Editing Grand Anse

One of the three longest and widest beaches on Mahé. Characterised by high energy waves and strong currents during most of the year, swimming is not recommended along most of the beach. Even with the powerful waves that crash, the beach itself is more or less stable displaying a gentle slope and similar to Intendance a large sand budget but nevertheless signs of minor erosion is noticeable at certain points along the beach. The beach itself was under the treat of high erosion in the late 1980-1990s due to intensive practice of sand poaching on the beach. This problem has been curbed to a certain extent through a project implemented by the Ministry of Environment in the 1990s to install barriers along the beach to restrict vehicle access on to the beach system as well as a coastal planting to further stabilise the beach against erosion. Overhead boardwalks over the berm system has been put in place so that the impacts of trampling on the beach system can be reduced. The beach at low tide is probably the second widest beach on Mahé after Intendance, with its gently-sloped profile.

The majority of the vegetation which includes most of the typical coastal vegetation types is largely intact, though at certain points some have been undercut by the high tides or dried up simply by the salt spray. The beach remains popular with people who enjoy a good exercise or simply a late afternoon stroll to cool off after a hot day.