Sports and leisure activities Mauritius

Budget & Tips

Thanks to its climate and topography, Mauritius lends itself to many outdoor sports and activities, both on land and in the water. As long as you bring your own equipment, surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing and snorkeling are free, as are hiking and trekking inland. When you stay in a 3 to 5-star hotel, a number of activities, the number of which increases with the hotel's standing, are included in the room rate, such as tennis, ping-pong, beach volleyball and so on, and, on the seaside, glass-bottom boats, pedal boats, sailing (dinghies or small catamarans), kayaking, snorkeling, sometimes even water-skiing and, systematically, golf when you choose a golf hotel affiliated with a course (green fee included in the package).

Outside hotels, certain leisure activities are very affordable, such as glass-bottom boat trips, kayak or stand-up paddle rentals. As soon as you start taking part in supervised activities or those requiring expensive equipment, prices rise, even if they are often lower than in France. This is the case for scuba diving, which is not cheap but less expensive than in France. It's a great opportunity to upgrade your diving skills, especially as the Mauritian lagoon is ideal for learning this sport. There's also canyoning, skydiving, quad biking, buggy riding, electric biking, guided and accompanied hikes, zip lines and tree tours, microlight or helicopter flights and, on the seaside, surfing or kitesurfing courses, underwater walking, deep-sea fishing, submarine or underwater scooter trips, motorboat, catamaran or sailboat cruises, and much more.

And if you've decided to take it easy, you should know that Mauritius has a number of local massage parlors and beauty salons (we're talking about the real deal, not the dubious shacks you'd be advised to avoid in the more touristy areas) where rates are much lower than those charged in the spas of luxury hotels and resorts.

What's very local

Mauritians are keen gamblers - any gamble, as long as there's something to bet on or win. From mid-March to mid-December, the whole island (especially the men) lives to the rhythm of the horse races held at the Champ de Mars in Port Louis. Taking part is a great way to immerse yourself in the local culture.

On a different note, Mauritius boasts a kitesurfing spot of international renown and standard: One Eye, on the Morne-Brabant peninsula in the south-west. The island is also an international spot for big-game fishing, especially on the west coast, where the seabed drops to a depth of 600 meters less than 2 km from the shore, making it possible to reach the fishing grounds in no time at all.

Your documents please

In order to practice scuba diving in Mauritius, it is necessary, in addition to your logbook if you have already passed some levels or made a baptism, to buy a local license at 100 Rs. This license can be bought directly from the diving club, provided that it is affiliated to the MSDS or Mauritius Diving Association. If it is not, beware: choose another club.

To be booked

All supervised activities and spa treatments can be booked in advance. In the low or medium season (from May to September), a phone call the day before can often be enough. In high or very high season (from October to April), it is necessary to book several days in advance, knowing that the seasonality can vary a little according to the sports, and that the peak season for kiteboarding, for example, is in full swing during the low or medium hotel season (from June to August). Even in hotels where several activities are included in the package, it is necessary to go and book your schedules and sessions at the nautical center or the sports center.

Main events

Many sporting events punctuate the Mauritian calendar, some of them of international stature. For golf enthusiasts, various tournaments are held throughout the year, such as the MCB Indian Ocean Amateur Golf, which takes place in September and brings together Mauritians and foreigners alike.

Another discipline that attracts champions during the wind and wave season, from June to September: kitesurfing. Although not an annual event, some competitions are international in scope, notably on the technical and highly challenging One Eye spot. Others bring together both pros and amateurs (including the island's best riders), such as the Attitude Freeride Challenge, held every August, or the Rodrigues International Kitesurf Festival at the end of July.

The world of trail running is also growing every year, with some excellent competitions open to foreigners in the cooler months. Among the most important are the Royal Raid in May, the UTRB (Ultra Trail Raid-light Beachcomber), the Dodo Trail and Mauritius Marathon in July, the Ferney Trail in September and the Moka Trail in October. The Indian Ocean Triathlon also attracts a growing number of athletes to Mauritius in November.

Mauritius is also known for its big-game fishing competitions, including The SIOBC (South Indian Ocean Billfish Competition) and The Mauritius Billfish Release International Tournament, a qualifying tournament for the IGFA Offshore World Championship. They take place in late January/early February, at the height of the billfish season.