20 Degrees Sud, Mauritius

Luxury boutique adult-only beach hideaway on the north coast

7 nights from £1,475pp sharing, including half board, transfers and flights

The first boutique hotel in Mauritius is elegant and exclusive without being over the top. It's the ideal place for those who like to head out and explore without being tied into a resort, and who also want somewhere peaceful and private beside the beach to come back to. The hotel is a member of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux portfolio. In all, an intimate atmosphere prevails throughout the public areas and guest rooms, all built around one of two freshwater pools where sun loungers and cabanas beckon.

Accommodation

The hotel has 29 air-conditioned Charm and Beachfront rooms (the former overlooking coconut groves) and seven suites, each with either a terrace or balcony. All have been individually decorated and sprinkled with antiques in the manner of a private home. Charm rooms are smallish, so it's worth considering an upgrade. The four spacious Austral suites are right on the water's edge, with four-poster beds, Nespresso machines and a plunge pool or whirlpool bath. There's also a two-storey villa suite, which is secluded and comes with a large terrace and private pool.

Activities & Experiences

Bikes and helmets, snorkel masks and flippers, sea kayaks, laser dinghies, Hobie Cats, stand-up paddle-boards and windsurfing boards are available to hire for free. For an extra charge, guests can water-ski, paraglide, or kitesurf just off-site. Play a few rounds at Mon Choisy Golf Club, a five-minute drive away, or haul in your own supper on a big-game fishing excursion. 20 Degress Sud is one of the few hotels in Mauritius to rent out Mini Mokes to explore the island. The hotel provides regular complimentary daily transfers to Grand Baie in a motorised pirogue (longboat).

Facilities & Services

Book yourself some pampering at the Secret Spa, with a relaxation area beside the quiet pool. Treatments include couples rituals, a tranquility pro-sleep ritual and neck nirvana. A private yoga teacher and personal trainer are available on request.

Along with à la carte menus and a Mauritian theme at L’Explorateur restaurant, with beachfront tables or poolside candlelit dining, imaginative options include a gastronomic cruise, where eight people can dine aboard the hotel's vintage 1920s motorboat, Lady Lisbeth. La Voile beach bar serves light lunches to sun loungers on a sandy platform under Bedouin-style canvas, and there are curated cooking classes each Tuesday. À la carte breakfasts present a choice of full English, American or continental.

For a change of scene, the restaurants, bars and clubs of Grand Baie are nearby.

Weather & Seasons

Mauritius enjoys a typically tropical climate with year-round heat, although the southeast trade winds help it never to feel too muggy. The summer months are from December to April, when it can nevertheless be extremely humid, and the winter, such as it is, runs from May to November, and is cooler and drier. Coastal temperatures range between 25°C and 33°C in summer and between 18°C and 24°C in winter.