Introducing The North
Mauritius' tourism panache started in the north, and today there's plenty on offer for visitors. Although most of the area's spectacular beaches have been claimed by hotel construction, it's never hard to get away from it all and discover the little nooks that remain largely untouched by development.
Grand Baie is the eye of the tourist storm, boasting Mauritius' best nightlife and some of the island's most excellent restaurants. The small beachside villages around Grand Baie – Trou aux Biches, Mont Choisy and Pereybère – are quickly developing in a similar fashion.
The inland plain of sugar-cane fields – pocked with piles of volcanic boulders stacked by indentured servants – is known as Pamplemousses and gently slopes towards the sea. Here you'll find the wonderful Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Gardens and the rightly popular L'Aventure du Sucre – a museum dedicated to Mauritius' traditional colonial export.
Activities in The North
Grand Baie
In the 17th century the Dutch used to call Grand Baie 'De Bogt Zonder Eynt', which meant the 'Bay Without End'.
Trou Aux Biches & Mont Choisy
Relaxed Trou aux Biches and the neighbouring village of Mont Choisy (also spelt Mon Choisy) are fast-developing tourist destinations full of people seeking better beaches than Grand Baie.
The North destination guides
Pereybère
As development continues to boom along the north coast, it's becoming rather difficult to tell where Grand Baie ends and Pereybère (peu-ray-bear) begins.
Hotels in The North
Budget Hotels & Hostels in The North
Guesthouses and B&Bs in The North
Apartments in The North
Cap Malheureux
The northern edge of Mauritius has stunning views out to the islands off the coast beyond, most obviously of the dramatic slopes of Coin de Mire.
Need to know
Entertainment in The North
Balaclava to Pointe aux Piments
Balaclava is named after the region's black-lava rocks, not the Crimean battlefield, in case you were wondering.
Shopping in The North