La Gaulette Tourism
La Gaulette is a quaint little fishing village in the western coast of Mauritius. While there is nothing much to do here, the most important attraction of the village is the Île aux Bénitiers, a predominantly coral island situated a little distance away from La Gaulette.
The island is comparatively larger than other islets in the area, and with a soft white-sand beach, crystal clear shallow lagoon, and a depository of migratory birds that can often be found circling overhead. La Gaulette serves as the pick-up and drop-off point for trips to Île aux Bénitiers, and most of the fisherman who docks their boats at La Gaulette offer excursions for tourists to Île aux Bénitiers.
The water around Île aux Bénitiers is fairly shallow, and is perfect for swimming, or even just wading through, if you’re not really up for a proper swim. You can also go snorkelling directly off the boat whilst on the journey to the islet from La Gaulette. The side of the island that faces out to the ocean offers scintillating views of gleaming turquoise water for as far as the eyes can see, and the other side of the island – the side that faces the shore – offers panoramic views of the entire west coast of Mauritius from a vantage point.
Things to Do in La Gaulette
There isn’t much else to do in La Gaulette, but if you’re just looking forward to spending an idle day lazing around town, then don’t forget to check out the Village Walk Shopping Centre, which is like the central supermarket of the village. Lined with rows of colourful shops and stalls selling everything from groceries to beachwear to local souvenirs and trinkets to take back home, the La Gaulette Village Walk Shopping Centre is one of the best places in the area to stroll around after returning from a trip to the Île aux Bénitiers. There are also quite a few restaurants here which serve authentic local cuisine, so don’t forget to check those out as well!
How to Reach La Gaulette
There are no direct bus services that you can avail of to reach the town of La Gaulette, but all buses running between the towns of Baie du Cap and Quatre Bornes make a stop at La Gaulette, so you can hop on on either of those bus services and get down at your designated stop. In case you’re staying at Port Louis, there are no bus services available from Port Louis to La Gaulette, so you’ll have to go over to either Quatre Bornes and Baie du Cap, or you will have to take the bus running from Port Louis to Black River, and then change from there. If you’re driving from anywhere else, all you have to do is take the B9 and then follow the signposts till you reach La Gaulette.
