What to do in Mauritius

PORT LOUIS

Port Louis is the capital of Mauritius, and the first place that you will experience when arriving in the country. The first thing to hit you when you explore the city is its mix of contemporary urban and French colonial architecture.

Visit Le Caudan Waterfront, a new commercial development in the heart of the city. This area of Port Louis is almost its own town, containing everything from banks and restaurants to a crafts market and casino. This place

has its own atmosphere, making it stand out from the rest of Mauritius, and offers firsttime visitors everything they could want to orient themselves on the island. Moreover, it is within walking distance to other Port Louis attractions.

Central Market is a big open-air market where traders sell fruit, vegetables, meat, textiles, crafts, and hot food. This is the market that locals use, so its an ideal place to get to grips with Mauritian culture.

Place d’Armes hosts Government House, an 18th Century French colonial building that is today used for the government’s daily sessions. There are also statues of Queen Victoria and colonial governor Mahé de Labourdonnais, making this an important place to visit in understanding Mauritius’ history.

The Blue Penny Museum is another great attraction for understanding the island’s colonial and post-colonial past. Named after the one penny and two penny stamps, the collections inside are far wider ranging than postal history. There are historic maps, paintings, photographs, and sculptures that tell the island’s history. The Blue Penny Museum is situated within Le Caudan Waterfront, but deserves its own visit.

Les Jardins de la Compagnie is a green park lined with beautiful banyan trees and water fountains located just a stone’s throw from Place d’Armes. The garden is an ideal place to get away from the city bustle.

Street food is available throughout Port Louis, and is a fundamental way of connecting with Mauritian culture. Try the Mauritian biryani, a skilfully prepared take on the Indian dish, containing rice with vegetables and meat cooked in aromatic spices. There’s also dholl-puris, fratatas and alouda, all of which are delightful savoury snacks. Meanwhile, the gateaux piments is unmissable. It’s a chilli cake made from yellow split peas, deep fried with spices and chilli, and moulded into a bite-sized ball. There’s plenty of other dishes available from street carts, though, so don’t be afraid to try something new.

Discover the Aapravasi Ghat, the UNESCO World Heritage site, which holds significant importance in the history of the country. It translates to “The Immigration Depot”, which served as the primary entry point of entry for immigrants. Here you can learn about the stories of the indentured laborers who arrived in Mauritius during the 19th century.

The Champ de Mars Racecourse is another great spot if you are interested in horse racing. It is the oldest racecourse in the southern hemisphere and holds significant cultural and sporting importance for the island.

Fort Adelaide or ‘La Citadelle’ is a historical fortress located on a hilltop in Port Louis, which stands as a reminder of the island’s colonial past and the significance of its historical heritage.

Port Louis is just the gateway to Mauritius, so while it contains many of its own attractions, there are many more across the island. The most immediate of those is Le Pouce, the third highest mountain on the island, and just a few miles outside the capital. The trailheads are easily reached by public transport and reaching the summit is relatively easy. Once there, it will reward you with an incredible 360-degree view across the island.

Black River Gorges National Park is a native forest containing numerous endemic plant and animal species. It is located in the south-west of the island and easily reachable by public transport. There are pre-defined trails that take you through the most gorgeous parts of the park and enable you to see unique animals such as the pink pigeon and Mauritian bat as well as endemic centenary trees. There are sheer cliffs, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, bridges and incredible views –particularly from the Gorges and Macchabée viewpoints. The park is most easily accessed from the nearby town of Chamarel. You could also start at the village of Bel Ombre, which is home to one of Mauritius’s two pilot sustainable tourism projects.

Bras d’Eau National Park is way out in the east of the island, a few miles from the town of Poste Lafayette. It’s an unusual location because it was once a centre for the country’s sugar industry, with French colonialists building sugarcane mills in the area and locals settling nearby for jobs. However, once abandoned, nature reclaimed Bras d’Eau. As a result, there are building ruins in the 400 hectare park, some of which are visitable. There are also plenty of hiking trails, picnic areas, bird watching sites, and even a visitor center to learn more about the park’s incredible biodiversity. There is even Bras d’Eau beach on its eastern tip, a small alcove that’s nonetheless separate from the beaches of nearby Porte Lafayette.

Grande Montagne Nature Reserve is on the island of Rodrigues. It encompasses the Grand Montagne mountain range and is a crucial part of preserving the last remaining indigenous and endemic forest of Rodrigues. The 25 hectare park is home to rare species including the Rodrigues fruit bat and Rodrigues warbler bird. Free guided tours through the reserve are given by the Mauritius Wildlife Foundation throughout the week. These are highly recommended, as trekking unguided through the forest is difficult. Reaching Rodrigues is also a challenge – it is some 600km from Mauritius itself, and reachable only by ship.

Islets National Park is not a singe location but a reserve incorporating eight islands off the coast of Mauritius. It rests off the north-east coast of the island and is much closer than Rodrigues island. As a result, it is a popular destination for Mauritians themselves. Ile d’Ambre is the largest and most popular of the islands. There you will find rocky beaches, volcanic craters, and mangrove forests. There is plenty of bird life here as well as several endemic species of butterflies such as the Mauritian friar. Ile d’Ambre is reached by boat from the mainland town of Grand Gaube.

The idyllic beaches

The beaches of Mauritius are evocative of dream, escape and heat. Surrounded by beautiful white sandy beaches and cliffs that offer, together with the blue lagoon, an extraordinary scene that varies according to the seasons and the time of the day.

In the North, the calm and sheltered lagoons call for relaxation and lay back, with a pleasant temperature all the time. Péreybère and Mont Choisy are the most popular beaches.

The south-west wind blowing more or less strongly all year round, makes the waves dance endlessly.

The East coast features a long stretch of beautiful sandy beaches, but it is also the windiest part of the island, especially in winter. One of the most popular beaches, Belle Mare, is also one of the longest beaches on the island. Ile aux Cerfs, an isle set in the lagoon a few minutes by boat from the coast.

Flic-en-Flac is a seaside village on the west coast of Mauritius in the district of Black River. Its public white sandy beach is one of the longest on the island.

Ebony Forest

One of the last remaining forests in Mauritius is a crucial conservation area. Budding naturalists will enjoy a trip to the Ebony Forest, a major conservation project committed to reversing the impact of habitat degradation in Mauritius and creating a sanctuary for the island’s unique and rich flora and fauna. The lush Ebony Forest is an act of love – since 2006, the forest’s conservation team have been working tirelessly to weed, plant and grow native and endemic plants.

Diving in Mauritius

Discover Mauritius as you would never have imagined it. With stunning underwater sceneries featuring a rich fauna and flora, and numerous wrecks lying on the sand for hundreds of years for some of them, the island offers an extraordinary adventure playground to amateur and professional divers.

Anyone fore Golf

Mauritius has some of the world’s best golf courses. There are over a dozen golf courses to discover, some designed by the likes of Bernhard Langer and Ernie Els, where perfectly manicured greens lead to views of the ocean and mountains beyond. You can even hop on a boat over to Ile aux Cerfs Golf Course to play on an offshore island – it is often voted one of the top 100 golf courses in the world.

Ile aux Aigrettes Nature Reserve

This small islet is surrounded by a ring of coral and ebony forest covers its landscape, situated in the Mahebourg Bay, about 85 m off the south-east coast of Mauritius. Unlike the mainland which is of volcanic origin, Ile aux Aigrettes is made up of coralline limestone. You can enjoy a guided tour, keeping a lookout for rare plants, reptiles, tortoises and beautiful birds, including the pink pigeon, Mauritius fody and Mauritius olive white-eye.

Chamarel Waterfalls

Undoubtedly the tallest single-drop waterfall in Mauritius at about 100m high, the Chamarel Waterfall is a striking piece of nature standing amid dense vegetation. Fed by the waters of three distinct streams pouring into Saint Denis River, it has a powerful rush with a peak flow rate in excess of 40,000 m³ per minute.

La Vallée des Couleurs

Forget all your worries and daily stress. Let yourself be carried away by the mystery of La Vallee des Couleurs Nature Park! Since the 23-coloured Earth was discovered on the 4th of July 1998, it has become one of the most famous attractions for Mauritians and foreigners. Stroll on foot, trip on the of quad & buggys or discover the park by making yourself comfortable in our Jeeps.

Le Morne Brabant

Dicovering the Morne Brabant - The slave route The Morne Brabant is a mountain of the south-west of Mauritius, on the peninsula of the Morne. Declared World Heritage by UNESCO since July 6, 2008, the site is a sanctuary for runaway slaves and is a strong cultural and patrimonial symbol for every Mauritian.

L’Aventure Du Sucre

Not far from the Botanical Garden of Pamplemousse, a bougainvillea and coconut trees alley, a pond lined with lush nature ... in this stunning tropical setting stands the massive renovated sugar mill which is one of the most spectacular attraction of the island!

La Vanille Nature Park

La Vanille Nature Park is an idyllic and stunning park of lush tropical vegetation covering 3.5 hectares. Enjoy the unforgettable experience of walking amongst the largest group of captive-bred giant Aldabra tortoises in the world.

Bel Ombre Nature Reserve

Bel Ombre Nature Reserve. Four words that sound like a promise. Nestled in the heart of Bel Ombre, this protected domaine of 1,300 hectares hosts a unique biodiversity. With its endemic flora and fauna, ancestral forests and vestiges of past glories, it is a territory of striking beauty and character.

Notre Dame Auxiliatrice

One of the most renowned churches in Mauritius is the Notre Dame Auxiliatrice Chapel, a Roman Catholic Church famous for its vivid red roof against the bright turquoise sea and azure sky. Located ten minutes from Grand Bay is the small fishing village of Cap Malheureux.

Dolphin & Whale watching

Take to the water and go Dolphin and Whale wathcing, or if you’re feeling more adventurous, explore a side of Mauritius that other tourists rarely see.

Chamarel Seven Coloured Earth Geopark

Welcome to the heights of Chamarel. A destination whose geology is a wonderful work of art, complemented by a perfect harmony of colors. Early mornings are a call to adventure, right in the heart of Chamarel’s exotic world. Meander through the winding roads of its wild mountains