Mauritius travel guide

The southern coast of Mauritius is mainly rocky cliffs, but there are beaches here and there. Gris Gris is a small crescent shaped beach enclosed by black boulders and cliffs on the sides. The view along the coastline from the top of the cliff is just splendid - even on cloudy days. There are a few restaurants and snack stands near the parking lot.

The paradise island of Ile aux Cerfs is a popular daytrip destination. There are unspoiled white beaches for kilometres. The lagoon side has calm azure blue waters, while the seaside is usually rougher, even though it's protected by an outer reef. The area around the small pier is touristic with restaurants, souvenir shops and touts pushing parasail and other water sports. But, just a few beaches further down, it gets more deserted until the point where you have an entire beach for yourself. As strange as it might sound, there is a golf course on the island. Speedboats make the 15 minutes journey from Trou d’Eau Douce on the mainland.

A small and pretty public beach with rough waters as it's facing the sea. It's a popular spot for sunset watching as the sun goes down right across the bay. There are toilets, changing cabins and snack stands. If you want a peek at the rich and famous, walk along the black rocks to the bay next door where the luxury resort Royal Palm occupies the whole beach.

This characteristic mountain rock right on the shore is one of Mauritius' two UNESCO World Heritage sites. According to legend, escaping slaves from the sugar plantation hid on top of the mountain. Unaware of the abolishment of slavery, they jumped to their death when soldiers came to tell them the good news. It is possible to hike almost to the top where amazing views await. The hike is little bit technical (ropes and some scrambling), so local guides will offer their service.

Right next to Blue Bay lies the more secluded and isolated Point d'Esny. Private luxury bungalows face the gorgeous beach, which is known as one of the most beautiful stretches of sand on Mauritius. The calm turquoise lagoon is popular with kite surfers.

Port Louis is a lovely break from the otherwise easy beach life. It's noisy, crowded and run down, but it has an interesting vibe. There are dilapidated colonial buildings and palmy squares, but the only real sight is the UNESCO enlisted Aapravasi Ghat. The orderly central market is full of vegetables on ground level and textile on the first floor. For some excellent Chinese food head to the well-stocked China Town a few blocks down.

There are plenty of old stone churches on Mauritius and the one in Poudre d'Or isn't anything special in that context - but it still makes a nice stop while exploring the area. The church was built in 1847 and there is a large cemetery in front of it.

The islands in the Indian Ocean are not known for rum like the Caribbean ones, but Mauritius has become a producer in recent years. A visit to the Rhumerie de Chamarel distillery is a quick, but informative, tour through the process of rum making with some rum tasting at the end. You can of course buy some, but there aren't any hard sale.

Sir Seewoosagaur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden is considered the second best botanical gardens in the world after London's Kew Gardens. But while London needs greenhouses to keep the plants, the Pamplemousses is open air. There are more than 600 species of trees and 80 species of palms, including the largest specimen in the world (a 40 m tall Queen Palm). The garden was founded in 1735 by the French and expanded by the British. There are some quirky corners, like the lane with trees planted by country and world leaders like Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan, Indira Gandhi… and Robert Mugabe. It is a good idea to hire a guide, though it can feel like the guide has a story about every single plant.

This natural phenomena is exactly as the name suggests, some dirt dunes in several hues of ochre. Because of its location on the southern tourist loop, it attracts a huge number of holidayers from the resorts. There are boardwalks, viewing platforms and souvenir shops. A bonus is the enclosure with giant tortoises.