Calodyne Holidays

You’ll find the village of Calodyne rooted on Mauritius’ northern tip, a 10-minute drive from the town of Grand Gaube. Atmosphere-wise, this place shows Mauritius at its most peaceful, with a collection of small beaches, bays and coves lining the waterfront. Holidays here are about picking a patch under a palm tree on the oatmeal-coloured sand, and soaking in the toasty-warm water of the Indian Ocean.

Staying in Calodyne also puts you within reach of the longest swathe of shoreline on Mauritius, Mont Choisy Beach. With sand stretching out for over two kilometres, it lines up plenty of space to lay your towel. Plus, thanks to the food trucks that set up shop there, it’s a great place to sample some traditional Mauritian delicacies – like Dholl Puri, a fried pancake-like bread stuffed with yellow split peas. There’s a jogging track that runs along the edge of the beach, too, if you fancy a bit of exercise.

Sugarcane farming’s been a part of Mauritius’ history ever since the Dutch settled on the island in the 1600s. You can delve into this part of the island’s heritage during a visit to L’Aventure du Sucre – a former sugarcane mill. It’s a 20-minute drive from the centre of Calodyne, and you can learn how sugarcane’s grown, farmed and refined during a walk around in its giant museum – it’s filled with miniature models, artefacts and short film displays. Then, sample some authentic Mauritian sugar during a tasting session, along with a glass of rum.