Mauritius is an island nation in the Indian Ocean and known as one of world’s luxury holiday destinations.
Diving
There is a variety of different dive sites on the west coast and on the coast in north-east suitable for divers at all levels of experience.
If you are looking to dive a lot, I recommend finding a hotel in or near the town of Flic-en-Flac on the west coast. The waters on the west coast are more calm than in north-east, where it is not uncommon that you cannot dive because of the high wind and rough waters.
Relax at Aquarium dive site
Aquarium is one of the most enjoyable dive sites in the west: There is an abundance of species of fish and coral to observe. The rocks and boulders are typical of the waters around Mauritius: It is hard to find similar shapes elsewhere. The Aquarium dive takes you to about 20 meters.
Visit L’èveillé dive site for a unique experience
In the west, you may want to visit L’èveillé — the exact spelling of the name of the site varies a bit depending on whom you ask — where you can find a cliff and a 10 meter wall. The dive is quite deep, 28-29 meters.
One of the high-lights is a combination of a tunnel and a chimney that you can dive through. You approach the tunnel entry near the bottom and dive under a huge rock formation. Only then you can see the wide tunnel that leads you to the chimney. Be careful because there may be a lot of sea life in the chimney including an occasional lion fish.
Wild ride at Belle Mare Passage dive site
If you are looking for a wild ride and are an experienced diver, you should visit Belle Mare Passage. The site’s nick name, “Dishwasher” gives you some idea of what the dive is alike.
You enter the water in a lagoon and quite soon get caught by the tidal currents. At depth of few meters, you are swept along through narrow canyons and crevaces. In some spots you may be able to hold on to rocks to observe the fish and quite alien looking rock formations before your grip fails. As you can guess, protective gloves are recommended and provided by the dive centers.
Dive Centers
There are several high quality dive centers on the island.
On the west coast you may want to visit Sun Divers http://www.sundiversmauritius.com/.
In the north-east region you may want to contact your hotel to ask about diving opportunities. Many reputable dive centers operate in or with the hotels.
Getting there
Prepare for a long flight through Paris, Dubai or a major Indian airport depending on which direction you arrive.
It takes 1-2 hours to get from the airport to most hotels depending on where it is on the island.
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