Preskil Island Resort

Preskil Island Resort occupies a private peninsula on Mahebourg Bay in the south-east, an area drenched in Mauritian history: the bay was the site of the 1810 Battle of Grand Port, the only French naval victory over the British during the Napoleonic Wars, and the Mahebourg Waterfront Museum across the water preserves the extraordinary relics of that engagement. Preskil's design references the colonial maritime past — whitewashed walls with blue shutters, a jetty that juts into the bay, and rooms named after the ships involved in the 1810 battle. The beach is a private arc of sand on the bay, calmer and less exposed than the east coast beaches; the snorkelling directly from the shore is excellent, the bay's shallow waters home to sea turtles that visit the hotel's beach with some regularity. The restaurant, Le Batelage, focuses on the south-east's fishing heritage: locally caught yellowfin tuna and marlin, served both raw and grilled, are the kitchen's strengths. The Mahebourg market — every Monday, one of the island's best — is a 10-minute drive. Preskil is a historically resonant, charming property for guests who want beach, history, and local culture in equal measure. The proximity to the airport (15 minutes) makes it equally useful as a first or last night on the island.