Following a week of storms over Mauritius, the sun shone again that morning. Sophie had a long shift to work and needed to stay home. I decided to take advantage of the sunshine and go for a ride. For a destination, I picked Bras d’Eau National Park and its nearby beaches on the island’s northeast. I made my daypack and hit the road away from Mahebourg.
Bras d’Eau Public Beach
Along the pleasant coastal route, I bypassed Lion Mountain, the Devil’s Point, Grand River South East, Central Flacq, and arrived in Bras d’Eau. Before heading to the national park, I stopped to check the Bras d’Eau Public Beach just south of the forest.
It was a 300-meter stretch of placid shore. The tide was high, and only a narrow width of weed-carpeted sand was left exposed. Grass covered most of the beach’s width, which was bordered by a shade-rich casuarina grove. A few small mangroves lay scattered in the shallows, and a couple lush islets protruded amid the bay.
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The bay was well-sheltered, its surface calm like a cup of oil in a room. Its turquoise waters seemed clear like glass and the sandy bottom deep enough for a decent dip. I regretted not bringing my swim shorts.
Except for a single pair of locals chilling in the grove, and even though the weather was ideal, the beach was deserted. The two posh resorts present (Jalsa Beach Hotel & Spa at the beach’s east end and Constance Prince Maurice across the bay) didn’t look that busy either. Bras d’Eau Beach could be a nice site for relaxation-seeking, affluent vacationers.
Poste Lafayette Public Beach
Back to my bike, I postponed the national park a bit longer for a ride north along the scenic coast. To my left, woods and scrubland for as far as the eye could see. To my right, a long sandy strand known as Poste Lafayette. More resorts dotted its length, and a few tourists lazed here and there, but otherwise, this beach, too, was exceptionally vacant for Mauritius.
Somewhere about its middle, a rocky promontory projected into the sea. I pulled over and went for a walk to its tip. Puddles and grass patches flecked the volcanic shelf. Its edge confronted the wild, undulating sea; one of the few parts around the island’s coastline where the lagoon gives way to the open ocean. A little cove nearby was the only place I saw people wave surfing in Mauritius.
Mare Sercelle
A couple hundred meters inland from the central part of Poste Lafayette, lies a lake known as Mare Sercelle. It is supposedly a hotspot for bird-watching. I tried to reach it on wheels along a coarse dirt road I spotted near La Maison d’Ete hotel, but gave up before breaking the scooter into pieces. It would be easier accessible on foot, but I didn’t have enough time on this occasion.
Bras d’Eau National Park
Finally, I made my way to Bras d’Eau National Park. The visitor center, trailhead, and parking lot (Google Maps) are located about half a km up the road B100 forking off the coastal road at this point. Villa Cococherie lodge stands at the junction; a great option for travelers looking to explore this unique forest in depth. I parked, wasn’t asked to pay an entry fee, and set off hiking.
Bras d’Eau, French for arm of water, owes its name to the inlet, or arm of the sea, that extends from the ocean near its entrance. The national park was established in 2011 to conserve the patches of endemic woodland lying within its 5 km2 area. Among smaller species of ferns and orchids, the park is home to critically endangered giant Mauritian ebony and ironwood (bois de fer) trees.
There were a couple of marked and partly paved trails, and the woods were sparse enough to allow walking anywhere. The dense canopy blocked every trace of sunlight and gave the ancient forest a mystical aura. Thick, lime-green mosses covered the volcanic rocks on the forest floor, making it appear somewhat psychedelic.
Besides some small birds that fluttered here and there now and then, the only other fauna I observed consisted of giant snails, myriads of yellow caterpillars roaming all over the ground, and a horde of hungry mosquitos.
When the impulse to fleece my skin off grew too strong, I returned to my bike and rode back home.
Photos
View (and if you want use) all my photographs from Bras d’Eau Nationional Park and Public Beach in higher resolution.
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