Grand Port
Encyclopedia
Grand Port is a district
encompassing much of the south-eastern part of the island of Mauritius
. Its capital is Rose-Belle
but the most important town of the district is Mahebourg (former capital of Mauritius). Plaine Magnien a town in the district of Grand Port hosts the only airport of the country.
Grand Port is named after the village of Old Grand Port which saw the first Dutch
landing and the first port of the island. It is centered on the town of Mahébourg
on the coast, inside the Grand Port Bay. Built by the Dutch and later taken over by the French
, the town is a reminder of the colonial past of the island.
The northern part of the district is mountainous with forested valleys and rivers. The eastern part gently rises to meet the central plateau and enjoys a cool temperate climate suitable for tea
plantations. The southern part is a flat plain on part of which sits the international airport.
Grand Port district has many hotels and resorts where the tourist can ensure a comfortable stay. The district well known beach is Blue Bay, one of the finest bathing spots on the island surrounded by a semicircle of filao trees. Situated on the southeast coast, not far from Mahébourg, Blue Bay offers a fine stretch of white sandy beach, and a deep, clear, light-blue bathing pool. There is also scope for yachting and windsurfing. Many structures in the district reflects the colonial past of the district.
In 1810, a French squadron of frigates achieved an ultimately futile naval victory over a comparable British squadron at the Battle of Grand Port
, near the Île de la Passe
.
Districts and dependencies of Mauritius
||The island of Mauritius is divided into 9 districts :# Black River # Flacq # Grand Port # Moka # Pamplemousses # Plaines Wilhems...
encompassing much of the south-eastern part of the island of Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
. Its capital is Rose-Belle
Rose-Belle
Rose-Belle is a village of southeastern Mauritius. It is located in Grand Port district, ten kilometers west of the district's well_known Village, Mahébourg....
but the most important town of the district is Mahebourg (former capital of Mauritius). Plaine Magnien a town in the district of Grand Port hosts the only airport of the country.
Grand Port is named after the village of Old Grand Port which saw the first Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
landing and the first port of the island. It is centered on the town of Mahébourg
Mahébourg
Mahébourg is a small city on the southeastern coast of the island of Mauritius. It is the capital of the Grand Port District.- Overview :...
on the coast, inside the Grand Port Bay. Built by the Dutch and later taken over by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the town is a reminder of the colonial past of the island.
The northern part of the district is mountainous with forested valleys and rivers. The eastern part gently rises to meet the central plateau and enjoys a cool temperate climate suitable for tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
plantations. The southern part is a flat plain on part of which sits the international airport.
Grand Port district has many hotels and resorts where the tourist can ensure a comfortable stay. The district well known beach is Blue Bay, one of the finest bathing spots on the island surrounded by a semicircle of filao trees. Situated on the southeast coast, not far from Mahébourg, Blue Bay offers a fine stretch of white sandy beach, and a deep, clear, light-blue bathing pool. There is also scope for yachting and windsurfing. Many structures in the district reflects the colonial past of the district.
In 1810, a French squadron of frigates achieved an ultimately futile naval victory over a comparable British squadron at the Battle of Grand Port
Battle of Grand Port
The Battle of Grand Port was a naval battle between squadrons of frigates from the French Navy and the British Royal Navy. The battle was fought during 20–27 August 1810 over possession of the harbour of Grand Port on Île de France during the Napoleonic Wars...
, near the Île de la Passe
Île de la Passe
Ile de la Passe is a rocky islet in the bay off Grand Port on the island of Mauritius. Between 20–25 August 1810, during the British campaign to capture the island from the French, it was the scene of the Battle of Grand Port...
.