The distinctive wedge-shaped Coin de Mire (Gunner's Quoin) dominates the horizon. The island gained its name from the quoin, or block, used by ship's gunners to raise the angle of the cannon barrels to steady their aim. The steep cliffs of the island, only four kilometres from the mainland, make landing virtually impossible, but sailing past this imposing, sun-drenched wall is a delight. Of particular interest is the cave in the cliffs, the Trou de Madame Angon (Madam Angon's hole). In the 19th century the British navy used it for target practice.

These solitary relics of extinct sugarcane mills could have numbered some 300 around a century ago and now there must be around fifteen of them remaining. There certainly is a long way down to fifteen from 300, but development and natural calamities have had the upper hand. In spite of their solid stone structure, many of them have not been able to resist the fury of cyclonic winds sweeping over the island with great force. Their height has played against them and to believe that these chimneys must have been the first skyscrapers in Mauritius automatically makes those that still exist more appealing.

With a landscape filled with history, with mythical beaches and luxury hotels, the East coast is endowed with many stunning treasures which deserve a stopover. Along the coastline stretching from Poste Lafayette to Trou d'Eau Douce, there are a string of ten of the most prestigious and luxurious hotels of the island. The lagoon is of a deep blue and the continuous movement of the waves makes it an ideal place for a swim: the sea is neither too flat nor too tumultuous. The rocks confer a natural cachet to the place; seve­ral hotels have made the most of these natural creeks to give more intimacy to their complex.

It all started a long, long time ago when our island was but a vegetation-covered rock, in the middle of nowhere. “Earth! Earth! At last water and food,” must have undoubtedly shouted the tired Dutch sailors, reinvigorated by this dream-like sight of land, after so many months travelling along the spice route. This was way back in 1598. The first explorers had set foot on what they called Mauritius. God's blueprint for paradise as referred to by Mark Twain. Sailing over the lukewarm waters, they came across the beautiful shallow crystal clear lagoons, painted in different shades of blue which contrasted with basalt cliffs where the open seas came crashing.

The West Coast of the island stretches from the foreland of Le Morne to the lighthouse of Albion. Not as wild as the southern coast, this part of the island has still preserved its identity. However, the new Integrated Resort Schemes (IRS) projects that are increasing in the region may gradually change the features of that part of the island.