Scenic Sights of Mauritius

Mauritius is a treasure waiting to be discovered. The green island in the middle of the Indian Ocean will enchant you from the very first moment. The holiday will refresh your body and soul. There is a fair amount to see and do in Mauritius. It is known for its pristine beaches, emerald seas, craggy shorelines with colonies of water birds. Black Gorges, a must for nature lovers and wild life enthusiasts, museums, fortifications, galleries, colonial houses, beaches and what not. The beaches are the some of the best you will ever come across. White sands, clear blue waters, a treat indeed for any traveller. A host of water sports are available – sailing, windsurfing, water skiing or you can just sunbathe or relax at your hotel spa. Since the island has good weather all year round and has one of the largest coral reefs in the world, diving is a great activity anytime. Safari jeep tours, biking trips, full day sightseeing, tandem skydiving, dolphin watch, hiking, trekking, horse racing, rock climbing, kayaking. The list of what one do in Mauritius is endless. Some of the sights one must visit are covered briefly for you.

 

Grand Baie

The first area of the island to experience the tourist boom. Grand Baie was once called De Bogt Zonder Eyndt (Bay Without End) by the Dutch in the 17th century. It is a touristic village located in the north of Mauritius. A shopping and leisure paradise and the place to head for if you want a fun filled night with its bars, discos and restaurants. Most restaurants stop serving food by 10pm, though the night clubs pick up around midnight. La Cuvette beach is worth a visit.

 

Port Louis

The capital city and the chief port of Mauritius. Port Louis was constructed in 1735 by Mahe De Labourdonnais, noted French governor. The city is nestled between 2 mountains – Le Pouce and Pietre and along the square are a number of French styled buildings, all the makings of a spectacular, picture perfect port. Port Louis harbors some interesting points of interests. The most important place is the plaza of Place d' Armes. This place is very often thronged by the visitors. Here you will get to see the Government House and the Municipal Theatre. Fort Adelaide offers spectacular views of the town. Take a tour of the other smaller towns of Rose Hill and Quatre Bornes. Visit the sprawling park of Domaine Les Pailles which offers picturesque natural views. You can either ride on carriages or train and a take a tour of the mountains where you will see some rare birds and animals. The park also harbors few restaurants serving local food and also international cuisine. Discover the places of worship – Pagoda, Mosque and the Cathedral. Caudan Waterfront is one of the newest and most impressive of the Port Louis shopping centres.

 

Black River Gorge

The largest national park in Mauritius, rich in tropical flora and fauna. It is a major bio diversity zone and the most important of all the sight seeing places in Mauritius. This national park of 6,574 hectares was created in 1994 for the protection of Mauritius’ remaining native forests. Visitors can enjoy magnificent landscapes, with endemic plants and rare bird species. A trail leads from the Pétrin information centre to an area of typical plant life and to a conservation area. Famous for its waterfalls, vistas and hiking, the gorge is in the central highlands, making it cooler than much of the island. It is home to 300 species of flowering plants and 9 species of birds unique to Mauritius, including the Pink Pigeon. You can either do the numerous trails on your own or hire a guide via the visitor’s centre. There is nowhere to buy food or drinks in the park, even at the visitor centres. Make sure you bring plenty of water and energy-boosting snacks. You’ll also need insect repellent, binoculars for bird-watching, wet-weather gear and shoes with a good grip. The best time to visit the park is during the flowering season between September and January. Look for the rare tambalacoque or dodo tree, the black ebony trees and the wild guavas. Bird-watchers should keep an eye out for the Mauritius kestrel, pink pigeon, echo parakeet and Mauritius cuckoo-shrike, among other rarities, park wardens can indicate the most likely viewing spots.

 

Trou Aux Biches and Mont Choisy

Stretching from Trou Aux Biches to the Club Med in Pointe Aux Canonniers (towards Grand Baie) is Mont Choisy, the largest and longest public beach of the island. Its band of white powder sand, more than a mile long curves along the turquoise bay and most tempting are the inviting shade of the Casuarina trees. The lagoon, sheltered from the prevailing winds, provides great swimming, while the abundance of marine life coupled with good visibility makes for some excellent snorkelling and diving. The on going development has  robbed the area of its quiet, unspoilt feel, but it’s still cheaper and far less hectic than Grand Baie.

 

Île aux Cerfs

A stunning island off the east coast of Mauritius, is a popular day trip option for tourists and Mauritians alike. The island was once populated by cerfs or stags, imported for hunting from Java, sadly all you will find are touts and tourists today. At low tide you can also wade across to the smaller and quieter Île de l’Est, which is joined to Île aux Cerfs by a picturesque sand bar. In winter, the beaches on the island’s west side provide sheltered sunbathing spots. Much of the Île aux Cerfs belongs to the plush 5 star Le Touessrok hotel. The majority of water sports on offer are reserved for hotel guests, although the magnificent 18-hole golf course is also open to outsiders as long as they book in advance. It is advisable to carry a picnic basket since there are only a couple of hotels on the small island which are pricey too.

 

Mahébourg

There’s something charming about Mahébourg, with its sleepy feel, a mix of old and new and few quirky sights. Budget travellers have a good choice of accommodation here, and it makes a good base for any traveller, with beaches just a short distance out of the town and plenty to see and do in the surrounding area. It is one of the main fishing villages on the island. Built on the magnificent Grand Port Bay, it was founded in 1804 by the French Governor Charles Decaën. The Monday markets are among the biggest and best on the island and are held right next to the main bus station. Mahébourg (pronounced my-bor) was named after the famous French governor Mahé de Labourdonnais. Lion Mountain stands guard to the north and the far side of the lagoon is scattered with islands into the sea. Mahébourg’s most worthwhile site is its interesting history museum. The church also merits a quick look in passing and it’s worth venturing just north of town to visit a delightful old biscuit factory. There are no beaches in the town itself, but Blue Bay is within easy reach as well as Pointe d’Esny, from where boats leave for Île aux Aigrettes.

 

Grande Rivière Noire

Grande Rivière Noire is a major centre for big-game fishing. Just offshore from the mouth of the estuary, the ocean bottom plunges to 700m, providing the perfect environment for jacks and other bait fish. These small fry attract big predators such as tuna, shark and marlin. If you’re after more gentle pursuits, you can also arrange cruises and dolphin-watching expeditions from here.

 

Casela

Situated in the Rivière Noire district, the Casela Nature & Leisure Park stretches over 25 hectares. It contains more than 140 bird species from five continents and is home to many other animals like giant tortoises, zebras,tigers, lions and ostriches. Activities like walking with lions, Rando Fun (ziplines & hanging bridges), quad, buggy & Segway, a petting farm and many more promise a fun day for the whole family.

 

Flic en Flac

Flic en Flac was a tourist village till the past 200 years has developed into the second tourist area of Mauritius. Flic en Flac is derived from a Dutch phrase meaning “free and flat land”, can only explain the land must have looked so beautifully free when the explorers started arriving. Flic en Flac offers some wonderful spots, great diving and a good selection of eating and drinking. Another advantage is that Flic en Flac is located a long drive away from the main coastal road, so you don’t have the constant stream of fast-flowing traffic that plagues other towns on the west coast.

 

Pereybère

A wonderful public beach popular due to shopping, restaurants and pubs. It enjoys a relaxed pace and old world simplicity you won’t find in many places on the north coast.

 

 

Balaclava Ruins

A few metres from Baie aux Tortues, which 17th century sailors named after the many tortoises in the area, are the Balaclava ruins. They are remains of a French fort where much of the island’s arsenal was stored and was accidentally blown up. The initial foundations were laid down by Mahé de Labourdonnais. You can still see the line of the external sea wall,  the flour mill and the lime kiln which have survived in parts.

 

La Vanille Crocodile Park

Found in the fatal rain forest of Mauritius, the La Vanille Crocodile Park is one of the major tourist attraction center in the southern part of Mauritius, with the famous river Riviere des Anguilles flowing just by its side. Due to the climate of this place this rain forest is the hub of the tropical flora and it contains with itself more than a thousand wild Nile crocodiles and various kinds of animals like : monkeys, stags, fruit bats and tortoises. The crocodiles  have been transferred from Madagascar. You will get mesmerized to see the haven of lush tropical plants. The park also offers a huge collection of over 20, 000 different species of insects in the insectarium. Rain forests all over the world are fertile places for the breeding of reptiles and you will find a huge variety of reptile species in this place. Moreover, for your benefit and hospitality, there are facilities like car parking, food courts, restaurants but in order to preserve ecological balance and to provide the animals peaceful environment you are requested not to create unnecessary sounds.

 

 

There is so much to see and do in Mauritius as we said right at the beginning. Endless list of beaches – Belle Mare, Le Bouchon, Cap Pomponette, Le Morne, Tamarin, Roche Noires, Riambel, La Cuvette, Souillac. The Labourdonnais Orchards offer a display of tropical fruit trees, colourful and delightfully perfumed exotic flowers. If you are up for a little exercise, trips via mountain biking or hiking are available many trails weaving in and out of the exotic vegetation. For families looking to spend some quality time together, The Waterpark Leisure Village on the Eastern side of Mauritius is easily the best choice. There are so many more attractions ready and waiting to be enjoyed throughout the islands of the Republic. From pristine beaches to mountain hiking trails, a visitor is surrounded by the island’s natural wonders. Shopping districts and family friendly themed attractions are also right at your fingertips. So what are you waiting for?