There are a number of places to visit during your stay on the island. Apart from the many beach resorts with their sandy white beaches and blue lagoon,
There are other <greener> sites that you might find interesting. The Black River Gorges, Macabee Forest and Yemen are regions, which you might discover on foot or by car. Trou aux Cerfs (an extinct volcanic crater), Chamarel (with its 7 coloured earth), Ile aux Aigrettes (an island of the South East Coast which is a natural reserve) are among the many sites you can experience during your stay in Mauritius.
Main towns & villages.
Port Louis
Port-Louis, the administrative and financial capital of Mauritius is situated in the North West of the Island. It is the only commercial port of the island. Founded by Mahé de Labourdonais, it was preferred to Grand Port (South East), because of its geographic location. Protected by a range of mountains on one side and bordered by a calm bay on the other, it was the ideal spot to build a city that could be easily defended if attacked. Mahébourg in the south and Port-Louis are the only historic and colonial towns. Fortifications like Fort Adelaide or La Citadelle as it is commonly known is a great view point to see the whole of Port-Louis. Built by the British in 1835, it is now a venue for shows and concerts. The Central Market is a must-stop for tourist. Our closest comparison to a souk, the central market is a place where you can buy handy crafts as well as eat a dholl puri and have a drink. But you can also buy clothes, fruits and vegetables, spices and even medical plants used by locals to cure every possible ailment.
Champ de Mars is another place to visit especially during the racing season (May to December). It is the oldest race course (1812) in the Indian Ocean and the second oldest in the southern Hemisphere. It is at the centre of all life during weekends when races are held and a thrilling experience to live.
Other witnesses of the colonial past of Port-Louis are its old
colonial buildings, its paved roads, the National History Museum, the Government House and the Port-Louis Theatre constructed in 1822. Port-Louis should also be visited for its cathedrals, temples, pagodas and mosques a reflection of the diversity of the island and of Port Louis. More recently built, The Caudan and Port Louis Waterfront shelter a number of restaurants, cafés, bars, cinemas, duty-free shop, craft shops, and a casino. There is also Chinatown, a small village within the city, with its numerous restaurants, shops and other small businesses which immediately transports you to the Far East. Many streets in Port Louis also specialise in the sale of only one type of product. The shops of La Corderie and Desforges Street , for example, sell almost exclusively cloth and fabrics.
But the best way to know Port-Louis is still to walk around the city and see for yourself.
The Inland Towns of Mauritius
Curepipe, Quatre-Bornes, Vacoas/Phoenix, Beau Bassin/Rose-Hill.
Most of the big towns apart from Port-Louis are found in the centre of the island. These towns are mostly residential ones but offer the same facilities as elsewhere.
Curepipe
Named the most European of all towns, because of its wet and cold climate, Curepipe has some good shopping addresses. The most interesting feature of Curepipe however, is its extinct volcano, Trou aux Cerfs. This crater, which is 85 metres deep and 200 metres wide, offers a unique panoramic view of the central plateau at its summit. Other interesting aspects of Curepipe are its Botanical Garden and its many distinctively colonial houses. One such example of colonial architecture is the Municipal Hall at the centre of the town.
Rose Hill and Beau-Bassin
Rose-hill is after Port Louis the most commercial of all the towns. It has a number of shopping arcades and shops and its market is quite interesting. An interesting feature of Rose Hill is its theatre, Le Plaza, which has become the most important landmark of the cultural life of the island. Plays, concerts, operas are regularly held within its walls. Next to it is the Max Boullé art gallery where Mauritian artists regularly hold exhibitions.
Beau Bassin is mostly residential and has an unfortunately not very-well-known public garden - Balfour Garden -which offers an extraordinary viewpoint.
Quatre Bornes
Quatre Bornes is a calm and pleasant city (offering everything). It has somehow a number of shops and shopping centres and some hotels. The best known being the Orchard Centre, which has a supermarket, restaurants and many shops offering a whole variety of product. Another very popular shopping attraction in Quatre Bornes is its market, which it is held on every Thursdays and Sundays. It specialises in textile product that
are sold at very attractive prices.
Main villages of Mauritius
Grand Bay
Formerly a small fishing village on the Northern coast, Grand Bay is nowadays the most famous seaside resort of the island. Surrounded by an emerald green lagoon, Grand Bay has many luxurious hotels. The village has all the essential services like supermarkets, pharmacies, doctors, post office and police station. Moreover, a great number of restaurants, bars and nightclubs can be found in the area. Shopping is also a real threat with its clothing stores, jewellery shops. Grand Bay is also the place to be if you want to practice water sports and scuba diving. And if you want to explore the coral reefs and the lagoons, there are the glass bottom boats and you can even go for an undersea walk among the fishes if you feel brave enough.
Mahebourg
The former capital of Mauritius under the French, Mahebourg is the only village with Port-Louis that has retained some traces of the colonial past and architecture. Situated in the South East of the island, some fifteen minutes from the airport, this historical village shelters the Naval Museum witness of the great naval battle at Mahebourg between the French and English in 1810 for the occupation of the island.Mahebourg is nowadays a calm coastal village, exept on market days. However with the construction of a waterfront, Mahebourg will surely develop into the main tourist attraction of the South in the years to come.
The North of Mauritius
The north of the island is best known for its white sandy beaches and calm lagoons. As such it has the biggest number of beach resorts and is the most developed part of the Mauritian coastline.
Grand bay is the centre of life in the north. It has everything of a modern beach resort with its shops, galleries, shopping centres, hotels and bungalows along its emerald green waters bay. Grand Bay is also one of the centres of nightlife in Mauritius with a number of restaurants, bars and nightclubs. A little to the north of Grand Bay is Péreybère, a small resort with one of the best bathing place of the island. It is one of the most appreciated (popular) resorts and has a big number of bungalows and some small hotels and restaurants. There are also most basic amenities like banks, shops and supermarkets. Further north you have Cap Malheureux. It was there that the English landed in 1810 to conquer the island. It is a calm small fishermen village with a small beach and some very beautiful views of the northern islets as backdrop to a very charming little chapel.
In the northwest you have the Choisy beach, which is one of the longest in Mauritius. Its beautiful lagoon is shaded by casuarinas trees and on the contrary of the other beaches is has no hotels or bungalows. To its south you have Trou Aux Biches, a small village with a very long and beautiful beach. Most of it is bordered by the Trou Aux Biches Hotel, which has a golf course and a casino. The village also has many bungalows, some restaurants and a bank as well.
The Pamplemousses Botanical Garden, found in the village of Pamplemousses, is one of the most visited attractions in Mauritius. It was under French intendant Pierre Poivre that the garden really started off as the botanical garden famous over the world for its variety of rare tropical plants. He wanted to grow spice on the island and imported a variety of plants for experiment. There is a large variety of exotic plants with the most famous being the giant Victoria Amazonica water lilies. There is also the Talipot tree which flowers after fifty to sixty years and strangely dies just after. After walking through the alleys bordered by palm trees you will discover a beautiful example of colonial architecture with the Château Mon Plaisir. It was built by Mahé de Laboudonnais as the official Governor residence during the French period.
La Nicolière is another interesting place to visit in the north. It is a lake found on higher grounds from the north vast planes. It has some forests and also offers some very beautiful views of the northern region with its mosaic of sugarcane fields. Not far from there you have the region of Congomah, which has some beautiful views of the Moka range of mountain towards Port Louis.
The northern part of the island has many islets. Two of them, Gabriel and Flat Island offer virgin white beaches encircled with crystal clear blue waters. You can cruise to these Islets on one of the various sailboats in what can be a memorable moment of your holidays.
The West of Mauritius
The west side of the island is one of the best spots with long sandy beaches. Unlike the North, it has remained less developed but offers the same facilities. Many hotels (like La Pirogue, Sugar Beach, Le Morne, Hilton, Sofitel) are found along the coastline and there are also beach resorts like Flic en Flac that have long sandy beaches fringed with casuarina trees. Not far from that region, is found the Casela Bird Park. This bird sanctuary is built on 20 acres and features 140 different species from all over the world. And if you are lucky, you can get a glimpse of the rare pink pigeon of Mauritius.
Tamarin beach is another place, along the western shoreline, which offers a new thrill. Because of its waves it is the ideal spot to practice surfing and body board especially in winter. Further down on the west coastline, there is Rivière Noire Centre de Pêche, which offers all the facilities for Big Game fishing. Over the last few years, big game fishing championship has been regularly staged there with contenders coming from all over the world. Inland the Black River Gorges hosting the National Park is a must for any nature lovers. With its valleys, rivers, forest and mountainous terrain it offers unique trekking experiences and discovery of the fauna and flora of the island.
Further to the south is Le Morne, a near peninsula that offers the staggering view of Le Morne Brabant Mountain, which is like a rock coming out of the sea. Le Morne also host the horrible story of runaway slaves who plunged from the top of the mountain when soldiers came to tell them that they were free. They thought that these soldiers where coming to get them back to slavery and preferred death to losing their freedom. More of a myth than a true story argues historian against popular belief. Le Morne has one of the best beaches with crystal clear water spanning for kilometres and as such has some of finest hotels around its coastline.
The East of Mauritius
The main attraction in this region of Mauritius is Ile aux Cerfs. A small island, 10 minutes by boat from the small fishing village of Trou d'eau Douce and is managed by the Touessrok Hotel. It has a bar and restaurant and shops selling beachwear, jewellery and craft products. Water sports like skiing and parasailing can be practiced there. But the main attraction of the island is its virgin white beaches and emerald waters where people can do what everyone does there all year round: enjoy the sun. Recently a water park was also opened at Belle Mare situated some 10 minutes away from Trou D'eau Douce.
Centre de Flacq is the biggest village on the Eastern coast. It has everything that can be expected from a small modern town; a police station, district court, fire brigade, hospital, shopping arcades, supermarkets, and schools. It is also the place where just about everything can be found, from jewellery to handicraft at the cheapest prices. It is also only 15 minutes from Belle Mare public beach and some of the best hotels of the island. The Saint Géran, Coco Beach, Belle Mare Plage Hotel, Ambre Hotel, The Residence, Price Maurice and the Touessrok are found only a few minutes away from the village centre.
Moreover, at a quarter of an hour from Centre de Flacq towards the centre of the island, one can visit Fuel Sugar Estate upon request. This is the biggest sugar factory of the island and it also produces energy from bagasse, a by-product of sugarcane. Anyone interested in knowing more on how sugar cane is made can contact the tour operators of that region, which regularly organise guided tours.
The South of Mauritius
The south is the wildest and less developed region of the island. Apart from Mahébourg and its surroundings, this region has remained untouched because of the absence of calm lagoons. The 'deep south' as it is sometimes called, is probably the unknown and forgotten side of coastal region of Mauritius with its high cliffs and raging seas. Gris Gris and Le Souffleur are two natural spots along this coastline that offer some breathtaking sights. At Souillac, a village named after the Vicompte of Souillac, there is the Robert Edouard Hart Musuem. This Mauritian poet and painter has written extensively on the island especially on the Southern coast. Not far from Souillac is Rochester Falls, one of the most beautiful warterfalls of Mauritius.
At Rivière des Anguilles in the South, the Vanilla Crocodile Park is home to crocodiles imported from Madagascar and other reptiles. One can also find other animals found in the forest of Mauritius like monkeys, wild boars, deer and tortoises.
Le Val Nature Park is another place for nature fanatics. Situated in a more central area, it is a peaceful haven for fish, tortoise, birds and monkeys and is blessed with a superb tropical vegetation and climate.
In the South-East of the island, the ruins of ancient fortifications constructed under the French bear witness of the many naval battles in this region of the island. Archaeologists have recently dug out the ruins of Fort Frederick Hendrick, built under the Dutch.
The 'Domaine du Chasseur' situated at Anse Jonchée in the South East of the island is made up of 900 hectares of hunting ground for wild animals such as deers, boars and monkeys. Bungalows are also rented and an exotic restaurant serves delicious Mauritian Cuisine. Next to it is the Domaine Ylang Ylang where the Ylang Ylang flower, used by perfumers, is cultivated. The hillside of the Domain, also offers an extraordinary view on this South Eastern part of the island. You can walk around this Domaine and enjoy the scent of Ylang Ylang and other aromatic plants that are distilled in the nearby distillery. There is also a rustic but pleasant restaurant where you can enjoy local Mauritian cuisine.
Mauritius Central Plateau
Once covered by a tropical indigenous forest, the Maccabées Forest and the Black River Gorges are the last regions where the original endemic forest exists. A protected reserve, it is a sanctuary for nearly extinct birds like the Mauritian Kestrel and the Pink Pigeon and trees like the Tambalocogue, the Ebony and the Bois de Natte. It is also a popular region amongst hikers and nature lovers and not too far from Alexandra Falls. The Valley of Colours is one of the many areas that will delight the nature lovers with its streams, waterfalls, flora and fauna and the different colours of the earth around.
At Le Saint Aubin and Bois Chéri there are greenhouses and gardens where anthurium and vanilla plants are cultivated. And you can conclude your tour by having lunch at the splendid colonial house built in 1819 at Saint Aubin. In the district of Moka you can also visit Eureka. This old colonial house lying at the foot of the Moka mountain range is a superb example of colonial architecture with its superb veranda, fourteen bedrooms, one hundred and nine doors, antique furniture and magnificent gardens.
Not too far from Moka is another example of colonial creole architecture. The Chateau du Réduit, known as the State House today, is the official residence of the Republic of Mauritius and was before the official residence of the governors of the island. More than 250 years old, it is built on an area of 200 acres made up of gardens and waterfalls.
Mauritius Beaches
Mauritius is surrounded by beautiful beaches along its 100 miles of coastline. The white sandy beaches are shaded by coconut palms and casuarina trees or as they are commonly called filaos trees have made its reputation as one of the best sea resort in the world. Most of the best beaches are found in the North, West and East. The South has fewer good beaches as it is unprotected by fringing coral reefs. Elsewhere however, the fringing reefs form a protective barrier that makes the lagoons sheltered, and calm. These lagoons are safe and remain calm all year round. Some of the best beaches in the North are; Grand Bay, Pereybère, Mon Choisy, Trou aux Biches. Flic en Flac, Tamarin and Le Morne are the favourites in the West. Belle Mare, one of the longest beaches in Mauritius is found in the East. And Blue Bay is the most favoured spot in the South East.
Most of the hotels in Mauritius are found close to these beaches. There are also a number of fully equipped bungalows, studios that are available for rent in these areas. Prices vary depending on the location and the services offered. These self-catering lodgings also sometimes offer full room service upon request.
Going to the beach is the favourite pastime of Mauritians. So don't be surprised to see crowded public beaches especially during week-ends.
