The area's moniker is thought to be a corruption of the old Dutch name Fried Landt Flaak (Free and Flat Land); the endless acreage of shoreline was undoubtedly striking when explorers arrived in the 18th century. Today the area is exploding with apartment complexes, souvenir shops, moneychangers and pinchpenny holiday rentals. Although development in Flic en Flac has gone the way of Grand Baie, the town's still a dozen clubs and restaurants short of attracting a party crowd.