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Windsurfing and Kite Surfing in Mauritius
Month after month, the amount of visitors coming to Mauritius
essentially for windsurfing and kitesurfing
is increasing rapidly. If you are one of them we hope that
our information will help you in choosing your spots and your
accommodation in Mauritius. Diehards of the ancestor sport
(we mean surfing of course,) please consult our information
page about surfing in Mauritius.
Windsurfers
and kitesurfers of the world are now unanimous about
Le Morne kitesurfing and windsurfing spot is the
best one of Mauritius and some would even say
it's among the best ones in the world. Le Morne is best
for kiters and windsurfers of intermediary to good levels
as it is on the extreme side in terms of wind and especially
sea (current) conditions. If you are unsure about your
ability to safely enjoy this extraordinary spot, we
suggest considering the 16 spots around Mauritius that
our experts have tested for you all around the island.
The regions are Cap Malheureux,
Trou aux Biches, Belle
Mare, Ile aux Cerfs, |
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Pointe d'Esny,
Flic en Flac and especially Poste
Lafayette and Le Morne where
Kite schools are in operation.
Kitesurfing
holiday packages:
- The
Kiting Around Mauritius Package
- The
Exclusive Kitesurfing Beginner's Package
- The
Kitesurfing Family Package
The North Region
The spot outside Trou-aux-Biches is very occasional
as it requires winds from the North-West or South-West that
occur very rarely (often after cyclones.) It is not suitable
to beginners as it involves sailing outside the lagoons (downwind
to Bain Boeuf) and the lagoon of Mont Choisy is very popular
with several speedboats going round.
Bain-Boeuf is essentially for "ins and outs" with great
possibilities of surfing and wave jumping when going across
the reefs. The start may be difficult and may require some
dragging in order to avoid the rocks near the shore. The reefs
and some parts of the lagoon are very shallow. Good only when
the wind is North-East to North-West.
The spot at Cap Malheureux offers a very smooth sea
surface but is again for those of intermediary to confirmed
levels due to the difficulty of getting started and the speedboats.
Good for kiting under nearly all wind directions but not suitable
for Windsurfing due to shallowness.
The Anse La Raie, and Butte a l'herbe spots are all in the
same lagoon. Both are suitable to intermediary to confirmed
kiters due to the difficulty of starting off around the rocks
and the shallowness of the lagoon during low tides. Butte
a l'herbe is best with North-East to South-East winds while
Anse La Raie is to be avoided under South-East (onshore.)
Not suitable for Windsurfing in low tides.
Where to Stay - Hotels
Veranda Paul & Viriginie. Situated in Grand Gaube fishing
village on the North-East coast, it offers direct access to
an immense shallow lagoon with flat surface. The hotel does
not have a kite surfing centre.
The East
/ South-East coast
The East coast / South-East coast of Mauritius offer
excellent sites for kitesurfers and windsurfers of all
levels. For the beginners, the "side / onshore" winds
offer safety provided they start away from the shore.
To confirmed kiters the coast offers a 22 km long lagoon;
windsurfers should be careful about the numerous ergs
and sand banks, especially in low tides. Since the prevailing
winds are from the South-East or East, there is no land
rise to accelerate the wind; kiting conditions are best
when the announced prevailing winds are at least of
15 Knots (28 km/hr.) The lagoons of the East are great
for downwind trips that we would recommend making only
when accompanied by a speedboat.
The drawbacks
Conditions are best between April and November.
The lagoons count several passes and channels with strong
currents pulling outside the reefs; we would therefore
recommend windsurfing / kitesurfing well inside the
lagoons.
Eastern lagoons are irregular in depth and the numerous
coral patches are threats, especially when using formula
boards with long fins.
The best spots all along the East coast are the Belle
Mare, Pointe d'Esny |
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and Blue Bay spots but Kitesurfers
are the luckiest as they can also enjoy shallower spots for
gliding over flat surfaces in Poste Lafayette, namely La Colombiere
for beginners, Trou d'Eau Douce and especially l'Ile aux Cerfs.
Where to stay:
Villas
Villa
Corail is situated on the Belle Mare Beach (near the Belle
Mare Plage Hotel) which is one of the best places to start
and land with onshore.
Villa
Tilleul 1 beach villa in Trou d'Eau Douce, faces the lagoon
and the wonderful Ile aux Cerfs spot.
Hotels
Preskil
Beach Resort. 4 star situated in Pointe d'Esny, you can
almost pump-up your wing in your bedroom a start from the
veranda.
The Shandrani
hotel 5 star hotel situated in the lagoon of Blue
Bay. The first hotel to host the most important Kitesurf event
of Mauritius every year.
The Constance
Belle Mare Plage Hotel. 5 star beach and lagoon. One of
the best places to start and land with onshore wind.
The
South-West coast
It is the Southern end of the West coast that offer
the best Kite and windsurfing conditions. Beginners
and confirmed kiters can enjoy the vastness of the La
Prairie / Baie du Cap lagoon, providing a shallow and
safe environment and allows downwind glides to Le
Morne. (The lagoon of La Prairie is too shallow
for windsurfing.)
The Le Morne spot is the winner of all spots of Mauritius.
Due to the landscape that strongly boosts the prevailing
South-Easterly winds in winter and due to a very specific
and local thermal wind in summer, this spot offers ideal
conditions 11 months a year (February being the exception.)
Drawbacks of Le Morne Spot
The spot is always crowded, especially on weekends where
there are several swimmers in addition to kiters and
windsurfers.
Strong currents can take the beginners by surprise and
pull them outside the lagoon in seconds.
Rescue outside the lagoon is not an easy task due rough
sea conditions and swells. |
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The La Preneuse and Flic en Flac spots
are adequate essentially for kiters of intermediary
to confirmed levels and only when the wind is thermal,
from the West or North-West, (i.e. mainly outside winter
period.) They are good spots to start and sail downwind
to Le Morne.
The Drawbacks:
The space on shore is limited.
There are several boats and swimmers during weekends.
The thermal winds may cease at any moment. |
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