Photo: ABDEL KHAN via Google
The verdict
- Best forTravellers who want the sun setting into the Indian Ocean and know Mauritius splits cleanly, the west coast owns the sundown and the celebrated east is a morning coast.
- Top pickLe Morne in the southwest, where the last light falls on the great basalt mountain and the lagoon at the same moment.
- One thing to knowThe west and northwest coasts face the sunset while the famous east coast resorts around Belle Mare face the dawn, so plan your evening on the Flic en Flac side of the island.
Published 2 April 2026. Last reviewed 3 June 2026
Mauritius is shaped by its mountains and its trade winds, and both conspire to put the sunset firmly on one side of the island. The east coast, where many of the grand resorts sit, takes the wind and the morning sun, its lagoons glittering at first light. The west and the southwest lie in the lee of the peaks, calmer and warmer in the evening, and that is where the island keeps its sundown.
Le Morne is the one that turns an evening into theatre, a peninsula in the far southwest dominated by its sheer basalt mountain, a brooding UNESCO listed monolith that catches fire in the last light while the lagoon below it goes still and gold. It is the most photographed corner of the island for good reason, the rare beach where the backdrop is as dramatic as the horizon.
North of it the long west coast strings together the easy classics, the wide sands of Flic en Flac, the surf and river mouth of Tamarin, the quiet of La Preneuse looking back at Le Morne, and the calm lagoons of Trou aux Biches and Mont Choisy on the northwest tip. Every one of them faces the open water for a clean sea sunset, in a way the east coast simply cannot.
We have ranked the beaches below by how completely each delivers the end of the day, weighing setting and aspect and atmosphere above beauty alone. Each entry links to its full guide for access and the honest read on crowds, and conditions are typical rather than guaranteed with any operator detail we cannot verify marked to be confirmed.
Six of the best beaches for sunset in Mauritius
The west and southwest for the show, the famous east coast for the morning.
Le Morne
The most dramatic sundown in Mauritius and one of the great beach backdrops anywhere, a southwest peninsula presided over by its sheer basalt mountain, a UNESCO listed peak heavy with history. As the sun drops the rock glows and then darkens to silhouette while the wide lagoon turns molten gold, a two part show of mountain and sea. Calm, beautiful, a touch of wind for the kitesurfers. On the list as the definitive Mauritian sunset, scenery and light at full volume.
Flic en Flac
The long, easy classic of the west coast, kilometres of soft sand and a calm protected lagoon backed by casuarina trees and a relaxed town. It faces due west, so the sun sets straight down the beach into the sea and locals and visitors alike drift down for it every evening, picnics and all. Plenty of space and plenty of life. On the list as the most reliable and sociable west coast sundown, the beach the whole island uses for the light.
Tamarin
A characterful west coast bay where a river meets the sea and a real surf culture has grown up around the break, rougher and more soulful than the resort sands. The western aspect gives a fine golden hour over the water, with the surfers out late and the bay glowing, and dolphins often cruising the coast by morning. On the list for the most atmospheric, lived in sundown on the island, a surf town evening rather than a resort one.
La Preneuse
A quiet, local west coast beach near Black River with a historic Martello tower behind it and a long view south to the bulk of Le Morne. The calm lagoon and the low key mood make it a peaceful, uncrowded place to watch the sun go down, with the mountain on the horizon adding scale to the scene. On the list for a serene, authentic sundown away from the resorts, with a real Mauritian neighbourhood feel.
Trou aux Biches
A long, gentle northwest beach consistently rated among the island best, with calm shallow water, shade from filao trees and a soft, family friendly mood. The northwest aspect gives a wide, soft sunset that spreads across the lagoon rather than burning on the horizon, easy and unhurried. On the list for the most relaxed and accessible sundown in the north, a beautiful lagoon at its calmest in the evening light.
Belle Mare
One of the finest beaches on the island and the clearest illustration of this guide, a long sweep of white sand and turquoise lagoon on the east coast lined with grand resorts. It faces east, so it is glorious at sunrise and through the morning and the sun is behind you by evening. Stunning by day, breezy with the trade winds. On the list as the celebrated east coast beauty that owns the dawn, so for the sundown you cross to Le Morne or Flic en Flac.
Be honest, the famous east coast faces the dawn
The honest read is that some of the most celebrated beaches in Mauritius are on the wrong side of the island for a sunset. The east coast around Belle Mare and the grand resort lagoons is genuinely spectacular, but it faces east into the trade winds and the morning sun, so it owns the sunrise and leaves the evening in shade. Stand on that beautiful sand at dusk and the sun is dropping behind the island, not into the sea.
The west and the southwest are where the evenings live. Le Morne gives you the great basalt mountain catching the last fire above a gold lagoon, Flic en Flac gives you the long, easy, sociable sea sunset, and Tamarin and La Preneuse give you a surf town and a quiet local bay with the open horizon. The northwest at Trou aux Biches and Mont Choisy adds a softer, calmer version on some of the island gentlest lagoons.
So the rhythm is to take the east coast for its morning brilliance and bring the evening west. Mauritius runs on a southern hemisphere calendar, with the drier, cooler and clearer months falling roughly May to December and the warmer, more humid summer from December to April bringing cloud and the odd dramatic sky. Conditions are typical rather than guaranteed, so we keep the live picture on the directory and anything uncertain says to be confirmed.
Beach clubs for the golden hour
Mauritius keeps most of its organised beach life inside its hotels, where the daybeds, water sports and sunset bars belong to resort guests, so the public beaches are more about a kiosk, a picnic and the light than a glossy club. The west coast around Flic en Flac, Tamarin and Black River has the most relaxed independent scene of beach bars and casual tables facing the sundown. Operators, opening status and any minimum spend shift through the season, so we keep the live list on the directory. Tell us your dates and the kind of evening you want and we pass the enquiry on to confirm what is open.
Book a beach club in Mauritius
Before you go
Which beach has the best sunset in Mauritius?
Le Morne in the far southwest is the standout, where the basalt mountain glows and then silhouettes above a gold lagoon as the sun drops into the sea. Flic en Flac gives the long, easy west coast version. The famous east coast beaches like Belle Mare face the dawn, so they are for the sunrise rather than the sundown.
Does the east coast of Mauritius have good sunsets?
Not for the sundown itself, because the east coast faces east into the morning sun and the trade winds. Beaches like Belle Mare are stunning at sunrise and through the day, but the sun is behind the island by evening. For the sunset over the water you move to the west and southwest, around Le Morne and Flic en Flac.
Where is the most dramatic sunset in Mauritius?
At Le Morne on the southwest peninsula, beneath its sheer UNESCO listed basalt mountain. The peak catches the last light and darkens to silhouette while the broad lagoon turns molten gold, giving a backdrop as striking as the horizon. It is the most photographed sunset on the island and a touch breezy, which the kitesurfers love.
Is Tamarin good for sunset?
Yes, Tamarin is one of the most atmospheric evening beaches on the west coast, a surf town where a river meets the sea and the bay glows in the golden hour. The surfers stay out late on the break and the mood is soulful rather than polished. Dolphins often cruise the coast here, though that is a morning sighting rather than a sunset one.
When is the best time for sunsets in Mauritius?
Mauritius follows a southern hemisphere calendar, so the drier, cooler and clearer season runs roughly May to December and gives the crispest evenings. The warmer summer from December to April is more humid and can bring cloud as well as the occasional dramatic sky. Conditions are typical rather than guaranteed, so it is worth checking locally on the day.