Beaches in Africa
Another public beach near Grand Baie. Besides the pretty white beach with a view to some islands, there are benches and a large parking lot.
Blue Bay is a popular public beach. On weekends the beach and particularly the shady area under the trees are occupied by picnicking locals.
Grand Baie is a true tourist town at a beautiful wide bay. The main streets are full of restaurants, jewelry shops and questionable fashion brand stores. The city beach is surprisingly quiet with broad views over the yacht-filled bay. If you find the setting too urban, the coastline is blessed with other beaches in both directions.
The southern coast of Mauritius is mainly rocky cliffs, but there are beaches here and there. Gris Gris is a small crescent shaped beach enclosed by black boulders and cliffs on the sides. The view along the coastline from the top of the cliff is just splendid - even on cloudy days. There are a few restaurants and snack stands near the parking lot.
The paradise island of Ile aux Cerfs is a popular daytrip destination. There are unspoiled white beaches for kilometres. The lagoon side has calm azure blue waters, while the seaside is usually rougher, even though it's protected by an outer reef. The area around the small pier is touristic with restaurants, souvenir shops and touts pushing parasail and other water sports. But, just a few beaches further down, it gets more deserted until the point where you have an entire beach for yourself. As strange as it might sound, there is a golf course on the island. Speedboats make the 15 minutes journey from Trou d’Eau Douce on the mainland.
A small and pretty public beach with rough waters as it's facing the sea. It's a popular spot for sunset watching as the sun goes down right across the bay. There are toilets, changing cabins and snack stands. If you want a peek at the rich and famous, walk along the black rocks to the bay next door where the luxury resort Royal Palm occupies the whole beach.
Right next to Blue Bay lies the more secluded and isolated Point d'Esny. Private luxury bungalows face the gorgeous beach, which is known as one of the most beautiful stretches of sand on Mauritius. The calm turquoise lagoon is popular with kite surfers.
Boasting the most impressive sunset in Morocco, a windy beach, and a UNESCO-recognised harbour, Essaouira is well worth the two-hour drive from Marrakesh. Here is lively, but no hassle. The harbour is dominated by dozens of small, blue fishing boats, a market, and a citadel, which walls extends all around the medina (old city). Both the walls and the citadel offer unobstructed views of the sun setting over the Atlantic Ocean – as does most of the city's roof terraces. In fact, the old town is almost overflowing with romantic spots. The picture perfect beach extends for many kilometres south of the city. However, strong winds and dunes make it more suited for the wind- or kitesurfing and quad biking than for swimming and sunbathing.
Lovely situated below the walls of the Kasbah, Rabat Beach, is a favoured location for locals who want to relax and enjoy themselves. The water is probably too dirty for most visitors to find a swim comfortable. The beach is instead an excellent place for novice surfers to get to know how to control the board and the waves. Non-surfers can enjoy the sun, either on the beach itself or the moles surrounding the beach. It is also one of Rabat's prime spots for people-watching. Kids playing in the sand, teenage couples secretly holding hands or families picnicking are all plentiful. A few makeshift cafés offer mint tea and good views over the beach just below the kasbah.
There are many surf spots between Agadir and Essaouira. The next one from Essaouira (when you go south) is Sidi Kaouki. There are a few hotels and a popular camping site, which seems to attract "van life" from all walks of life. The surf spot is along a rocky dirt track south of the long sandy beach.