Worth remembering
- Belle Mare and Palmar are two stretches of the same east coast beach, backed by casuarina shade and a wide lagoon inside the reef.
- A private airport transfer to a hotel on the coast is listed from US$56, with a duration of 2 hours, and free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.[1]
- The East Coast Mauritius Private Scenic Seaplane Tour is a private group flight of 15 - 30 minutes, listed from US$254 and rated 4.22 from 128 reviews.[2]
- Seaplane passengers must be at least 15 years old and weigh no more than 100 kilograms, so check your party before you book.[3]
- The official cyclone season runs from 15 November to 15 May, so it pays to keep a spare morning free in case a flight is moved.[4]
- Top choice East Coast Seaplane from US$254 Duration15 - 30 minutes[2]Rated4.22 from 128 reviews[2]GroupPrivate group[2]CancellationFree up to 24 hours[2] Check availability
- Ile aux Cerfs Speedboat from US$144 Duration7 hours[5]Rated4.77 from 452 reviews[5]GroupPrivate or small groups[5]CancellationFree up to 24 hours[5] See this tour
- Northern Isles Catamaran from US$81 Duration8 hours[6]Rated4.70 from 2,082 reviews[6]GroupNot listedCancellationFree up to 24 hours[6] See this tour
Explore Mauritius from a unique perspective with our daily seaplane tours departing from La Prairie beach.
Is the east coast seaplane worth it from Belle Mare?
Things to check
- Confirm your flight slot, meeting point and contact number the day before you travel.
- Look for reserve now and pay later, and read the free cancellation terms on the listing.
- Tell the operator about mobility needs, since boarding is often from a beach or a jetty.
- Check the age and weight limits against your party before you pay.
On the day
- Leave a buffer for coastal traffic, buses and slow cane trucks on the way.
- Bring a hat, sunglasses and reef-safe sunscreen for the glare off the lagoon.
- The seaplane tour is listed as a private group, so you are not sharing the flight.
- Carry a little cash for parking, drinks and small tips along the coast.
Where Belle Mare and Palmar actually are
Belle Mare and Palmar share one long sweep of sand on the east coast, in the Flacq district, with the reef a good way out and a wide, shallow lagoon in between. Belle Mare is the beach where the One&Only Le Saint Géran resort is set, and the public beach with its casuarina shade runs alongside.[7] Palmar continues north towards Roches Noires, quieter in the middle of the day and shaded in the late afternoon. The water inside the reef is calm and pale, which is why so many travellers base themselves on this side of the island rather than on the busier west coast.
The east coast is a chain of lagoons and small islands rather than a single beach. Ile aux Cerfs, an 87-hectare island off the east coast, is the best known of them, with white sandy beaches, turquoise lagoons, restaurants, water sports and land activities.[8] Further south, the Grande-Rivière-Sud-Est waterfall lies at the source of the river and can be reached either by sea or by crossing the sugarcane fields.[9] Both make easy half-day trips from Belle Mare when you are not in the air.
The north east coast and the Roches Noires caves
Head north out of Palmar and the scenery turns darker and rockier. The Roches Noires caves Mauritius keeps along its north east shore sit in a band of black volcanic rock, with low coves, rock pools and ledges where the basalt meets the lagoon. The Roches Noires cave trail is a rough walk over that same rock, with no shade and uneven footing, so wear shoes with grip, watch the swell and go at low tide if you can. It is a very different outing from a lagoon beach day, and it rewards a slow, careful hour or two.
The coastal village of Roches Noires, Riviere du Rempart, sits on the road between Grand Baie and Trou d'Eau Douce, which makes it a natural stop on the way north or south rather than a place you build a whole day around. Seaplanes fly in this part of the island too: LagoonFLIGHT's daily seaplane tours depart from La Prairie beach.[10] If you are weighing up Roches Noires, Rivière du Rempart, Mauritius against the east coast resorts, remember that Belle Mare and Palmar are a short drive south, with the same quiet lagoon and far more places to eat.
The east coast lagoon from the air, with the reef line and pale sandbanks below.
From the airport to Belle Mare
Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport sits in the south east of the island, near Plaine Magnien and Mahébourg, so the drive to Belle Mare is a run up the coast rather than a crossing of the whole country. The usual route follows the shore north, with the lagoon on your left and cane fields on your right. Along the way you pass Lion Mountain, whose silhouette looks like a lion lying down with its head turned inland and its tail to the sea, and which is the only witness left of the Battle of Grand Port.[11]
With luggage, a private transfer is the easiest start. A private airport to hotel transfer service is listed from US$58 with a duration of 2 hours.[12] A one-way private transfer to your hotel is listed from US$56 with a duration of 2 hours.[1] A private airport transfer is listed from US$66 with a duration of 2 hours.[13] Each of these offers reserve now and pay later and free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.[1][12][13] Pickup details are shown when you check availability.
From Port Louis and the north
Port Louis and the northern resorts are on the other side of the island, so the drive to Belle Mare crosses the cane belt through the centre rather than hugging the sea. From Grand Baie the coast road runs east through Rivière du Rempart and past Roches Noires, then turns south along the shore towards Palmar and Belle Mare. Allow a comfortable half day if you want to stop at viewpoints on the way, and remember that the east coast is the windward side, so short showers pass through quickly and the light changes fast.
From the north you also have the water as an option before you move south. A full-day catamaran cruise to the northern isles is listed from US$81, with a duration of 8 hours and a rating of 4.70 from 2,082 reviews.[6] A scenic helicopter flight with hotel transfers is listed from US$860, with a duration of 3 hours, and it is limited to 6 participants.[14] Neither is a transfer, but both work well as a treat at the start or the end of a coast-to-coast itinerary.
from US$254
A private seaplane flight over the east coast lagoon lasts 15 - 30 minutes and is rated 4.22 from 128 reviews.[2]
Driving, taxis and parking
Mauritius drives on the left, and the main roads are busy but manageable. From the airport or from Port Louis, the dual carriageways get you most of the way, and the last stretch along the east coast is a two-lane road shared with buses, cane trucks and scooters. Parking at the public beaches around Belle Mare and Palmar is informal, and the popular access points fill up at weekends and during school holidays, so arrive early if you want shade close to the sand.
Taxis and hotel shuttles are the simplest answer if you would rather not drive. Agree the fare before you set off, because metered fares are not the norm on longer coastal runs. If you want a car and a driver for the whole day, a customizable private tour by car is listed from US$190 with a duration of 8 hours.[15] A private island tour with a chauffeur guide is listed from US$121 with a duration of 4 - 8 hours.[16] Both leave you free to swim, eat and stop wherever the view is good.
Timing the day around the seaplane flight
The East Coast Mauritius Private Scenic Seaplane Tour is a private group flight that lasts 15 - 30 minutes and is listed from US$254.[2] Starting times are shown when you check availability, so the flight can sit at either end of your day. Mornings often bring the calmest air over the lagoon; late afternoons bring warmer light and longer shadows across the reef. Whichever you choose, keep the rest of the day loose, because a short flight still needs a window of settled weather.
Weather decides everything in a small aircraft. The official cyclone season runs from 15 November to 15 May, and wind or rain can ground a small seaplane at any time of year.[4] The listing offers reserve now and pay later with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance, which gives you room to move a flight if the forecast changes.[2]
Passenger limits matter as well: seaplane passengers must be at least 15 years old and weigh no more than 100 kilograms.[3] If the underwater waterfall illusion is on your list, note that it lies to the southwest of the island, offshore of Le Morne Peninsula, so it is not part of an east coast flight.[17] A southwest coast day is the better way to chase that view; this flight is about the reef, the lagoon and the coastline right below you.
Finding the meeting point and the seaplane base
Meeting points for east coast flights are confirmed after booking, and they are often a stretch of beach or a small jetty rather than an airport terminal. The East Coast Mauritius Private Scenic Seaplane Tour lists a stop at Belle Mare.[2] Operators working this coastline also fly from the sand: LagoonFLIGHT's daily seaplane tours depart from La Prairie beach.[10] Ask for a pin, a phone number and a name, and save them on your phone before you leave the hotel.
On the day, arrive a little early, wear flat shoes you can slip off, and take a light layer for the breeze once you are up. Keep your bag small: camera, sunglasses and a hat that will not fly away. A short scenic flight pairs well with a slow afternoon at Palmar, or with a boat day on the south east lagoon. A full-day speedboat tour to Ile aux Cerfs and the south east is listed from US$144 with a duration of 7 hours and a rating of 4.77 from 452 reviews.[5]
From-prices for flights and boat days near the east coast
From-prices as listed: east coast seaplane[2], Ile aux Cerfs speedboat[5], northern isles catamaran[6], scenic helicopter flight[14].
Compare from-prices for a day out from Belle Mare
Amounts are the listed from-prices per person in US dollars; no separate child price is shown on these listings.[2][5][6][14]
When to plan your east coast flight
Getting there, step by step
Land and head north
The international airport is in the south east of the island, so you drive up the coast rather than across the country.
Follow the coast road
The coast road runs north past Lion Mountain, the only witness left of the Battle of Grand Port, then on towards Trou d'Eau Douce.[11]
Settle in at Belle Mare
Belle Mare is the beach where the One&Only Le Saint Géran resort is set, and Palmar continues north along the same sand.[7]
Book the seaplane slot
Starting times appear when you check availability, and free cancellation runs up to 24 hours in advance.[2]
Confirm the meeting point
The tour lists a stop at Belle Mare, and seaplane tours on this coast fly from La Prairie beach.[2][10]
Book the east coast seaplane flight over Belle Mare
from US$254Reserve now & pay later
