Constance Belle Mare Plage Mauritius

If a single property were asked to represent the best of Mauritius, Belle Mare Plage would be a credible answer. Constance Hotels' flagship on the island occupies a vast estate at the north end of Belle Mare's legendary white-sand beach — two kilometres of it, entirely the hotel's — flanked by two 18-hole golf courses that emerge from the coastal forests. This is old-school Indian Ocean luxury executed with the kind of consistency that only a quarter-century of refinement produces: the thalassotherapy spa across 2,500 square metres is the finest on the east coast; the seven restaurants range from the romantic overwater Blue Penny Café to Indigo, which serves the most sophisticated contemporary Mauritian cuisine on the island. Villas and suites are arranged in low-rise clusters among the grounds; the most coveted are the beach villas with their own pool a few steps from the sand. Belle Mare's lagoon here is at its most pristine — sheltered, shallow, and luminous — and the resort's water sports centre offers everything from hobie cats to deepsea fishing. What distinguishes Constance from newer competitors is the team: long-serving staff who recognise returning guests, remember preferences, and take a genuine interest in the stay. The golf is world-class, the spa treatments combine thalassotherapy with Ayurvedic technique, and the beachside breakfast — lobster, fresh-pressed juice, local rum punch — sets a tone that the day never quite has to live up to.