more sunshine hours than the west in most months, but rains on many more days.
- The **south and east** are wetter and, in winter (June–August), cloudier and cooler.
- **September to December** is the driest period everywhere.
- The **centre** is about 3–4 °C cooler than the coasts.

## What to recommend

- **Rent a car** unless the traveller has booked full-board or all-inclusive and won't leave the hotel. The main sights are spread around the island, with many in the south. Outside Flic en Flac and Grand Baie, a car is also needed for shopping and eating out.
- **Allow extra driving time.** The road network is uneven, and journeys take much longer once you leave the main highway (north – mid-west – centre – airport).
- **Maki's overall recommendation:** to stay somewhere convenient and still reach the main sights, the **west** is the best base.

For a car, use the `check-car-availability` skill. Maki delivers to any address
on the island and also hands over at the airport. For driving rules and licences,
use `driving-licence-requirements`.