SPORTS IN MAURITIUS
“As you would imagine recreational sports in Mauritius are a way of life and many people participate in a number of them.
Below you will find a handful of sports popular in Mauritius today but you name a sport, its probably here! I have tried to give guidance on the accessibility of each to the best of my knowledge and research”
Karen
A DAY AT THE RACES
For Mauritians, Horse Racing is a way of life and is supported by many fans. The Champ de Mars was founded in 1812, making it one of the oldest race tracks in the world and whose horsing racing season starts in March and ends in the first weekend of December.
When you arrive at the Champ de Mars Race Course you pass over the race trace itself entering via a busy stream of cars, motorcycles, and people on foot, supervised by the local police between races.
As a spectator, you have (in general) three options in where you watch the racing.
Firstly, inside the track which is free and always has a large crowd of local Mauritians enjoying not just the racing also but food and drink available at the local stalls.
Secondly, you could pay for access to the Grandstand or if you are lucky to be invited into one of the private boxes.
Or Thirdly, and my personal favourite, watch from the Grandstand trackside level. To do this you must once again cross the racecourse on foot to reach the grandstand and pay a small amount for an entry ticket.
Once across, you can enter the area at the back of the Grandstand to lay bets, have a drink or snack, and take in the atmosphere of the race day. I will not spoil the surprise but to me, this place is simply magical!
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SCUBA DIVING
I’ve never been a confident swimmer and anything deeper than neck height causes me concern. Don’t get me wrong, I can swim and love doing so and one of the things I have wanted to do for many years is to scuba dive, and what better place to do so than in the beautiful warm waters of Mauritius.
Recently, I was introduced to the team at the Bubble Dive Centre at Trou aux Biches, Mauritius, having been taken by a friend for my first dive. I can not thank everyone at Bubble’s enough for the way they made me feel at ease throughout the day and how much I enjoyed the magical experience of Scuba.
I enjoyed that much I signed up for their open water PADI course straight after my first dive which I have since completed the course and exam. If you are here for a one or two-week break, why not consider starting your PADI Course or even completing the dive training? Or, just go for one dive like I did and see how much you enjoy it.
Trou aux Biches is on the North West coast, just a short distance from Port Louis. It has many dive sites for beginners to advance and a number of wreck dives including the Stella Maru, a Japanese fishing boat sitting in 25 meters of water, considered one of the best wreck dives in Mauritius.
call: +230 57347752
email: bubbledivingcenter@gmail.com
GOLF
Golf in Mauritius has been played in the country since 1902 when the members of the British Royal Navy opened the island’s first golf club—the Gymkhana Golf Club.
As of 2020, there are 14 golf courses in Mauritius. The newest is Mont Choisy le Golf, which opened in 2017.
Golf lovers around the world come to the island to test their skills and accuracy on its many courses. Voted ‘Golf Destination of the Year’ for Africa, the Indian Ocean, and the Gulf States in 2016, Mauritius is a paradise for golf lovers.
Mauritius has gained a deserved reputation as a golf destination, with some of the world’s best courses set against spectacular backdrops. Many hotels throw in unlimited green fees, making play-and-stay a great-value option, with golf academies on hand to help improve your swing. The majority accept bookings from non-residents, too.
We also have a webpage for the Mauritius Top 10 Golf Courses where you can find more information and contact details to the clubs themselves.
KITE SURFING
Mauritius has become one of the best kitesurfing locations in the world and top of the best stops to do this on the island is the Le Morne lagoon which is ideal for beginners as well as professionals.
Kitesurf season starts in Mauritius in April and goes through to November. South-Easterly winds during the Mauritius winter period make it the best time for Kitesurfing.
During the summer the strong winds reduce but still produce enough constant wind for Kitesurfing to take place. The summer months are December until March.
Here are the locations of some other kitesurf locations around the island:
Close to Grand Baie at Anse La Raie in the North East
Poste Lafayette, Palmar next to Belle Mare on the East coast
Bel Ombre in the South
Belle Mare and Palmar
call: +230 57562627
SURFING
Many will not have heard of an obscure surfing short film called “Forgotten Island of Santosha 1974” by surfer Larry Yates that documents Yates through his journey in search of waves. The film is set on an island with perfect waves reeling over offshore coral reefs on a mysterious and secret location in the Indian Ocean.
Yates never revealed the location of Santosha but years later it was finally that Santosha was actually a pseudonym for Mauritius. After that, surfers from all over the world took a pilgrimage to witness the waves for themselves.
The film focused largely on Tamarin Bay, a perfect wave that became a symbol of escapism. The spot had been surfed since the early 1960s, but the epic 8-10ft swell featured in the film captured the attention of the surfing world.
Mauritius has a few excellent waves on it, with the jewel in the crown being Tamarin Bay – the very place that Yates visited all those years ago. “One Eyes reef” and a reef pass called “Passe de L‘Ambulante” are also excellent waves.
For those interested, I have a link to the “Forgotten Island of Santosha 1974” short film in the link here.
call: +230 5745 6759
email: contact@surfmaurice.com
CYCLING
For road bikes, the Mauritius 100km Cycle Tour is the biggest cycling event of the year with both local and international riders able to take part and starts at Blue Bay in the South and runs to Mon Choisy beach in the North.
The Tour De Maurice is a six-day road race that consists of a prologue and six stages. It starts in Port Louis and finishes in Bagatelle.
Mountain bikes are also popular on the island however most of the mountain areas in Mauritius are either privately owned, national parks, or no mountain bikes are allowed. Currently, there are no permanent mountain bike tracks in Mauritius.
With many different cycling routes available all over the island country, Mauritius is a great place for both road and mountain biking. Click on the website link below to see a selection of cycle routes available on the island.
WINDSURFING
Due to its reliable constant winds, Mauritius is widely recognised as one of the very best windsurfing destinations.
Mauritius offers a gentle and uniform wind along the flat waters makes it is the ideal spot for windsurfing and is an instant favourite for the lovers of this sport.
By far the most famous windsurfing spot in the whole of Mauritius, Le Morne offers riders of all abilities. Its beautiful expanse of turquoise waters allows for freestyle, slalom, or freeride sessions.
World-class waves from famous breaks such as Manawa and One Eye and Mauritius rate as one of the best spots in the world for windsurfing and surfing. Not only can you find world-class waves on the reefs, but the inside with its lagoons make for a great freestyle training ground too.
Places- Le Morne Peninsula, Manawa, Small Reef, One Eye, Dinarobin, Tamarin Bay I have attached links to my local Windsurfing School ‘Windsurf Paradise’ at Le Morne who can assist you in hiring equipment or lessons.
call: +230 5252 2291
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DEEP SEA FISHING
Fishing plays an important part in the everyday life of Mauritians whether it is for selling in the local markets or taking home for a family meal and tuna, marlin, swordfish, dorado, skipjack are plentiful.
The world fishing record for blue marlin put Mauritius firmly on the deep-sea game fishing map. Trips are centered around Grande Rivière Noire on the west coast, where fish can be caught less than a kilometre from the beach. Fishing is year-round, although the game varies by season; the blue marlin season from October to April is the most popular with international anglers.
I have attached links to my local anglers club in Black River who can assist you in providing information on the fishing calendar and introduce you to skippers who can take you out for the day.
call: +230 483 5801
email: lmaclub2@gmail.com
FOOTBALL
The national sport of Mauritius is football and its most popular sport to date. The national football team is called Club M and represents the country in international matches.
Football stadiums are amongst the dominant sports facilities in Mauritius, simply because football or soccer is the country’s national sport. The largest of these stadiums is the Stade Anjalay in Belle Vue Maurell, with a capacity for 18,000 spectators. The Stade George V in Curepie is another prominent soccer venue because it was renovated in 2003 for Mauritius’s hosting of the Indian Ocean Games that year.
The Cȏte d’Or multi-sports complex in Moka is also an epicentre for football in Mauritius. Its pitch is home to an international football academy launched in September 2019. This soccer school is notably a partnership with the famed Liverpool Football Club.
Locally there are two main teams supported on the island, either Liverpool or Manchester United.
TENNIS
In 1910, the Mauritius Lawn Tennis Association "MLTA" was founded. The association then brought together five clubs, namely the Mauritius Cricket Club (known by the Rose Hill Club in 1932), the Mauritius Gymkhana Club, Vacoas Lawn Tennis Club, Sporting Club of Saint Peter, and the Quatre Bornes Club.
Nevertheless, it took more than 80 years, and then on 3rd of April 1991 the MLTA was officially registered with the Registrar of Association. On 8th of July 1999, the MLTA became a full member of the International Tennis Federation, at the Congress held in the Netherlands. With the changes in the Mauritian's sport level, the MLTA changed its name during its general assembly on 29th of March 2001 to become the Mauritius Tennis Federation "MTF".
The change of name was accepted by the office of Prime Minister on 24th of September 2001. From 2001 to date, the MTF has operated with the support of its regional committees to be in line with the Sports Act.
On 18th of February 2002, the Prime Minister Sir Aneerood Jugnauth, laid the foundation stone for the construction of the National Tennis Centre, at Petit Camp. A year later, on 25th of July 2003, the Center was inaugurated by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Ravi Yerrigadoo.
+230 5846 8435