If you’re not really the beach holiday type, you might have crossed Mauritius off your list of possible holiday destinations. Maybe you should reconsider. True, there are hundreds of miles of white sand lapped by the clearest sea you can imagine. But if paddling, swimming, lounging, sunbathing and beach cricket are not enough for you, then don’t worry. There’s a lot more to Mauritius than that.  You ought to at least be aware of which are the best beaches: Peyrébère, Flic en Flac, Le Morne, Belle Mare, Blue Bay and Ile aux Cerfs are the names to note. And typically they will offer trips in glass-bottomed boats, diving, snorkelling, surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, under-sea walks, deep-sea fishing, parasailing, speed boat rides, waterskiing and plenty more.  But that’s enough of beaches. If you’re sporty and active there’s much more besides, whether that’s watching great sport or getting out there and doing it yourself.  First, there’s rugby. The weekend of 18-19 June 2016 sees the World Club 10s tournament arrive on the island. Eight teams containing many of the world’s best players are in action at Anjalay Stadium, in the rarely seen but hugely entertaining 10-a-side format. Saracens, the newly crowned champions of Europe, will be there, taking on top professional clubs from France, Australia and South Africa, along with invitational teams the Asia-Pacific Dragons, containing many All Blacks legends, and the Italian All Stars.  Alongside the pros, several tournaments for amateur players of all ages are taking place, with the finals being played on the same Anjalay Stadium pitch on the Sunday afternoon. Whatever your age, or level of ability, you can enter your team and give yourselves a chance to play alongside some of the modern-day greats.  If there’s a tennis fan in the family or party, then they’re in luck. While the rugby is taking place, the Grand Baie La Croisette tournament is being played at the Riverland Sports Club in Grand Baie. The event, part of the ITF Pro Circuit, is organised by Mary Pierce, the former French and Australian Open champion, who has lived in Mauritius for many years and coaches local young players. It runs from 13-26 June.  Hot on the heels of the rugby and tennis is surf skiing. The World Surfski Series comes to town from 27 June, for a week of races, “paddling with a pro” opportunities and other events at Le Morne, culminating in the Mauritius Ocean Classic itself on 2 July.  The ultimate activity-based trip may well be to run the Mauritius marathon, which takes place this year on 17 July. The popular race has a new route this time, starting on St Félix beach, near Souillac on the south coast, and taking in the stunning coastal road, fishing villages and lagoons before finishing back on the beach. There is a half-marathon and 10K race running concurrently, so choose your distance. Whichever you do, you’ll need a rest after that and you’re in the best place to take it easy and see some wonderful sights.  There’s enough organised sport and participation events to keep the most active visitor happy  Back on the water, the ninth annual Kiteival takes place from 18-27 July. This is basically heaven for kite surfers, with a week of “kiting” led by local experts and including a few pros too. Organisers stress that it’s open to all levels of kiters, so don’t worry if you’ve only just started.  More social rugby players might fancy the annual beach rugby tournament at Tamassa hotel at Bel Ombre in the south-west of the island. Organised in conjunction with the Mauritius Rugby Union, this year’s event is on 25 September and entries are welcome.  The real sporty show-offs will already be looking ahead to the Indian Ocean Triathlon, which is on 12 November. Swim 1.8km in a lagoon, where the water is 25C, bike 55km up over Chamarel Pass, where some parts have 14 per cent slopes, and then run 12km around Le Morne mountain including stretches along the beach. It might hurt, but look at the view!  There’s enough organised sport and participation events to keep the most active visitor happy. In addition, there’s all sorts of activities to try all over the island. How about a half-day canyoning expedition at Tamarind Falls? Or go diving in La Fosse aux Requins, or Sharks' Trench as it is known, off the island of Ile Plate to the north of Mauritius. Harmless blacktip sharks keep you company on a dive suitable for novices. There’s trekking and hiking, mountain biking, regattas, horse racing and so much more. And there’s always the beach – for a rest.  For more details on what Mauritius has to offer, all year round and all over the island, visit mauritius365.mu
Mauritius isn't just a full of stunning sun-kissed beaches, there are plenty of sports and activities to indulge in as well