Belle Mare Holidays

Set on the sheltered east coast of Mauritius, Belle Mare is a small place with a big reputation. Its headline act is the white-sand beach – one of the loveliest on the island. But it’s got plenty more show-stopping turns. There’s a coral-protected lagoon, golf, watersports and loads of restaurants peeping through the bank of trees by the shoreline. With a package this good, it’s easy to see why a bunch of high-end hotels are happy to call this place home

Belle Mare has one of the longest stretches of beach on the island – the coconut-white sands seem to go on forever. And they’re moored in the bluest waters of the Indian Ocean. The lagoon here has a great portfolio of watersports – everything from snorkelling to glass-bottom boat rides. And diving is a big pull, with common sightings of eagle rays and barracudas, and the odd bull shark beyond the barrier reef.

Golf gets as many plaudits as the beach in these parts. Belle Mare is home to two world-renowned championship courses – The Links and The Legend. Created by the big names of golf design, both of them host a number of international tournaments, including the Mauritius Open, and they both lay down a testing, technical challenge. The verdict is unanimous – superb fairways and firm greens in a hard-to-beat setting.