Trip highlights
- 1Children's first Indian Ocean swim in the lagoon's warm, calm waters
- 2Catamaran day to Île aux Cerfs — crystal water snorkelling and beach picnic
- 3Spinner dolphins — morning boat tour off the west coast
- 4Creole cooking class in the kids club (banana fritters and rougaille sauce)
- 5Parents spa morning while both children are in The Den — genuine couple time
Daily spend
Want this for your exact dates?
Live hotel prices, real-time flights, and weather for when you're going.
Been before? Re-book the same trip instantly with current prices.
Day-by-day plan
Arrival & Indian Ocean First Look
Monday, July 12
Est. spend
$135
per person
🌅 Morning
Fly into Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU)
Belle Mare, East Mauritius
Mauritius Airport is on the south of the island — Belle Mare (east coast, best beaches) is 45 minutes by taxi or transfer. The Constance Belle Mare Plage and Heritage Le Telfair are both elite family resorts on the east coast. The east coast is sheltered from the south-east trade winds in June–September, making it the calmest swimming area in Mauritius during dry season.
The MRU to Belle Mare transfer takes 45 min — pre-book with the resort for air-conditioned private cars (the resort transfer desk is just outside customs). Avoid unlicensed taxis at the arrivals hall.
Resort check-in and The Den kids club registration
Constance Belle Mare Plage Resort, Belle Mare
Check in and immediately register both children at The Den — the 3–5 age group (Mini Den) and 6–12 group have separate programmes. The Mini Den supervisor meets young children personally on arrival day, before the programme begins the next morning. This reduces first-morning separation anxiety significantly.
Confirm the evening childcare availability on arrival — the Den's evening club (Fireflies) runs 19:00–21:30 for 4+ year olds. Book this for tomorrow evening to allow a relaxed dinner on the first full day.
☀️ Afternoon
First Indian Ocean lagoon swim (family)
Belle Mare Plage beach, Belle Mare
The Belle Mare lagoon is protected by a coral reef 500m offshore — the water inside the lagoon is warm (27°C), calm, and 1–1.5m deep on the wide sandbar where children can stand. The coral reef is visible as a dark line on the horizon. This is the most accessible family swimming water in the Indian Ocean.
The lagoon's sandbar extends 150m from shore at low tide — children can walk to where the water is waist-deep on an adult and knee-deep on a child. The tide table from the resort reception tells you when the sandbar is shallowest.
Resort tour and activity booking
Resort activities desk
The resort activities desk is the first stop on arrival afternoon — book the catamaran day (day 4), the spa morning (day 3), the dolphin tour (day 5), and confirm The Den schedule for the week. The catamaran to Île aux Cerfs sells out — book on arrival day.
The resort concierge knows the optimal sequence for activities given the week's weather forecast — ask for their recommendation. The catamaran day should be on the clearest forecast day.
🌙 Evening
Welcome dinner at the main restaurant (family)
Main restaurant, Constance Belle Mare
Arrival evening is a family dinner — all four of you at the beachside restaurant as the Indian Ocean turns gold then dark. The menu includes Mauritian dishes (rougaille, vindaye, dholl puri) alongside international options for children. This is the last family dinner before the week's mix of family and couple dining begins.
Most 5-star Mauritius resorts serve dinner on a half-board basis — breakfast and dinner included. Confirm what's included in your rate at check-in.
🍽️ Meals
Airport café or plane meal
Airport · $15
Resort arrival lunch
Mauritian/International · $0 · Half-board resorts include lunch at the pool bar — lighter options than the main restaurant.
Beachside welcome dinner
Mauritian and International · $0 · Included in half-board rate.
First Kids Club Morning — Parents at the Spa
Tuesday, July 13
Est. spend
$470
per person
🌅 Morning
Children: The Den morning programme (09:00–12:30)
The Den Kids Club, Constance Belle Mare
The Den opens at 09:00. Day 2 programme (typical): Mini Den (ages 3–5) — supervised beach sand play, paddling pool, story time, and a morning fruit snack. Junior Den (ages 6–12) — beach volleyball, snorkelling introduction in the pool with mask and fins, a beach nature walk with a naturalist identifying shells and creatures in the rock pools. Both groups eat a light morning snack at 11:00.
Reassure young children on the first Den morning — the supervisor will have met them on arrival day. If a child is very anxious, parents can stay for 20 minutes at the start. Most children are happily involved within the first 30 minutes.
Parents: Spa morning — 2-hour couple treatment
C Spa, Constance Belle Mare Plage
The Constance spa (C Spa) offers couple treatments from 09:30. A 90-minute hot stone massage + 30-minute facial equals a genuine 2-hour couple morning. The spa uses locally sourced volcanic stone, coconut oil, and pandanus extracts. The outdoor treatment pavilion overlooks the lagoon.
Book the couple treatment at the activities desk on arrival — spa slots fill during June–September school holidays. The post-treatment relaxation room has tea, fruit, and lagoon views — extend your time there.
☀️ Afternoon
Family snorkelling lesson at the lagoon reef
Belle Mare lagoon, resort beach
The resort's complimentary snorkelling equipment (masks, fins, vests) is available from the watersports centre. The resort guide leads a 1-hour introduction snorkelling session in the lagoon for 6+ year olds — the coral bommies 80m from shore have parrotfish, surgeonfish, and cleaner wrasse. Younger children snorkel in the shallow reef pool area.
The lagoon reef snorkelling is best at 10:00–12:00 (fish most active) but afternoon is acceptable. The resort provides UV-protection rash vests for children — use them, the Indian Ocean sun is intense.
Glass-bottom boat ride (family)
Resort jetty, Belle Mare
The resort's glass-bottom boat makes 45-minute trips over the lagoon reef — children lie on the viewing floor watching the fish and coral below without getting wet. Starfish, sea cucumbers, and small reef fish are visible from the boat. Included in the resort watersports programme.
🌙 Evening
Children in Fireflies evening programme; parents dinner at La Citronnelle
La Citronnelle Restaurant, Constance Belle Mare
The Fireflies evening programme (19:00–21:30) takes children from the restaurant after kids' early dinner at 18:30. Children: movie night with popcorn, star chart activity, and supervised bedtime preparation at 21:00. Parents: romantic dinner at La Citronnelle, the resort's fine dining restaurant overlooking the lagoon, without interruption.
La Citronnelle has a Mauritian tasting menu — the marlin carpaccio, octopus curry, and vanilla crème brûlée are the highlights. The restaurant is adults-preferred (children welcome but the quiet evening is better for couples).
🍽️ Meals
Resort breakfast buffet (family)
International/Mauritian · $0 · Included. The breakfast buffet at Constance is extensive — Mauritian dholl puri, fresh tropical fruit, and a live cooking station.
Pool bar family lunch
Light international · $0 · Included in half-board.
La Citronnelle (adults) / Kids dinner at The Den
Mauritian fine dining / Kids menu · $95 · Kids dinner included in The Den evening programme.
Creole Cooking Class & Beach Afternoon
Wednesday, July 14
Est. spend
$85
per person
🌅 Morning
Children: Den Creole cooking class (supervised)
The Den kitchen, Constance Belle Mare
The Den's weekly Creole cooking class is one of its most popular activities — children make banana fritters (accras de banane) with the resort pastry chef, mix a Mauritius rougaille (tomato and herb sauce), and decorate coconut macaroons. The session is fully supervised (1 adult per 5 children) and parents are not required. Each child takes their creations back to the family at lunchtime.
The Creole cooking class is one of the best cultural experiences in the Den programme — children talk about it for weeks. Photograph them in their little aprons.
Parents: couple paddle boarding or kayaking
Resort watersports centre, Belle Mare
The resort's free watersports include paddle boards, kayaks, and Hobie Cats (small sailing catamarans — 30-minute induction included). A 2-hour paddle board session in the lagoon is a genuinely enjoyable couple morning. The lagoon is flat calm in July mornings before the afternoon trade wind picks up.
The Hobie Cat sailing is extraordinary in the trade wind — the resort instructor teaches you to tack and jibe in 30 minutes. A perfect couple activity while children are in the Den.
☀️ Afternoon
Sega music and dance show (family)
Resort beach stage, Belle Mare
Sega is Mauritius's traditional music and dance — originated from African slave culture, it involves hypnotic percussion, call-and-response singing, and an increasingly energetic dance style. The resort hosts a Sega show twice weekly — the performers are professional musicians and the audience participation section involves children dancing with the musicians.
Children who participate in the Sega dance receive a traditional straw hat as a souvenir from the performers. The drummers often let younger children try the ravane drum after the show.
Beachside afternoon — family games and swimming
Resort beach, Belle Mare
The resort's beach activity team runs afternoon games: beach volleyball, coconut toss, and treasure hunts on the sand. Children 6+ can join the supervised group; parents join or rest in a beach lounger with a fresh coconut. The Indian Ocean at Belle Mare in the afternoon is still warm (27°C) and the sand is powder-fine.
🌙 Evening
Sunset cocktails at the beach bar and family BBQ dinner
Resort beach BBQ, Belle Mare
The resort's weekly beach BBQ dinner (check schedule on arrival) is one of the week's highlights — a family-friendly outdoor meal on the beach with fairy lights, live Sega music, and a buffet of grilled seafood, Creole dishes, and children's favourites. If not BBQ night, the poolside restaurant is the best family evening dinner option.
The beach BBQ is included in half-board on the days it runs — confirm the weekly schedule at check-in. The grilled lobster is available at a supplement but worth it as an occasion treat.
🍽️ Meals
Resort breakfast buffet
International/Mauritian · $0
Pool bar with children's cooking class creations
Mauritian/International · $0 · Children bring their cooking class creations to lunch — serve the banana fritters as a starter.
Beach BBQ dinner
Mauritian grilled seafood · $0 · Included in half-board.
Catamaran Day — Île aux Cerfs
Thursday, July 15
Est. spend
$365
per person
🌅 Morning
Full-day catamaran to Île aux Cerfs (family)
Île aux Cerfs, East Mauritius
Île aux Cerfs is a small island 2km off the east coast — white sand beaches, turquoise lagoon, and the clearest water in Mauritius. The full-day catamaran departs at 09:30 from the Belle Mare jetty and returns at 17:00. Includes: BBQ lunch on board, unlimited soft drinks, snorkelling equipment, and a guide who leads a 45-minute reef snorkelling session.
Apply waterproof sunscreen to children before boarding — the catamaran is open-deck and the Indian Ocean reflection doubles UV exposure. Reapply every 90 minutes. Children under 5 should wear UV protective swimwear.
Île aux Cerfs beach exploration and shallow water play
Île aux Cerfs, lagoon sandbar
The Île aux Cerfs sandbar at low tide creates a vast shallow paddling area — crystal clear water 30cm deep extending 200m from shore. Children can walk through the shallows, pick up shells, and observe the marine life in the sandy bottom. The island has no cars — pure beach and forest.
☀️ Afternoon
Catamaran reef snorkelling (children 6+)
Île aux Cerfs reef, East Mauritius
The guide leads a 45-minute snorkelling session over the coral reef between the catamaran anchorage and Île aux Cerfs — excellent visibility (15–20m), parrotfish, sergeant major fish, and hawksbill turtles are regularly sighted. Children 6+ with the resort's previous lagoon snorkelling session are ready for this.
The turtle sighting probability is approximately 60% on this reef in July–August. The guide will shout 'tortue!' when one is spotted — that's the cue to look up from your underwater exploration.
BBQ lunch on the catamaran
Catamaran at anchor, Île aux Cerfs
The catamaran crew barbecues freshly bought fish, grilled octopus, and vegetables at anchor — served with Mauritian salad, rice, and unlimited Coca-Cola and Phoenix beer (the local Mauritian lager, excellent). Eating grilled swordfish on a catamaran deck with Île aux Cerfs 100m away is the day's centrepiece.
Included in the catamaran cost. The octopus salad (salade de poulpe) is the best dish — cold and dressed in lime, it's a Mauritius speciality.
🌙 Evening
Early dinner and recovery
Resort poolside restaurant
After a full sea day, an early dinner and early sleep. The resort's casual poolside restaurant serves light meals — grilled fish, pasta for the children, and a bottle of cold Mauritian white wine for the parents. Children fall asleep quickly after an outdoor day in the sun and sea.
🍽️ Meals
Resort early breakfast before catamaran departure
Buffet · $0 · Depart at 09:30 — breakfast at 08:00.
Catamaran BBQ lunch
Mauritian seafood BBQ · $0 · Included in catamaran.
Poolside restaurant dinner
International/Mauritian · $0 · Included in half-board.
Spinner Dolphins & Deep-Sea Fishing
Friday, July 16
Est. spend
$647
per person
🌅 Morning
Spinner dolphin tour, west coast (family, 3h)
Tamarin Bay, Black River, West Mauritius
The west coast of Mauritius (near Tamarin Bay) has resident pods of spinner dolphins — morning boat trips (leaving at 07:00 from Black River) give near-certain encounters. The catamaran operator positions the boat ahead of the swimming pod and snorkellers enter the water as dolphins pass. An extraordinary experience for all ages.
The west coast dolphin tour requires a 45-minute drive from Belle Mare — depart at 06:00 for the 07:00 boat. This is an early start but the experience is worth it. Most operators include transfer from east coast hotels.
Black River Gorges National Park viewpoint (family)
Black River Gorges National Park viewpoint, Mauritius
After the dolphin tour, the drive back via the Black River Gorges National Park viewpoint (30 min detour) gives a 270° panorama over the forested interior of Mauritius — the island's central plateau is visible in its full extent. Pink pigeons (one of the world's most endangered birds, only found in Mauritius) are visible in the forest below.
☀️ Afternoon
Parents: deep-sea fishing (children in The Den)
Trou d'Eau Douce Marina, East Mauritius
Half-day deep-sea fishing from Trou d'Eau Douce marina (15 min from resort) targets marlin, sailfish, wahoo, and dorado in the Indian Ocean drop-off. A 4-hour fishing charter with experienced local captain ($450 for 4 people or $180/person shared). Children remain at The Den for an extended afternoon programme.
Marlin season is October–March; July is wahoo and dorado season. The catch-and-release policy of most Mauritian operators is environmentally correct — you can request to keep a smaller dorado for the resort chef to prepare for dinner.
Resort pool afternoon (children return from Den)
Resort pool, Constance Belle Mare
Reunite at the resort pool at 17:00 — the children show parents what they made in the Den afternoon programme (typically a Sega drum craft or painted seashell). The pool at Constance is split into children's and adults' sections — family swim until sunset.
🌙 Evening
Sundowner at the jetty bar (family)
Resort jetty bar, Belle Mare
The resort jetty bar serves cocktails and mocktails at sunset (18:00–19:00) — the Indian Ocean sunset from the jetty looking west is dramatic (clear horizon, no obstructions). Children get a fresh pineapple and coconut mocktail in a pineapple shell. The fishing catch is dropped at the resort kitchen for tomorrow if you kept a fish.
🍽️ Meals
Very early resort breakfast before dolphin tour
Buffet · $0 · 06:00 departure means a very early breakfast — most resort buffets open at 06:30 or have a packed breakfast option.
Black River or Tamarin café after dolphins
Mauritian · $22 · Stop at a local restaurant on the west coast for dholl puri (Mauritian flatbread with curry filling) — the original street food of Mauritius.
Resort half-board dinner
Mauritian/International · $0 · Included.
Full Resort Day — Pure Relaxation
Saturday, July 17
Est. spend
$625
per person
🌅 Morning
Children: Den water sports morning (09:00–12:30)
The Den and resort beach, Belle Mare
The Den's water sports morning is the children's programme highlight — under 1:5 supervision ratio, children do supervised paddleboard sessions in the lagoon's shallowest zone, snorkelling in the resort's reef pool, and build sand sculptures with the Den team. Older children (8+) can try beginner windsurfing (supervised, 2 at a time).
Parents: morning at the adults-only pool
Adults infinity pool, Constance Belle Mare
The adults-only infinity pool at Constance (separate from the family pool) overlooks the lagoon with the Île aux Cerfs visible in the distance. A morning with books, cold cocktails, and no obligations is one of the most valuable parts of a family resort experience — the entire point of a resort with proper childcare.
☀️ Afternoon
Family bicycle ride around Belle Mare village
Belle Mare village, East Mauritius
The resort provides complimentary bicycles — a 90-minute family cycle around the Belle Mare village and coastal path gives a glimpse of local Mauritius life beyond the resort gates. The village has a small market (Thursdays) and a colourful Hindu temple. Children's bike sizes available.
Cycling in Mauritius: keep left (British-style driving). The coastal path is flat and traffic is light on weekday afternoons.
Underwater scooter experience (age 8+)
Resort lagoon, Belle Mare
The resort's underwater scooter (a battery-powered device where the rider holds on and it tows them through the water) can be used in the lagoon — suitable for children 8+ who are confident swimmers. Completely different to snorkelling and generates enormous excitement. The guide rides alongside.
🌙 Evening
Children's early dinner + parents candlelit sandbank dinner
Resort sandbank, Belle Mare
The resort's ultimate romantic experience: a private candlelit dinner table set on the sandbank 50m from shore (at low tide), accessible by a short wade. The resort chef serves a 3-course set menu with a bottle of Mauritian wine. Children eat at The Den with the evening programme supervisor and are collected by the babysitter at 21:00.
The sandbank dinner must be booked 48 hours ahead — it's weather-dependent (cancelled if it rains or wind is too strong). The tide table determines the timing (best at low tide for maximum sandbar) — the resort sets the dinner time accordingly.
🍽️ Meals
Resort breakfast buffet (family)
International/Mauritian · $0
Pool bar family lunch
Light international · $0 · Included in half-board.
Sandbank dinner (parents) / Den dinner (children)
Mauritian tasting menu · $280 · Book 48 hours ahead. Weather-dependent.
Final Morning & Departure
Sunday, July 18
Est. spend
$130
per person
🌅 Morning
Final lagoon swim (family)
Resort lagoon beach, Belle Mare
The last morning in the Indian Ocean — a 90-minute family swim in the lagoon before check-out. The coral reef is visible from the sandbar; the water is still 27°C. The Den opens at 09:00 if parents want a final couple swim without children. By now the children are confident, independent swimmers in the lagoon.
Hotel check-out and transfer to airport
Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU)
Check-out by 11:00 (most resorts). The transfer to MRU Airport takes 45 minutes. Allow 3 hours before departure for an international flight. The last departure logistics: return snorkelling equipment, collect any items from the Den, and pack carefully (wet swimwear in sealed bags).
MRU Airport duty-free has excellent Mauritian rum (Blue Dodo, Chamarel, and Penny Blue single malts) — buy the day's allowance at departure. Also: Mauritian vanilla beans and Île aux Cerfs souvenir T-shirts are significantly cheaper at the airport than at resort shops.
🍽️ Meals
Final resort breakfast buffet (full family)
International/Mauritian · $0 · Last tropical breakfast — eat everything.
Airport café or flight meal
International · $20
One thing worth not skipping
A 7-day trip to Belle Mare & North Mauritius without insurance is a gamble. Medical emergencies, cancelled flights, lost luggage — cover yourself before you leave.
Comprehensive cover for 150+ adventure activities, medical evacuation, trip cancellation, and baggage. Recommended for most travellers.
Subscription-based travel medical insurance. Best for longer trips, digital nomads, or frequent travellers. Renews weekly or monthly.
Tripzeeker earns a small commission when you purchase — at no extra cost to you.
Was this useful?
Your rating helps us improve and tells other travellers what to trust.
How useful was this itinerary?
You might also like
Flight price alert
We'll email you when flights to Belle Mare & North Mauritius drop to your target price.
More trips like Belle Mare & North Mauritius in your inbox
Weekly hand-crafted itineraries, hidden gems, and travel tips. Unsubscribe anytime.