Canonnier Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa

You arrive at a family-friendly resort spread across a historic peninsula, with tropical gardens, coastal views and enough space to keep a diving holiday from turning into a daily logistics exercise. The atmosphere is polished but practical: you have the sea, restaurants, sport and a spa on the same grounds, while Grand Baie is close enough for a change of scene.

An English-speaking hotel team means you will be understood from the start, whether you are discussing dinner, a transfer or the small matter of what time you need to leave in the morning. The setting works particularly well if your dive partner prefers dry land, because the day can split neatly between the water, the garden, the beach and the spa without anyone having to organise an expedition.

The resort also makes room for families, with a Kids Club for children aged 3 to 11, a baby care area for infants under 3 and a Teen Club for 12 to 17-year-olds. That gives you a useful choice: come as a couple and use the resort as a comfortable base, or bring the family and let everyone follow a different timetable.

You are in Pointe aux Cannoniers, Mauritius, on the north coast rather than in Grand Baie itself. The resort sits directly on the seafront, with views towards the northern islands and the Indian Ocean. Pointe aux Canonniers Beach is close by, while Mont Choisy Beach is about 0.7 miles away and Grand Baie Beach about 1.2 miles away.

Grand Baie, with its cafés, bars and restaurants, is around 3 miles from the resort. Dodo Bar is about 0.2 miles away, and Comtoiz Coffee Shop is about 1.7 miles away. Inside the resort, La Serenata, Le Navigator and Coffee Garden are all close at hand, so you can stay put when your legs have had enough of fins and ladders.

The northern part of the island gives you more than beach time when you want a land day. Mauritius Aquarium is about 5 miles away, the Sugar Museum and Château de Labourdonnais are about 6 miles away, and the botanical gardens are about 7 miles away.

The standard and superior rooms are designed for two, with a super-king-size bed in the main double-room categories. Garden-view rooms keep the outlook green; sea-view rooms give you the more obvious reason to choose this address, particularly if you like to wake up with the coast in front of you rather than a wall of another building. Superior rooms add more breathing room than the standard category.

For a couple, the sea-view room is the straightforward choice if the view matters more than extra separation. The Duplex Sea gives you a different layout, while the apartment is the sensible family option, with space arranged for two adults and three children. Honeymoon-only categories are also available, including garden and sea views, with a super-king-size bed in the double rooms.

Every air-conditioned room has a lounge area, satellite television, a minibar, an electric kettle and a modern private bathroom with shower, toiletries, towels and a hairdryer. A wardrobe, desk and daily housekeeping cover the less glamorous but useful parts of the day. The minibar is handy for cold water when you return from the sea, and the air conditioning gives you a proper chance to cool down before dinner.

Three named restaurants give you a reason not to eat the same dinner every night. Le Navigator works with Mauritian cuisine and looks out towards the northern islands; Le Frangipanier serves themed buffets; and La Serenata covers Italian food. That is a more useful spread than a single large dining room with a different tablecloth each evening.

Breakfast is available as a continental or buffet service, with American-style options also listed. The resort offers an all-inclusive formula, and dining can be interchanged with other Beachcomber hotels, with reservations and supplements applying at some five-star properties. You can also order breakfast in your room.

There are two bars, along with a snack bar and room service. Room service operates from 7am to 10.30am, so it is particularly suited to an early coffee or breakfast before a morning departure rather than a late-night rescue meal. If you choose half board, drinks are not included. Restaurant dress is smart casual: swimwear and tank tops stay out of the dining rooms by day, while shorts, beachwear and sportswear are not suitable in the evening.

The resort gives you several ways to spend a non-diving afternoon without turning it into a competitive event. There are pools set through the tropical gardens, sun loungers and beach towels, alongside a direct beach setting and outdoor areas with terraces and furniture. If the sensible plan is to read, swim a little and move as little as possible, the infrastructure is there.

For something more active, you have three floodlit tennis courts, a tennis court, table tennis, darts, billiards and a miniature golf course designed by Peter Matkovich. The resort also gives you access to two 18-hole par-72 golf courses, Paradis Golf Club and Mont Choisy Le Golf. Water-based options include water skiing, snorkelling, stand-up paddleboarding, canoeing and windsurfing, with fishing and glass-bottom boat trips also available to arrange.

The spa is the unusual feature here: six massage rooms are set among the branches of a bicentenary banyan tree. You can also use the sauna, hammam and fitness centre, or book massage and beauty treatments. Evening entertainment, live music and a weekly programme add a little life after dinner, while the Kids Club, baby care area, Teen Club and babysitting service make the resort workable for families as well as couples.

Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport is about 39 miles away, with a driving time of around 50 minutes. An airport shuttle is available and can be arranged with the hotel. Car hire is also available, and free public parking is provided on site without reservation. A 24-hour reception, concierge, tour desk, currency exchange and luggage storage cover the practical parts of arrival and departure.

Check-in starts from 2pm and check-out is by noon. The hotel asks you to provide your expected arrival time, which is worth doing when your flight lands on the other side of the island rather than at the end of the road. Early check-in and late check-out are available on request. There is no age restriction for check-in, children of all ages are welcome, and cots can be requested; extra beds are not available.

Free Wi-Fi is available in public areas, and the rooms have air conditioning. Laundry, dry cleaning and pressing services are available, with a doctor on call, a barber and beauty shop, Beachcomber Boutiques and facilities for disabled guests also listed. The rooms and covered public areas are non-smoking, and pets are not allowed. A government tourist fee applies to hotel stays from 1 October 2025; children under 12 are exempt.