Wind and lagoon: hotels for water sports

Almost every beachfront hotel in Mauritius lends out kayaks, pedalos and masks. The difference begins beyond that: an affiliated school, a qualified instructor, a boathouse, a recognised spot in front of the beach. For anyone travelling with a kite, a sail or a diving certificate, the hotel is chosen first by its coast.

The Le Morne peninsula, at the south-western tip, owes its reputation to strong, steady trade winds, which the south of the island receives mainly from April to November. One Eye, at the tip of Le Morne, is among the island’s most famous spots, and schools there are many. The Dinarobin Beachcomber, on the peninsula, runs a school affiliated to the International Kiteboarding Organization, the IKO, and to the Association française de kite; it is charged, as are diving and night paddleboarding. The LUX* Le Morne looks out on the Kite Lagoon at Le Morne, a shallow lagoon protected by the reef, and its neighbour the St. Regis also offers kitesurfing.

Elsewhere, kitesurfing follows the wind. On the north coast, the lagoon at Anse la Raie is a recognised spot, in front of the Lagoon Attitude, which organises outings nearby on request; the LUX* Grand Gaube offers kitesurfing on the lagoons of Grand Gaube and Anse la Raie. On the north-east coast, at the Jalsa Beach Hotel, at Poste Lafayette, kitesurfing is done on site: the coast, windier than the west, lends itself to it, at the cost of swimming that is sometimes less calm. In the south-east, the Preskil Island Resort has its own kitesurfing and kitefoiling school. On the south coast, around Bel Ombre, the Outrigger looks out on a shore known for kitesurfing, the spots are twenty minutes from the SO/ Sofitel, and the Heritage C Beach Club gives lessons.

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Sailing, waterskiing and wakeboarding

Sailing has its addresses. At Mont Choisy, the Coral Azur Beach Resort hosts the Wildwind Sailing Centre on its beach, recognised by Britain’s Royal Yachting Association: dinghies, catamarans, paddleboards that convert into windsurf boards, instructors for beginners and seasoned sailors alike, and trips out to the northern islands. The Club Med at La Plantation d’Albion runs a sailing school for all levels, from the age of six, included in the stay. At Balaclava, the InterContinental has a fully equipped boathouse at the end of a thirty-metre jetty: pedalos, kayaks, Laser dinghies, windsurfing, a glass-bottom boat and waterskiing are all included.

Several hotels offer waterskiing free of charge. At the Shandrani Beachcomber, at Blue Bay, it is free, as are sailing and wakeboarding, and an academy offers individual lessons with professional instructors, four thirty-minute sessions a week; children can take it up from the age of eight. At the Victoria Beachcomber, waterskiing, wakeboarding, windsurfing and sailing are free. The Preskil, too, offers waterskiing and sailing boats.

For diving, a few hotels have their own centre. The academy at the Victoria Beachcomber, on the hotel beach at Pointe aux Piments, is affiliated to CMAS and PADI, certified to ISO 24802-1 and holds the PADI Green Star label; it trains divers from the age of ten, with equipment suited to children, and takes them down to three wrecks, drop-offs and reefs. The Canonnier Beachcomber, at Pointe aux Canonniers, has its centre within the grounds, affiliated to the same two organisations and open from the age of ten.

In Pereybère, the Hibiscus Boutique Hotel has been home since 2007 to the ORCA club, which runs courses from beginner to divemaster, to PADI and SSI standards, setting out from the hotel jetty for Coin de Mire, the Sharks Pit or Trou aux Biches. The try-dive in the pool is free, at any time. On the west coast, the diving centre at Villas Caroline, in Flic en Flac, is run by a CMAS level-three instructor, with equipment on site.

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Surfing, at Tamarin

Surfing, finally, has its home on the west coast. The Veranda Tamarin, on the bay of the same name, draws on surf culture and village life, and runs a surf school on site, for a fee. Its programme adds kitesurfing at the Heritage C Beach Club, dolphin watching and kayaking on the Rempart River.

In these properties, the same dividing line often recurs: non-motorised equipment is lent, tuition is paid for. At the Veranda Belle Mare, windsurfing, kayaking, pedalos, paddleboarding and snorkelling are included, while kitesurfing and diving are charged; at SALT of Palmar or C Mauritius, the same applies. The exceptions (free waterskiing, a school included in the stay) are precisely what set a water sports address apart from a mere beach hotel.