The north of Mauritius, from Trou aux Biches to Grand Gaube via Grand Baie and Pereybère, is home to many of the island's hotels, villas and its nightlife. Distances are short, but beaches, restaurants and viewpoints are spread along the coast. A hire car gives you your own schedule, with no haggling over every taxi ride.
From the airport: about 1 hour 15
SSR airport is at the opposite end of the island, in the south-east. Via the M1 then the M2 motorway, allow about 1 hour 15 to Grand Baie outside rush hour, longer if you cross Port Louis in the late afternoon. You can pick up at the airport and drive yourself (rentcar.mu/blog/recuperer-voiture-aeroport-ssr), or have the car delivered to your hotel or villa in the north.
Delivery is handy if you land tired or at night. Riding Car Hire, for example, delivers island-wide (rentcar.mu/riding-car-hire). To compare agencies serving the north, see rentcar.mu/location-voiture/grand-baie and rentcar.mu/location-voiture/pereybere.
Best of the north by car
- Pereybère: a small, lively beach a few minutes from Grand Baie.
- Cap Malheureux and its red-roofed chapel facing Coin de Mire island.
- Trou aux Biches and Mont Choisy: long sandy beaches and a calm lagoon (rentcar.mu/location-voiture/trou-aux-biches).
- Pamplemousses botanical garden and Château de Labourdonnais, about 20 minutes away.
- Port Louis and its central market, about 30 to 40 minutes depending on traffic.
Car rental in Grand Baie: parking and traffic
The coast road through Grand Baie is often busy in the evening and at weekends. Parking along the main road is limited: use shopping centre and supermarket car parks where allowed, and avoid narrow verges. More tips on rentcar.mu/blog/se-garer-a-maurice-parking.
A small car is ideal in the north. Staying in a villa with family? A 7-seater or an SUV with a big boot makes shopping and beach trips easier. An automatic is well worth it if you are new to driving on the left (rentcar.mu/blog/4x4-ou-automatique-maurice). Seasonal prices are on rentcar.mu/barometre-prix.
