Le Morne, Sand beach in southwestern Mauritius
Le Morne is a sand beach on the southwestern tip of Mauritius, sheltered by the Le Morne Brabant mountain that rises directly behind the shore. The sand is pale and fine, and the lagoon water in front of it stays shallow and calm for a long stretch.
Le Morne Brabant served as a refuge for runaway enslaved people in the 18th and early 19th centuries, who hid in the caves and on the rocky heights of the mountain. After slavery was abolished in 1835, the site became a lasting symbol of that resistance and was later added to the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Le Morne draws kitesurfers from around the world who come for the steady south winds that blow between June and November. The shallow lagoon in front of the sand makes it one of the most sought-after spots on the island for this sport.
The beach is open to the public and has parking nearby, though facilities like restrooms and changing areas are limited. Water shoes are a good idea in some spots, as dead coral on the seafloor can be sharp underfoot.
Just off the coast, there is an optical effect that looks exactly like a waterfall plunging into the ocean floor. It is not real falling water but sand and sediment sliding down the edge of the reef, and it can only be appreciated fully from the air, by helicopter or small plane.
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