Bras d’Eau: Coq de Bois & Mare Sarcelle trails

In the quiet Bras d'Eau National Park on the north-east coast, two marked trails make a nice easy loop. The Coq de Bois trail wanders through an old orchard of mango and litchi trees; the Mare Sarcelle trail leads to a pond where you can spot the Mauritius paradise flycatcher, the Mauritius fody and water birds.

About 5 km, flat and shady: an hour and a half of peace on an east-coast day.

• Mango and litchi orchard
• Endemic birds at Mare Sarcelle
• Shady and flat

Trail map

Traced on the Coq de Bois and Mare Sarcelle trails (OpenStreetMap).

Trail traced on OpenStreetMap paths: check the signs on the ground, and take the OSM or an offline map app (Organic Maps, maps.me) with you.

What to expect on this walk

📍 Where it starts

Bras d'Eau National Park, on the north-east coast road (≈ 1 h 25 from the villa).

🧭 The route

Coq de Bois trail through the old orchard, then the Mare Sarcelle trail to the pond and back to the start (≈ 5 km).

🪨 Terrain

Flat forest paths.

👁️ Views

The Mare Sarcelle pond.

🌅 Best light

Early morning for the birds at Mare Sarcelle.

🏊 Swimming

No swimming in the park; Poste Lafayette beach is 5 minutes away.

👟 Footwear

Proper shoes with grip: rock, roots or mud (not flip-flops).

🔁 Getting back

A loop back to the start.

🦟 Insects

Mosquitoes.

💧 Water

None: bring water.

👥 Crowds

Very quiet.

📶 Phone signal

Good coverage.

🎒 Bring

Comfortable shoes · 1.5 litres of water each · Hat and sunscreen · Mosquito repellent · Snack

1. Coq de Bois trail
2. Mare Sarcelle

Getting there

Tips

• 💡 Mosquito repellent.
• 💡 Walk quietly near the pond to see the birds.