Things to do in Mauritius: Attractions and places to visit

1. The seven-coloured earth of Chamarel

Visitors to Chamarel can marvel at a very special natural phenomenon. The small village is located in the south of Mauritius and is a real tourist magnet. It is one of the most famous sights of the island. The “Seven Coloured Earth” is unique in the world and was created naturally over thousands of years. The hilly lunar landscape does not consist of earth or sand, as many assume, but of dried lava rock.

The high concentration of aluminium and iron in the soil has created a colourful landscape in the colours brown, red, purple, violet, blue, green and yellow. The area is fenced in and strictly forbidden to enter, but several viewpoints offer a breathtaking view over the colourful natural wonder. The colours shine particularly well at sunrise and sunset.

2. Black River Gorges National Park

The park exists since 1994 and with a size of 6.500 hectares it is the largest national park of the island. About 50 kilometres of hiking trails invite not only nature lovers on an exciting journey of discovery through one of the rarest rainforests in the world. The park belongs to the most important sightseeings of Mauritius and attracts more than 250.000 visitors annually. On Mauritius there are more than 700 tropical plant species, of which more than 300, partly also rare species, are located in the national park.

Orchids, flamingo flowers, the Chinese guava, the dodo tree or the traveler’s tree are just a few examples of the colourful flora. At the same time, the park is also a nature reserve for endangered birds such as the Rose Dove, the Mauritius White-eye, Mauritius-Sittig, Kestrel or the White-eye. But also flying foxes, wild boars, deer, deer and butterflies have found their home in the nature reserve and with a little luck they can be observed.

3. Botanical Garden of Pamplemousses

The Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden is located in the north of the island and is one of the most beautiful gardens in the world. The area is almost 40 hectares, of which about 25 hectares are open to visitors. The rest is used and cultivated land. It was laid out in 1767 and expanded bit by bit. Over 600 different plant species, including over 80 palm species, enchant nature lovers and botanists.

In addition to ebony trees, sugar cane and various types of orchids, there are also beautiful water lilies and liver sausage trees. The pride and joy of the Botanical Garden, however, are the huge water lilies from the Amazon region (Victoria Regia), which are even said to bear the weight of a petite woman. Equally impressive is the Talipot palm, which blooms only once in 40 to 60 years and then dies. But during this time it carries over 200,000 white flowers and thousands of large round fruits.

4. Blue Penny Museum Mauritius

The museum was opened in 2001 and shows the most important exhibition of Mauritius. It is located on the site of the Le Caudan Waterfront Shopping Mall in the capital Port Louis. The history of the long colonial period of Mauritius is shown. More than 10,000 exhibits from paintings, old nautical charts, photographs, sculptures, stamps and old documents are presented in an appealing way in the museum.

However, most visitors come to see the world’s most famous and rare stamp, the Blue Mauritius (Blue Penny). Also on display is a specimen of the not so well known but equally valuable Red Mauritius. The value of each brand is more than half a million euros. In the year 1847 500 copies were published, today only 12 or 15 copies exist. To protect the brands, they are only illuminated once an hour for a maximum of 10 minutes.

5. Volcanic crater Trou aux Cerfs

One of the most important sightseeings of Mauritius is the volcanic crater Trou aux Cerfs, another fascinating natural event. The sleeping volcano, over 600 metres high, is located in the centre of the city of Curepipe. The crater has a diameter of over 300 metres and is more than 80 metres deep. It was formed almost two million years ago, when the volcano was still active.

Over time, a swampy lake has formed inside the crater, surrounded by a small forest. At the side there is a small path that offers the possibility to go down to the water. The volcano can be walked up to the crater without great effort or even driven on by car. Once at the top it offers a breathtaking view. When the weather is good, even the neighbouring island La Réunion can be seen.

6. La Vanilla Nature Park

The Vanille Nature Park exists since 1985 and is located in the south of Mauritius. The five-hectare site is also a nature reserve for endangered giant tortoises and provides an optimal habitat for their reproduction. In total there are over 700 turtles living in the park, some of which can also be stroked. The oldest turtles are over 100 years old.

Crocodiles, flying foxes, iguanas, monkeys, deer and even wild boars are also at home in the popular park on Mauritius. The insectarium is particularly interesting. It contains the largest insect collection in the world. More than 20,000 butterfly and insect species from all continents can be admired and observed here. Especially for families with children, the La Vanille Nature Park is one of the absolute top attractions.

7. Domaine Les Pailles

The open-air museum Domaine Les Pailles is an approximately 1,500 hectare site with sugar cane fields and is located near the capital Port Louis. Visitors can gain an impression of how sugar is cultivated and processed.

today, 80 percent of Mauritius’s land still consists of sugar cane fields, and processing is one of the country’s main sources of income alongside tourism.

It is especially beautiful at this sight to get a deeper understanding about the importance of agriculture for Mauritius. The individual processes are described in a very entertaining way and, of course, individual products can also be tasted and purchased on site. In addition to the extraction and processing of sugar, honey, rum and oils are also produced here. The beekeeping and rum distillery can also be visited.

8. La Vallée des Couleurs

Those who are not afraid of airy heights and fast adventures should definitely take a ride with the Zipline in the Vallée des Couleurs. On a 450 hectare site, small and large visitors can zoom through tropical landscapes for a total of 1.5 kilometres and take a bird’s eye view of Mauritius. It is the third longest pipeline in the world and has been open since 04.07.1998.

But the large amusement park also has a lot to offer in other respects. Next to the Zipline there is a so-called Nepal floating bridge on which you can walk more than 350 metres above the treetops of the nature reserve. In addition, there are interesting quad tours on offer, which also take you off the beaten track on exploratory tours. This is all about adrenaline!

9. Dream beach Flic en Flac

One of the most beautiful beaches on Mauritius is undoubtedly the world famous Flic en Flac. The beach offers the perfect opportunity to relax and unwind. But it never gets boring here. Mauritius is known as a diving and snorkelling paradise and with its countless offers invites you to exciting underwater tours. If you like it a little more relaxed, you will love an extensive beach walk at the water, especially at sunset.

The beach of Flic-en-Flac in the western part of the island is open to the public, although a large number of luxury hotels have settled here. Together with Grand Baie, the town is the country’s most important tourist centre. The entertainment offer as well as the selection of good restaurants is accordingly large. Those who want to stroll longer can reach the surf hotspot Tamarin after about 1.5 hours on the beach.

10. Capital Port Louis

One of the most important sightseeings of Mauritius is in any case also the island capital Port Louis. Every day, up to 40,000 visitors come to watch the hustle and bustle on the streets. Of course, the capital also invites you to stroll and stroll. Countless stalls with traders offer their partly homemade goods. A visit to this city should not be missing in any case

Port Louis is the cultural and economic centre of Mauritius. A visit to the colourful Central Market, which offers many regional delicacies, is highly recommended. Sometimes it is very turbulent and chaotic, but this is what makes it so attractive. Many legacies of the colonial era can be found in the historic city centre and the picturesque Caudan Waterfront.

Best time to visit Mauritius

We recommend the following months as best time to travel for exploring the attractions and acivities of Mauritius:

May, June, July, August, September, October, and November

You can find more information about the weather, including all climate data, on our climate page for Mauritius.