Constance Belle Mare Plage

English is spoken by the hotel team, alongside French, German and Italian, so you can discuss the practicalities of your stay without resorting to semaphore. That matters when you have arrived tired, salty and more interested in dinner than in decoding a reception desk conversation.

The resort suits you if you want your diving holiday to come with rather more than a bed and somewhere to hang a towel. There is a long beach, several places to eat, pools, a spa, golf and enough evening activity to keep a non-diving partner occupied. It is a large resort rather than a small hideaway, with low-rise buildings set among tropical gardens.

Couples can keep the day simple: sea, shade, a meal and a drink by the pool. Families have their own structure too, with the Coconut Tribe kids’ club for children aged 4 to 11, supervised activities and babysitting available.

Belle Mare sits on the east coast of Mauritius, and the resort runs directly along its own white-sand beach. The shoreline stretches for 2 km, with the sea, gardens and sun terraces doing most of the navigational work. You do not need a transfer to reach the beach; you need footwear only if the sand is not your preferred form of transport.

The resort is close to Long Beach, about 0.7 miles away on foot, while Solana Beach is roughly 1.1 miles away. Belle Mare Beach is about 1.6 miles away, and Bras d’Eau Public Beach is around 6 miles away by road. Lerique natural park lies about 3.4 miles away by road.

Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport is about 60 km away, with the journey taking roughly an hour by car. The hotel can organise a transfer, or you can use a private hire car or taxi.

The accommodation ranges from Prestige rooms for a couple or a small family to large pool villas for groups who would rather have their own space than negotiate bathroom time. The Prestige Double Room gives you a super-king-size bed and room for up to three guests; the Junior Suite is the more practical step up when you want separate breathing space or are travelling with family.

For the view, the Beach Front Junior Suite puts the shoreline immediately into the daily routine. The Deluxe Suite with Sea View is the choice when looking out over the water matters more than stepping straight onto the sand. At the other end, the two- and three-bedroom pool villas, plus the Presidential Villa, are designed for larger groups and bring private pool space into the equation.

Every air-conditioned room includes satellite television, free WiFi and a marble bathroom with a shower and large bath. The beds have been singled out for comfort, which is useful when your shoulders have spent the day carrying a cylinder and your idea of nightlife is horizontal. Some accommodation overlooks a private pool, and accessible suites are available; the low-rise resort has no lifts.

Half board gives you breakfast and dinner, with breakfast served as a buffet. La Citronelle handles both meals in an open-air setting with ocean views, changing buffet dishes and live cooking stations. Dinner can then move elsewhere: Blue Penny Cellar puts bistronomy, gourmet cold cuts and wine flights inside a wine cellar holding 35,000 bottles from more than 2,300 wineries. That is a serious amount of wine, even by the standards of a dinner where nobody has to drive afterwards.

There are seven restaurants in the main description, with the wider dining offer including La Spiaggia for Mediterranean dishes on a terrace, Deer Hunter at the Legend golf clubhouse for Indian Ocean cooking, venison and grilled dishes, and Blu Sushi Lounge for sushi, Japanese whisky and sake beside the sea. Indigo combines sushi, South-East Asian dishes, grilled meat and seafood from a Josper charcoal oven, and pizza from a wood-fired Ambrogi oven. Lakaze serves salads, sandwiches, grilled meat and seafood at the beach, while Le Swing covers light lunches, salads and sandwiches at the Links clubhouse.

Two named bars give you a choice between poolside rum and something colder or sweeter by the sea. The Bar overlooks the pool, has a 10-metre counter, more than 200 rums and signature cocktails; The Blu Bar adds fruit juices, homemade iced tea, Tiki Chic cocktails, coffee, pancakes and ice cream. Room service runs around the clock, and special-diet menus are available on request. The dress code is resort chic, with long trousers and elegant closed shoes required for men at the à la carte restaurants.

Four swimming pools sit among tropical gardens and sun terraces with loungers. The direct beach gives you the obvious alternative, while the on-site water-sports programme covers snorkelling, kayaking, sailing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, fishing and windsurfing, as well as water skiing, wakeboarding, pedal boats, Hobie Cats, Laser boats and glass-bottom boat trips. You can choose your level of exertion rather than pretending every afternoon needs a plan.

For land-based recovery, there are two 18-hole golf courses, the Legend and the Links, plus golf initiation, tennis, table tennis, badminton, petanque and mini-golf. Excursions can include the Tea Route, Port Louis and its central market, with live shows and evening entertainment back at the resort. Bicycle hire and bike tours are also available, subject to an additional charge.

Constance Spa is the quieter option when your muscles have had enough of your hobbies. Sisley treatments include massages, facials, body treatments, foot scrubs, detox, deep cleansing and rehydration, with couples’ rituals available. The fitness centre is open 24 hours a day, and yoga, Pilates, fitness classes and personal training are available. Families also have a playground, children’s pool, children’s menus and the Coconut Tribe programme, including arts, crafts, outdoor games and themed days.

Check-in runs from 14:00 to 21:00 and check-out from 06:00 to 12:00. You will need photo identification and a credit card at arrival, and the hotel needs to know your expected arrival time. Cash is not accepted, so plan your payment method before you arrive rather than discovering this while carrying luggage and looking for somewhere to sit.

Airport transfers can be arranged by the hotel, and shuttle services are available. Private parking and valet parking are available on site, while a 24-hour reception, luggage storage, currency exchange, an ATM, concierge service and a tour desk cover the less glamorous but useful parts of travelling. Free WiFi is available throughout the resort, and laundry services are available.

Children of any age are welcome. Cots and extra beds can be requested, with availability depending on the accommodation selected. Pets are not allowed. The resort has facilities for disabled guests and accessible suites, but its low-rise buildings have no lifts. If you book half board, drinks are not included, and restaurant dress requirements are worth packing for: beachwear does not cover every meal.