Where to Stay on the East Coast of Mauritius: Belle Mare, Trou d'Eau Douce, Poste Lafayette

The east coast of Mauritius: luxury, nature and immaculate beaches

The east coast of Mauritius is a world apart. Less developed than the north, less lively than the west, it cultivates a form of quiet elegance that has earned the loyalty of the most discerning travellers. The beaches of Belle Mare and Palmar rank among the finest in the Indian Ocean — dazzling white sand, a turquoise lagoon protected by a wide barrier reef, and no jet skis or noisy crowds. Most of the resorts lining this coast are five-star establishments that have chosen quality and discretion over volume and aggressive marketing.

The east coast runs from Poste Lafayette in the north down to Mahebourg in the south, passing through Palmar, Belle Mare, and Trou d’Eau Douce. It is a windward coast — exposed to the prevailing south-east trade winds — which gives it more sunshine than the west coast during the rainy season, but also more wind during the southern winter (June-August).

At a glance

Where	Poste Lafayette, Belle Mare, Palmar, Trou d’Eau Douce (east coast)
Price	Around 90 to 200 EUR/night at a boutique hotel or village property, 350 to 1,500 EUR/night at the large 5-star resorts of Belle Mare
How to get there	A rental car is essential, around 45 to 60 minutes from SSR airport
Best time to go	May to December, avoiding the January-February lull; more wind from June to August
Who it’s for	Honeymooners, affluent families, fans of long, quiet beaches

To decide whether the east coast matches what you’re after, our east coast vs west coast comparison is essential reading. Our general guide to where to stay in Mauritius gives an overview of all the areas.

Belle Mare — the absolute reference on the east coast

Belle Mare is the name that comes up systematically whenever the east coast of Mauritius is mentioned. And for good reason: its 9-kilometre stretch of immaculate white sand, its rare turquoise lagoon, and the quality of the hotels lining it make it one of the most sought-after destinations in the entire Indian Ocean.

What we love about Belle Mare: the feeling of space — even in high season, the length of the beach absorbs the crowds and you can always find a quiet spot. The clarity of the water, particularly beautiful in the morning when the light is still low. The absence of aggressive tourist hustle — no jet skis in the middle of the lagoon, no street vendors who won’t take no for an answer.

Sunrises at Belle Mare are exceptional and one of the island’s most memorable experiences. The coast faces east, meaning the sun rises directly out of the sea. At 6am, the beach is completely empty and the sky shifts from indigo to orange-pink in a matter of minutes.

Types of accommodation available:

• Constance Belle Mare Plage — 5-star, right on the beach, one of Mauritius’s most renowned hotels with its two golf courses
• One and Only Le Saint Géran — 5-star, international prestige, a very upscale clientele
• Shangri-La Le Touessrok — 5-star, private ferry access to Ile aux Cerfs, sleek architecture
• Palmar Beach Hotel — 4-star, a noticeably better value for the area, a beautiful beach
• A few villa rentals for families or groups who prefer independence

Budget: Belle Mare’s large 5-star hotels are among the most expensive on the island (350 to 1,500 euros a night in high season). For an east coast experience at a more accessible cost, Palmar and villa rentals offer real alternatives. Our luxury accommodation guide selects the best addresses in this category.

Ideal profile: honeymooners or couples on a romantic trip, affluent families, travellers for whom beach quality is the top priority.

Our detailed guide to where to stay in Belle Mare covers each property, beach access, and dining options in the area.

Trou d’Eau Douce — the village and gateway to Ile aux Cerfs

Trou d’Eau Douce is a charming fishing village on the east coast, a few kilometres north of Belle Mare. Its name recalls a freshwater spring that is said to have once flowed into the sea here. Today it’s a village that has managed to develop for tourism without losing its soul — fishing boats share the marina with excursion catamarans, and local children play on the pier while tourists wait for the ferry to Ile aux Cerfs.

Trou d’Eau Douce’s great speciality: it’s the main departure point for Ile aux Cerfs, Mauritius’s most photographed idyllic lagoon. A 10-minute boat crossing separates the village from this aquatic gem.

Ile aux Cerfs catamaran excursion with lunch from the east coast

What we love about Trou d’Eau Douce: the village’s authenticity, the lively marina at sunset, the immediate proximity of Ile aux Cerfs, and the fresh fish restaurants along the seafront with terrace tables overlooking the bay. The village has a pleasant end-of-the-world feel without being too isolated.

Types of accommodation available:

• Shangri-La Le Touessrok — the most renowned 5-star hotel in the area, with private ferry access to Ile aux Cerfs
• Several charming boutique hotels in the village, between 80 and 200 euros a night
• Creole guesthouses for independent travellers
• Villas with bay views, ideal for stays of a week or more

Budget: Le Touessrok is in the same price bracket as the large hotels of Belle Mare. The charming alternatives in the village offer excellent value for the area.

Ideal profile: families who want Ile aux Cerfs within easy boat reach, couples who appreciate a village atmosphere, independent travellers seeking east coast authenticity without palace prices.

Palmar — between Belle Mare and Trou d’Eau Douce

Palmar is a long stretch of white sand beach between Belle Mare and Trou d’Eau Douce. Less developed than its neighbour Belle Mare, it nonetheless offers an equivalent level of beauty — and sometimes greater, for travellers seeking space and solitude.

What we love about Palmar: the beach is long and often uncrowded even in high season. The water is as beautiful as at Belle Mare. The range of accommodation is more varied and generally cheaper.

Types of accommodation available:

• 4-star hotels offering better value than their 5-star neighbours in Belle Mare
• Direct villa rentals, often with a tropical garden and private pool
• A few small guesthouses for travellers on a modest budget

Ideal profile: families with children, travellers who want east coast quality without palace prices, villa stays.

Poste Lafayette — seclusion and authenticity at the north of the east coast

Poste Lafayette is a village at the northern end of the east coast, little known to travellers and lightly developed for tourism. It’s precisely this discretion that makes it a precious find for those who discover it: a coast exposed to the trade winds, with dune landscapes, a coarse sand beach, and an end-of-the-world atmosphere that contrasts sharply with the air-conditioned resorts of the rest of the coast.

What we love about Poste Lafayette: the total absence of mass tourism, the wild beauty of the wind-exposed coast, the turtle ponds found in the area, and the feeling of having discovered a secret the tourist brochures haven’t yet let slip.

What might be off-putting: Poste Lafayette’s beach isn’t suited to leisure swimming — the current and waves can be strong. The range of accommodation and restaurants is very limited. A car is absolutely essential.

Types of accommodation available: mainly guesthouses and a few rural gites. Prices are among the lowest on the east coast.

Ideal profile: experienced travellers seeking adventure and seclusion, nature lovers, photographers drawn to exposed coastal landscapes.

How to choose your area on the east coast

Profile	Recommended area
Grand luxury, perfect beach	Belle Mare
Ile aux Cerfs, lively village	Trou d’Eau Douce
Value for money, space	Palmar
Absolute seclusion, nature	Poste Lafayette
Family with children	Belle Mare, Palmar
Honeymoon	Belle Mare, Trou d’Eau Douce

Is the east coast right for you?

The east coast suits travellers who place beach quality and calm at the top of their priorities. It’s not for those after intense nightlife (for that, the north is a better fit), nor for travellers on a very tight budget (accommodation here is generally pricier than on other coasts).

On the other hand, the east coast is ideal if you value sunrises over the sea, long and sparsely populated beaches, nature and the lagoon, and upscale accommodation in an exceptional natural setting.

To explore the east coast by car, our car rental guide for Mauritius is essential — the east coast isn’t served by tourist public transport. Our Mauritius budget guide helps you plan the costs of a stay in this area.

If you’re still weighing up different areas, check our guide to the best beaches on the island and our north vs south comparison for a complete picture before deciding.

Book a guided snorkeling trip in the Belle Mare lagoon

Getting around and eating on the east coast

The east coast isn’t served by a dense tourist bus network like the north of the island: a rental car remains the most practical way to explore the area beyond your resort. Allow 45 to 60 minutes’ drive from SSR airport to Belle Mare, a bit more for Poste Lafayette. Our car rental guide for Mauritius details the process and typical prices.

On the dining side, the large resorts of Belle Mare and Trou d’Eau Douce all have several on-site restaurants, often of a good standard. To step outside the hotel, Trou d’Eau Douce remains the best option with its fresh fish restaurants on terraces overlooking the bay. In Belle Mare and Palmar, independent options are more limited — many travellers staying in villas do some shopping at a local supermarket to prepare some meals themselves.

For rainy days, our guide to things to do when it rains in Mauritius suggests alternatives to the beach, particularly inland.

When to book and how many nights to plan

The large 5-star hotels of Belle Mare and Le Touessrok fill up several months ahead in high season (July-August and December-January): book at least 4 to 6 months in advance if you’re targeting a specific property. In low season (April-June, September-October), prices drop noticeably and availability is much better.

As for length of stay, most travellers who choose the east coast do so for 5 to 10 nights, often alongside a day or two of road-tripping to the south or the centre of the island. Our 7-day Mauritius itinerary and our 10-day itinerary show how to combine a beach stay on the east coast with exploring the rest of the island.