A cellar of fine wines and fiery spirits. Cuisine that taps into the colourful tapestry of a famously multicultural island. A design aesthetic rich in local inspiration. As my taxi rolls past the banyan trees that line the entrance to Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita, I expect many things from the few days ahead.
But seahorses? That certainly wasn’t on my list.
The chance to swim alongside Hippocampus kuda is just one of the surprises that await at one of the most glamorous addresses on the island’s east coast, where the subtle luxury typical of the Four Seasons brand blends easily with the gloriously laid-back feel of Île Maurice.
The resort reopened in late 2025 after an extensive renovation (more on that later) but the first thing that will strike you as you wander through the airy lobby and past the Blu’Zil bar is that this is not like most other hotels on the island.
While many Mauritian resorts plant themselves on the high-tide mark, staking their claim to as much white sand as possible, at the Four Seasons at Anahita the mangrove forests are the star of the show. There are beaches — three, in fact — lined with loungers equipped with a button to summon another cocktail, but what is most striking is that the hotel’s villas are hidden away amid lush forests and gardens landscaped to mimic the natural surroundings of the coastline.
It all conspires to create a decidedly luxurious haven at ease in the landscape.
“This environment is part of Mauritius’s natural heritage, and as a Mauritian I am proud to share it with our guests,” says Rick Bonnier, the resort’s dedicated ocean environment manager, who leads the resort’s habitat-protection projects and takes guests on snorkelling excursions to marvel at the two seahorse species at home in these calm waters. When he’s not at sea, you’ll find him giving tours of the seagrass nursery or leading nature walks through the gardens, introducing guests to the birds, flowers and two species of bat that thrive here.
That sense of weaving the island’s natural beauty into the resort is echoed in the private villas. The seven-month renovation — reinvention, perhaps — was led by the Dubai studio of acclaimed interior architects 1508 London, who drew on a palette of island colours and textures in reimagining the resort’s pool villas.
With bold use of natural timber, volcanic stone, and woven fibres, “the reimagined Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita was envisioned as a serene sanctuary”, explains Anthony Taylor, the design principal at 1508 London. “Our approach focused on creating interiors that feel restorative — spaces that breathe with the landscape and encourage a slower, more mindful way of living.”
That’s certainly not hard when even the smallest one-bedroom villas offer generous amounts of space. Here, bedrooms flow into vast bathrooms with Diptyque amenities and open-air waterfall showers outside, with the terrace slipping into a private pool and shaded daybed. Sandy paths lined with palm trees lead you to the beach. Insider tip? Villas on Quiet Beach are best for serenity but catch more of the trade winds. If you prefer being close to the water sports and a bit more buzz, Bambou Beach is your best bet.
Whichever side you choose, you’ll have easy access to all that the resort has to offer.
The expanded Oseyan Spa is the only overwater wellness spa in Mauritius, with the standout new addition being the Royal Spa Suite: a three-room sanctuary with a private steam room, a handcrafted stone tub (big enough for two), and views over the mangroves.
Outdoors, sailing and kayaking are popular, but golf is a particular drawcard at Anahita. Guests get complimentary green fees at two world-class courses: the Ernie Els-designed oceanfront layout at Anahita Golf Club or the Bernhard Langer signature course on Île aux Cerfs. My advice? Bring along plenty of balls. Those mangroves take no prisoners.
After your island round, there’s no need to rush back either: Four Seasons guests have access to a private beach club on Île aux Cerfs, with loungers scattered on coral-white sands on either side of La Plaz Beach Grill, a chic beach-club restaurant and bar serving up island cocktails and light bites beneath rustling palms.
Part of the resort’s reinvention has been a shake-up of the culinary offering led by executive chef Olivier Barré.
Most days begin with a relaxed beachfront breakfast at Chaloupe, where a sun-splashed poolside setting offers all the usual trappings of a buffet done right. Keep a keen eye out for the pot of mangrove honey harvested from local hives: another project aimed at protecting the surrounding coastal forests.
Things get more interesting come dinner, with a choice of global flavours that up the ante for resort dining. Unlike most island hotels, where guests tend to be relegated to the buffet, most restaurants here are included in the half-board package. Some dishes are available at a supplement, but there’s no need to splurge unless you really want that wagyu.
At Angara, chef Saravana Bhagavath stirs up a seasonal menu of modern Indian cuisine that’s best discovered through the towering Royal Maharajah platters and fragrant thalis served with a side order of lagoon views. Across the water, Awase is more global in ambition, with a pan-Asian menu rooted in Japanese cuisine. It’s an intimate, thoroughly contemporary space best suited to couples rather than kids.
Children, along with anyone with a love of flavour-forward Mediterranean cuisine, will be happiest at Radici. Imagined as a contemporary trattoria, the menu ranges across Italian family-style favourites, from wood-fired pizza to chef Sergio Favata’s superb “La Nostra Carbonara”, made, as it should be, with guanciale. For seafood, sink your toes into the sand at Ti Pwason, where the catch of the day and Creole flavours come together over open flames. Need a digestif? The Rum Library is well stocked with a collection of rare craft rums from Mauritius, and a rum sommelier is on hand to talk you through them.
It’s a haven of fine living in the Indian Ocean that offers all the considered luxury you’d expect from this storied global brand, with textures and touches that root it in Mauritius.
From the August issue of Wanted, 2026.
