The East Region of Mauritius

During the past 20 years, the East Coast has undergone a rapid development. Apart from a few private bungalows it remained untamed until the 70’s, when two modern hotels were built. They remained to be the only ones for another 10 years, but then many more followed, now standing side by side right up to “Trou d’Eau Douce”, turning the once longest wild beach of “Belle Mare” into a tourist attraction.

Except for those hotels, some clothing factories and the village of “Centre de Flacq” however, the East Coast of Mauritius remains just lightly developed and lightly populated in comparison to the rest of the country.

Topography

The largest lagoon of Mauritius begins in the very South East at Pointe D’Esny and stretches over twenty-two kilometres, up to Trou-d’Eau-Douce, where it is joined by the lagoon of Belle Mare. The shallow waters, crisscrossed by deep canals, generate hundreds of different shades of green and blue on sunny days.

The lagoon of the East is not the sole attraction of this region. In the south-eastern part, especially around “Vieux Grand Port” the steep mountainside drops spectacularly into the ocean. With the lagoon on one side and the lush mountains on the other, this region offers without any doubt, the most scenic coastal views of Mauritius. This also due to the fact, that the view is largely unobstructed by buildings or high walls.

The East is generally a place of interest and, like the South, rich in colonial history: Every ruin or old building and every islet have their very own story to tell.

Many a pleasant moment may be spent during visits to “Ile aux Cerfs,” “Grande Riviere Sud-Est” “Pointe-du-Diable,” “Lion Mountain” and nature parks such as “Domaine du Chasseur” or ” Domaine Ylang Ylang”, where the distilled oil of this famous tropical flower is produced and sold.