Best hotels in Balaclava and Turtle Bay: 8 resorts between reef and ruins

Opened in 2001, the Oberoi sits in eight hectares of gardens on Turtle Bay. Its 71 units, 48 pavilions and 23 villas under thatched roofs, are scattered through the greenery, and some villas have their own pool. The Tourism Authority grades it 5-star Luxury, and it holds five stars from Forbes Travel Guide.

There are two sea-facing pools ( 25 m and 20 m ), a spa with open-air treatment rooms and five places to eat and drink, including The Gunpowder Room and On the Rocks. Kids have The Hub, with a heated pool and a treehouse. Guests rave about the villas, the spa, the beautifully kept gardens and the free water sports.

Opened in December 2014 on ten hectares of Turtle Bay, the Westin has 190 rooms and suites and is part of Marriott Bonvoy. Its highlight is the Heavenly Spa: 1,500 m², ten treatment rooms, a sauna and a hammam.

One of the two pools, the Whisper Zone, is adults-only. Five restaurants cover mealtimes, from the Seasonal Tastes buffet to Fusion's Japanese and Kangan's Indian cooking, and the Retreat Bar has a big rum list. The kids' club takes 4 to 12-year-olds, and the staff get plenty of praise in reviews.

On the Balaclava coast road, the InterContinental has 210 rooms including 30 suites, every one with a sea-view terrace. Port-Louis and Grand Baie are both about twenty minutes away, which makes it a handy base for exploring.

Four restaurants each do something different: Senso the buffet, Segala Mediterranean, Veda Indian and Noble House Thai and Vietnamese. There are two heated infinity pools, a spa and the Planet Trekkers club for 4 to 12-year-olds, with a shallow area for little ones. All-inclusive is available. Reviews praise the spacious rooms and the restaurants.

A 25-hectare private estate crossed by the Citrons river and its waterfalls, with an 800-metre beach on Turtle Bay. The Balaclava ruins, an 18th-century national monument, are inside the grounds.

There's a 9-hole golf course ( free green fees ), a 3,500 m² spa, the Turtle Kids Club, a farm with giant tortoises, stables and a dive centre, so the days fill up without leaving. Seven restaurants, including fine dining at Château Mon Désir and Lakaz Kreol, and five bars, among them The Nest on the roof. The upscale all-inclusive covers dinners across several restaurants.

The former Angsana Balaclava, managed by Banyan Tree, is all about privacy: 54 suites and a villa on a sheltered cove next to the marine park. Thirty-four suites have their own infinity pool.

French cooking at Sylea, Creole at Passion Creole, Asian at Oryza and Cruso on the beach, plus dinners on the sand or aboard a catamaran. There's a sand-bottomed pool with a bar, a heated lap pool, a hydrotherapy pool and a spa whose therapists trained at the Banyan Tree academy. Guests remember the privacy, the private pools and the staff.

North of Turtle Bay at Pointe aux Piments, Le Méridien went through a $60 million renovation announced in 2022. All 261 rooms and suites face the ocean, along a kilometre of beach.

At the northern end, the Nirvana wing is adults-only: 51 rooms with their own reception, beach and infinity pool. The rest of the resort welcomes families, with a club for 4 to 12-year-olds. There are four restaurants, including Nomad ( buffet ), Kumin ( Indian ) and Paparazzi ( Italian, on the beach ), three bars, three pools and the Explore Spa. Reviews like the sandy beach close to the rooms and the snorkelling from the shore.

A 272-suite 4-star between Turtle Bay and the mouth of the Citrons river, built around all-inclusive: Attitude's All-In All-Out plan also lets you eat at other places.

The hotel lists nine restaurants and six bars, including the Japanese Lime, a POZ spa and two free clubs: Ayo Le Dodo for ages 3-12 and Teens Republic for 12-18s. Couples get Executive Seafront Adult suites and a beach of their own. Guests praise the value, the staff and the sheer number of activities.

South of Balaclava at Le Goulet, on the banks of the Tombeau river, this hotel opened in 2023 and doesn't pretend to be a luxury resort: it's the lively family option on our list. Le Goulet beach is about 200 metres away.

Its 136 rooms, from family rooms and suites to 34-67 m² studios, share a pool with waterslides and a swim-up bar. There's also a hot tub, a spa with a hammam, a kids' club and a climbing wall, Le Jardin and The Rum Shed restaurants, and boat trips on the river. Guests like the welcome, the entertainment and the value for money.