Must-see attractions in Mauritius

  • Île aux Aigrettes

    Mauritius

    This popular ecotourism destination is a 26-hectare nature reserve on an island roughly 800m off the coast. It preserves very rare remnants of the coastal…

  • Mauritius, Anse Jonchée, Vallée de Ferney, landscape

    Vallée de Ferney

    Mauritius

    Protecting a 400-year-old forest, this reserve is an important habitat for the Mauritius kestrel, one of the world's most endangered raptors, and a visit…

  • Blue Penny Museum, stamp museum at Caudan Waterfront in Port Louis, Mauritius, Africa

    Blue Penny Museum

    Port Louis

    Although dedicated to the world-famous Mauritian one-penny and two-pence stamps of 1847, the Blue Penny Museum is far more wide-ranging than its name…

  • Eureka, Colonial House and museum, Mauritius, Africa

    Eureka

    Mauritius

    If you're only going to visit one attraction related to Mauritius' rich colonial history, choose Eureka. This perfectly preserved Creole mansion was built…

  • Pope Francis makes a prayer as he visits the mausoleum of Jacques-Desire Laval in Port Louis, Mauritius, on September 9, 2019, on the final stop of an Africa tour. - Pope Francis visit three-nation tour of Indian Ocean African countries hard hit by poverty, conflict and natural disaster. Francis' visit coincides with the 155th anniversary of the death of Father Jacques Desire Laval, a French priest who died in Mauritius in 1864 and was beatified in 1979. (Photo by TIZIANA FABI / AFP)        (Photo credit should read TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty Images)

    Père Laval's Shrine

    Port Louis

    The shrine of French Catholic priest and missionary Père Jacques-Désiré Laval is something of a Lourdes of the Indian Ocean, with many miracles attributed…

  • Mauritius island, West coast, Rampart mountain at Tamarin

    Tamarin Beach

    Mauritius

    Locals like to wax nostalgic about Tamarin Beach and its surfing heyday, and in many ways this sandy cove still feels like a throwback to earlier times,…

  • Market fruit, vegetables, Mahebourg, Mauritius

    Monday Market

    Mauritius

    Don't miss the central foire de Mahébourg, near the waterfront. The initial focus was silks and other textiles, but these days you'll find a busy produce…

  • National History Museum

    Mauritius

    This terrific museum is one of Mauritius' best. It contains fascinating early maps of the island and Indian Ocean region, paintings from colonial times,…

  • Mauritius, Port Louis, Central Market interior (NR)

    Central Market

    Port Louis

    Port Louis' rightly famous Central Market, the centre of the local economy since Victorian times, is a good place to get a feel for local life, watch the…

  • François Leguat Reserve

    Rodrigues

    In 1691 François Leguat wrote that there were so many tortoises on Rodrigues that 'one can take more than a hundred steps on their shell without touching…

  • Mauritius, Black River Gorges National Park, Scenic view of mountains

    Gorges Viewpoint

    Black River Gorges National Park

    On a clear day, the views from here across the gorge and down towards the west coast rank among the best on the island.

  • Ebony Forest of Chamarel

    Chamarel

    One of the most exciting conservation initiatives in Mauritius in the last few years, the Ebony Forest seeks to recreate a small pocket of indigenous…

  • St Aubin

    Mauritius

    St Aubin is an elegant plantation house that dates back to 1819; it originally sat alongside the factory but was moved in the 1970s so that its owner…

  • Blue Bay Marine Park

    Mauritius

    In an effort to protect the area's rich underwater forest of rare corals from encroaching development, the government has given Blue Bay 'marine park'…

  • Château Labourdonnais

    The North

    One of the loveliest examples of colonial architecture on the island, restored Château Labourdonnais was completed in 1859. Built in teak and sporting an…

  • Rhumerie de Chamarel

    Chamarel

    Set among the vast hillside plantations of Chamarel, the rhumerie is a working distillery that doubles as a museum showcasing the rum-making process. The…

  • Curious Corner of Chamarel

    Chamarel

    This eclectic place is utterly unlike anywhere else on the island. Essentially an interactive gallery of illusions and art, it has an upside-down room, a…

  • Victoria 1840

    Mauritius

    Worth a look, Victoria 1840 is an old sugar mill that has been lovingly refurbished to house some of the works of Yvette Maniglier, a bewitching French…

  • Saturday Market

    Rodrigues

    The Saturday market is as busy as Rodrigues gets and it's the best place on the island to shop for fresh produce and souvenirs. It's open the rest of the…

  • Trou d'Argent

    Rodrigues

    One of the loveliest cove beaches anywhere in the Indian Ocean, this isolated spot, enclosed by low cliffs, is accessible only on foot on the coastal…

  • Palmar Public Beach

    Mauritius

    Small, perfectly formed and lapped by waters a near-perfect shade of turquoise on a sunny day, this is the pick of the public beaches on Mauritius' east…

  • lake mountain plant tree

    Trou aux Cerfs

    Mauritius

    About 1km west of central Curepipe, the Trou aux Cerfs is a dormant volcanic crater some 100m deep and 1km in circumference. The bowl is heavily wooded…

  • La Vanille

    Mauritius

    This busy zoo and reserve makes for a fantastic field trip with kids. The park has the greatest number of giant tortoises in captivity in the world (over…

  • Grande Montagne Nature Reserve

    Rodrigues

    One of the last remaining stands of forest on Rodrigues, this nature reserve crowns the island's summit. The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation has planted…

  • Île des Deux Cocos

    Mauritius

    Île des Deux Cocos sits at the edge of the azure lagoon and was once used by flamboyant British governor Sir Hesketh Bell to entertain guests. Today the…

  • Le Morne Public Beach

    Mauritius

    The resort hotels of Le Morne may have grabbed long stretches of ocean frontage here, but this public beach, between Dinarobin and Lux Le Morne is just as…

  • Macchabée Viewpoint

    Black River Gorges National Park

    The stunning Macchabée Viewpoint is in the heart of the Black River Gorges National Park, where some of the best trails meet.

  • MAURITIUS - 1991/01/01: Mauritius, Casela Bird Park, Flamingos. (Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)

    Casela World of Adventures

    Flic en Flac

    When you arrive at this 14-hectare nature park, you're greeted with a bewildering range of options – in addition to being a zoo (with big cats, rhinos,…

  • Beach at Le Souffleur, Mauritius

    Le Souffleur

    Mauritius

    This half-formed grotto on the side of a cliff spouts a geyser-like fountain (up to 20m high!) when seas are rough. You'll need a bit of gumption (and a…

  • MAURITIUS. BOIS-CHERI TEA PLANTATION AND FACTORY. TEA LEAVES HARVEST..//MAURICE. BOIS-CHERI. PLANTATION DE THE ET USINE. CUEILLETTE DES FEUILLES DE THE

    Bois Chéri Tea Plantation

    Mauritius

    This 250-hectare tea factory and museum is located about 12km north of Rivière des Anguilles amid a vast expanse of cane. Hour-long tours of the tea…

  • Mauritius, Black River Gorges National Park, Scenic view of mountains

    Black River Gorges National Park

    Mauritius

    A network of hiking trails crisscrosses the wild and empty Black River Gorges National Park. Unfortunately, they're not always well marked, so check the…

  • Chamarel waterfalls in Mauritius

    Chamarel Waterfall

    Chamarel

    About halfway (1.5km) between the entrance gate to Terres de 7 Couleurs and the colourful sands is a scenic viewpoint over the waterfall, which plunges…

  • Rault Biscuit Factory

    Mauritius

    In 1870 the Rault family started producing manioc biscuits at its little biscuit factory on the northern outskirts of Mahébourg, and the factory has…

  • L'Aventure du Sucre

    The North

    The former Beau Plan sugar factory houses one of the best museums in Mauritius. It not only tells the story of sugar in great detail but also covers the…

  • Terres de 7 Couleurs

    Chamarel

    Chamarel Coloured Earths have become one of the sights on the island's usual tourist circuit. Some travellers (and we're among them) find them quite…

  • Aapravasi Ghat

    Port Louis

    Aapravasi Ghat, a small complex of buildings located on the seafront, served as the island's main immigration depot for indentured labourers from India…

  • Caverne Patate

    Rodrigues

    Caverne Patate, in the island's southwestern corner, is an impressive cave system with a few stalagmite and stalactite formations. Visit is by guided tour…

  • Domaine des Aubineaux

    Mauritius

    The manor house of the Domaine des Aubineaux was built in 1872 in a classic colonial style; in 1889 it was the first residence on the island to be…

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