Trail Running, Mauritius

Over a century ago, Mark Twain visited the island and remarked “Mauritius was made first, and then heaven, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius.” And it seems some things never change — it is still paradise. See for yourself with an off-the-beaten-path trail run through fields, forests, mountainous paths, cliff tops and pristine beaches. The annual Ultra Trail Raidlight Beachcomber run takes place July 28 to 29 and has distance options for all abilities, including 6.2 miles, 15.5 miles, 29.2 miles and, new for 2018, a leg-shaking 62 miles. In 2017, Nepalese trail runner Sangé Sherpa completed 74.6 miles in 13 hours and 57 minutes, while Jean Patrice Payet from Reunion Island finished the 6.2-mile race in less than 35 minutes. Rest and recuperate at the Shandrani Beachcomber Resort & Spa, Mauritius’s first-ever five-star resort. Located on a scenic private peninsula surrounded by white-sand beaches, mangroves and mango trees, it is a tranquil haven. Be sure to visit the thatch-roofed spa for an alfresco treatment.