The Dutch called it Bogt Zonder Einde or Bay without End. It was also called

Varekens Baay which means Pigs’ Bay. The French named it Baye Profonde but by the

middle of the 18th century it was known as Grand Baie. ‘Grand Baye’ appears on

the Abbé De La Caille 1753 map.

Grand Bay was central to the defence stragegy of the island under French rule. A

battery was set up there to protect the northern part of the country from an

eventual English invasion. However, the English managed to land in the North and

the first skirmishes took place in Grand Bay in November 1810, and led eventually

to the British Conquest of Isle de France.

A sugar estate was active in Grand Baie in the course of the 19th century. One of

the owners was Charles Pereybere.

During the past decade Grand Baie has known unprecedented development princippaly

as a tourist centre, but has now been identified as a prey to pollution. The bay

has become a popular port of call for foreign yachts.