Let's start by correcting a misunderstanding: Mauritian romance isn't booked, it's picked. Sunrise on Belle Mare beach, at 5:45 am in summer, costs nothing and beats any champagne breakfast: grab two coffees from the petrol station, sit facing the horizon and watch the island light up. In the evening, replay the scene on the west side — Flic en Flac, La Preneuse or the Morne headland — with two candied pineapples and the world's best cinema screen.
For a full day for two, Ile aux Bénitiers is a safe bet: pirogue departure from La Gaulette around 9 am, photo stop at Crystal Rock, fish barbecue on the sand and a nap under the coconut trees (Rs 1,500 – 2,000 per person on a shared trip, Rs 6,000 – 8,000 to privatise the pirogue). Land version: the Chamarel loop — Seven Coloured Earths, rum distillery, table d'hôte lunch facing the mountain — strings together panoramas like so many excuses to stop.
The grand gesture without going broke: the fisherman's dinner. At Trou aux Biches or Grand Gaube, several kiosks and small addresses grill the day's catch with your feet in the sand for Rs 600 – 900 per person — arrive at 6:30 pm, order the palm heart salad (« the millionaire's salad ») and let night fall. If the budget allows, a gastronomic estate dinner (Château de Bel Ombre, big-hotel tables open to non-residents, Rs 2,500 – 4,000 per person) turns the evening into an event — book 48 hours ahead and ask for the terrace table.
Mauritian hotels nonetheless remain the kings of organised romance: if you're staying in one, mention an anniversary or honeymoon at booking — upgrades, flower-strewn beds and surprise cakes are part of the local tradition, at no extra charge. The couple's spa (Rs 3,500 – 6,000 for a ritual for two) and the sunset catamaran cruise (Rs 2,000 – 2,800 per person, punch and sega on board) complete the classic picture, 100% effective.
One last local tip: the most romantic moment in Mauritius may be the simplest — on a full-moon evening, walk Mont Choisy beach as the last picnickers fold away their gazebos. The lagoon turns silver, the filaos whisper, and you'll have three kilometres of sand to yourselves. Rs 0, unlimited memories.