Blue Bay

Blue Bay is on the south-east coast of Mauritius, near Mahébourg, a shallow bay inside the island's fringing reef. It was declared a marine park in 1997 and is among the more accessible protected reefs anywhere.

The reason it works is proximity. Mauritius is ringed almost entirely by reef, and in most places the lagoon between shore and reef is sandy and empty; here, coral heads grow within the bay itself, close enough to swim to from the beach. Some of the brain corals in the park are estimated at a thousand years old. Glass-bottom boats work the bay continuously, which is the local trade and also part of the pressure on it.

The sand is fine white coral, the water shallow, warm and unusually blue — the bay's name is descriptive rather than promotional. Swimming is easy and the lagoon is calm. The main hazards are boat traffic, which is heavy in the middle of the day and channels are marked, and the coral itself, which must not be stood on.

Facilities are those of a public beach: a car park, shade from filao trees, food stalls at weekends, and boat operators. The beach is busy with Mauritian families on Sundays, which is the best time to see the island rather than the resort version of it. Île aux Aigrettes, a coral islet in the same bay, is a restoration project run by the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation: introduced species removed, native ebony forest replanted, and pink pigeons and giant tortoises reintroduced. Visits are guided and worth the detour.

Coral within swimming distance of the sand is rare enough that it is worth protecting properly, and the brain corals here are around a thousand years old. Do not stand on them. Sundays belong to Mauritian families and are the best day to come if you want the island rather than the resort.