Magical Mauritius resorts for a sun-kissed island escape

Sugar Beach Mauritius is a plantation-style resort located on pristine Flic-en-Flac beach. One of the largest resorts on the island, here you’ll find 258 rooms and suites combining traditional Creole design with modern comforts. Check into your Family Suite and head straight to the private terrace looking out to tropical gardens, or choose the Manor House to watch the sunset over the Indian Ocean from your daybed.

The Sun Kids club has daily activities for children aged from two to 11—think windsurfing lessons, talent shows and cooking contests. While they’re busy, parents can indulge in a fragrant papaya puree scrub and Five Flowers Ritual facial at Cinq Mondes Spa. Alternatively, share an intimate moment at Buddha-Bar Beach while sipping on a Mauritius Spirit cocktail made with fresh pineapple.

Set across 62 acres along the protected marine park of Turtle Bay, Maritim Resort & Spa Mauritius is home to the 18th century Balaclava Ruins. You can explore the stone structures yourself or look out over them from your table at fine dining restaurant Château Mon Désir. For a more casual bite, sit with the sand between your toes at Les Filaos Beach BBQ.

You’ll want to splash into turquoise waters off the 800-metre beach, but the resort is best known for its tropical gardens and nature parks, awarded the ‘Most Beautiful Garden of Mauritius’. Enjoy the spectacular natural surrounds by playing a round of golf on the nine-hole course, or go for a horse ride on the beach from the on-site Equestrian Centre.

On the northwest coast, Beachcomber Royal Palm has 69 suites, all with dreamy views of a pure white stretch of sand. You can opt for a Tropical Suite for direct access to the beach by private staircase, or just sit back and chill in your private infinity pool in the Royal Suite. Come dinner, you can feast on freshly caught seafood at La Goélette or dine beneath the shade of a 100-year-old Badamier tree at seafront Le Bar Plage.

The resort boathouse offers sailing, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding, or you may prefer to soak up some rays from a sun lounger on the sand. When you’re ready to cool off, you can plunge into the nearby crystalline waters. You’ll find three heated swimming pools for when the night turns cool, and an on-site spa with thatched treatment cabins dotted around tropical gardens.

Constance Prince Maurice is tucked away in a secluded corner of the east-coast peninsula, on 60 acres of verdant vegetation. Thatched-roof junior suites cater to couples, while those travelling with kids can book into a family suite for fun bunk beds. If you’re feeling swanky, you can always upgrade to a water villa on stilts or the Princely Villa to spread out over three terraces overlooking the ocean and lagoon.

Constance Kids Club looks after children aged 4–11 with fully trained coordinators taking them to explore the island, on scavenger hunts or learning local crafts. Meanwhile, parents can go snorkelling and learn to kitesurf or bliss out at U Spa by Constance in one of the couple’s treatment rooms.

At Shangri-La’s Le Touessrok Resort & Spa, choose from 200 rooms and three private beach villas all overlooking the Trou d’Eau Douce beachfront. Contemporary suites are crisp and clean, with local design touches that create a stylish, beachy vibe. You can stay in the private Frangipani islet which is reached by a wooden bridge, or go all out with a Beach Villa and enjoy 24-hour butler service and private beach access.

Start each day with a sunrise yoga session, then set out to explore the coastline on a stand-up paddleboard. After a day’s activity, you’ll be ready to relax in the sunken sandpit lounge to watch the sunset or sip on a Tiki cocktail at Sega Bar. When hunger strikes, alternate between fragrant Indian cuisine at Safran and fresh Japanese fare at Kushi Restaurant.

Located on the wild, unspoilt south coast, Shanti Maurice Resort & Spa is nestled between flourishing hills and the Indian Ocean. The lush gardens are filled with exotic plants as well as mango and lychee trees and perfume-heavy frangipani. From your choice suite with panoramic ocean views, and you can step straight out to the sand. If you opt for a Luxury Pool Villa, jump directly into the water from your private sun deck.

For those seeking something a bit more active, the resort is just a short drive from Black River Gorges National Park where you can hike through indigenous forests. For a loftier option, head to Le Morne Brabant to climb the 556-metre summit and take in sweeping views over the Indian Ocean.

The Oberoi Beach Resort has thatched-roof villas and pavilions scattered along the coastline of Turtle Bay. With 20 acres of manicured gardens, you are never far from natural wonders like cascading waterfalls or lakes filled with waterlilies. At your private villa, you can sit out on your terrace and admire the ocean or sink into your marble bath with verdant garden views. Some villas come with private pools, but the resort also has two outdoor swimming pools—including one just for adults.

Children can join The Hub, a kids’ club with its own heated swimming pool, a mini-bowling alley and a treehouse. They’ll fill their days with activities like feeding the resident koi fish or visiting local sights like the aquarium at nearby Pointe aux Piments. When dinnertime arrives, sit atop volcanic rocks at On The Rocks for spectacular views while you eat, or try a fine dining twist on Creole classics at historic The Gunpowder Room.

Tucked among 35 hectares of gardens, Hotel Trou aux Biches Beachcomber makes for an intimate Mauritius honeymoon. Book into the beachfront suite to watch the sunset from your own wooden deck, staying on to watch the stars come out across the inky sky. Travelling groups can check into two and three-bedroom villas to enjoy private plunge pools that make them ideal for family getaways or holidays with friends.

For a sumptuous afternoon, reserve one of the 20 cabins in the on-site spa and luxuriate in a revitalising treatment. Soothed and relaxed, grab a poolside sun lounger under the shade of a frangipani tree. Kids and teens will be kept active with tennis tournaments and snorkelling, as well as their very own pool and restaurant.