Top 10 Marinas in Mauritius
Mauritius sits at a pivotal crossroads of the south Indian Ocean, roughly equidistant from Madagascar, the Maldives and Réunion. For sailors on the classic circumnavigation route — east from Cape Town, north to the Red Sea or east to Asia — it is one of the most welcome landfalls on the planet. The island's lagoons, sheltered behind fringing coral reefs, offer anchorages calm enough to be called ponds, while purpose-built marinas have grown to meet the demands of a steadily increasing cruising fleet. This guide ranks the ten best places to berth, moor or anchor.
Grand Baie Yacht Club
Grand Baie Yacht Club on the north coast is the undisputed social hub of sailing in Mauritius. The lagoon behind the Coin de Mire channel is broad, sheltered and rarely ruffled above Force 3 except during cyclone season (December to March). The club maintains approximately 60 swing moorings available to visitors at a modest nightly fee, and a friendly check-in process: port control, immigration and customs officials visit the boat in sequence within a few hours of arrival. Diesel, water, laundry and wifi are all available. The Sunday racing series draws local Laser sailors and offshore cruisers alike.
Caudan Waterfront Marina — Port Louis
Port Louis Harbour is the island's main commercial port, and the Caudan Waterfront Marina occupies a converted quayside on its eastern bank. Berths are finger-pontoon style with shore power (240 V / 50 Hz), water and security. The location is unbeatable for provisioning: the Caudan commercial centre contains a fully stocked supermarket, a chandlery, a pharmacy and several restaurants within a three-minute walk. Fuel is available from a barge in the commercial harbour. Customs clearance for international arrivals can be completed at the nearby port authority building.
Mahebourg Waterfront Marina
Mahebourg, on the south-east coast, guards the sheltered lagoon behind the Pointe d'Esny reef system. The waterfront marina here is smaller and quieter than Grand Baie, making it a favourite of long-passage sailors wanting a few days of genuine rest. The Mahebourg Historical Museum, celebrating the 1810 naval Battle of Grand Port fought just offshore, is within walking distance. The lagoon itself is virtually flat in the prevailing south-easterly trade wind, and the snorkelling at Blue Bay Marine Park — a Ramsar wetland site 4 km south — is outstanding.
Pereybere Anchorage
A few kilometres east of Grand Baie, the small cove at Pereybere is a popular overnight anchorage for sailors waiting for a weather window to proceed north or east. Holding is good in 3–5 m of sand; the shallow reef shelf prevents swell from wrapping around. The small fishing village has a colourful morning market and two bakeries selling Mauritian roti. There is no official marina infrastructure, but the anchorage is well documented on cruising forums and in the Imray Indian Ocean Cruising Guide.
Trou aux Biches Lagoon
The lagoon off Trou aux Biches on the north-west coast is one of the most photogenic anchorages on the island. Depths of 4–6 m over white sand allow good holding, and the reef gap at Pointe aux Piments provides a straightforward entry in daylight hours. The village beach is lined with casuarina trees and a string of beachside restaurants serving grilled octopus (ooctopus vindaye) and fresh tuna steaks. Provisioning is basic — a small supermarket — but the atmosphere more than compensates.
Black River Bay — La Gaulette
On the south-west coast, the wide bay at Black River (Rivière Noire) offers anchor room in 4–8 m with reasonable shelter from the south-east. The bay is the starting point for game-fishing boats targeting the famous Mauritius blue marlin grounds in water over 1 000 m deep just 3 km offshore. Several yacht-friendly guesthouses in La Gaulette can arrange LPG cylinder refills, provisioning and mechanical help. The Gorges National Park begins just inland, and a day hike to the Black River Gorges viewpoint takes about four hours return.
Anse La Raie — Northern Tip Anchorage
Anse La Raie, at the northernmost tip of the island, is a shallow and scenic bay that suits shoal-draft cruisers (under 1.5 m) particularly well. It lies directly on the route from Grand Baie around Cap Malheureux heading east, making it a useful overnight stop. The village church, with its distinctive red-roofed landmark visible from 5 miles offshore, is one of the most photographed in Mauritius.
Rivière des Créoles — Entrance Anchorage
The river mouth at Rivière des Créoles on the west coast opens behind a low sand spit and offers 2–4 m depth. It is used mainly by local fishing pirogues but can accommodate a shallow-draft cruiser for a night. The setting — sugarcane fields stretching to the Rempart Mountain ridge line — is quintessentially Mauritian and completely removed from the tourist circuit.
Club Nautique du Sud — Souillac
The Club Nautique du Sud at Souillac operates a small launch ramp and a handful of moorings in the lee of the coast. Primarily a day-sailing and kitesurfing venue, it is occasionally used by coastal cruisers making a clockwise passage of the island. The dramatic Rochester Falls waterfall is 2 km inland, and the Gris Gris cliffs — where the Indian Ocean batters into volcanic basalt — are a 20-minute walk along the coast path.
Rodrigues Island — Port Mathurin
Rodrigues, a dependency of Mauritius roughly 600 km to the east, deserves inclusion for any sailor making a stop here en route to the Seychelles or Chagos. Port Mathurin's small harbour has mooring buoys maintained by the island government, and the community is famously welcoming to visiting cruisers. The island is compact enough to cycle around in two days, and the lagoon — one of the largest coral lagoons in the world relative to island size — offers superb diving and kite-sailing conditions from May to November.
Explore on the map
From the turquoise lagoons of Grand Baie to the remote serenity of Rodrigues 600 km offshore, Mauritius offers a remarkable range of anchorages and marina facilities for Indian Ocean sailors. The interactive map shows every berthing option, anchorage and fuel stop. Zoom into Mauritius on the map to plan your passage timing around the south-east trade wind season and plot the ideal route from Durban or Madagascar across to the Maldives.