After my trip to Morocco earlier this year, I was excited to visit another country in Africa. Mauritius has been on my bucket list for a very long time, but now I finally made it to this little piece of heaven. The island is located off the southeast coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean and is now a popular holiday destination for many people around the world. 

Since I do not like large crowds, my main incentive was to get to know the nature and vegetation of Mauritius. This also includes the underwater world. From several reports I have read that Mauritius is one of the few places that still has a colorful underwater scenery. Surrounded by white sandy beaches, Mauritius has the world’s third-largest coral reef that protects the lagoons around the island.

But also the diversity of animals and plants is huge. Mauritius is the home to some of the world’s rarest plants and species. I think you get my point. I just had to visit this island. So here I’ve listed the things you need to see on the island so that you get an impression of what I mean. Also, you will find out how beautiful Mauritius is – if you haven’t thought of a trip yet. 

Top things to see on Mauritius

Le Morne Brabant

Le Morne Brabant is a peninsula and a barely inhabited place in the southwest of the island. Mainly surrounded by expensive hotels, beautiful sand beaches, and coral reefs, you have the chance to climb Le Morne Brabant Mountain and enjoy a fantastic panoramic view over the Indian Ocean and the island. The mountain is about 556 m (1.824 ft) high and has been a World Heritage Site since 2008. In the 19^th century, Le Morne was a hideaway of slaves to escape their masters. Today, it offers several trails with different viewpoints to enjoy the breathtaking nature of Mauritius. 

If you want to do some water activities, you can try stand up paddling at Le Morne Beach. If you walk along the beach you will find a little house where they rent kayaks and boards for a lot of fun in the Indian Ocean.

Black River Gorges National Park

The Black River Gorges National Park is situated in the south-western part of Mauritius near Le Morne Brabant. It stretches over 6.574 hectares and shows its incredible forests and wildlife. The forest is home to over 300 species of flowering plants and houses one of the rarest birds in the world: the pink dove. Unfortunately, this bird is considered almost extinct on the island. However, if you are patient and watchful, there is a chance to discover one. 

In addition to the great diversity, the National Park also offers a number of long trails for nature lovers. At the same time, the Black River Gorges is the ideal place to get a stunning panoramic view of the island’s landscape, with its gorges, peaks, and waterfalls.

Chamarel

Also located south-west of Mauritius, the small village Chamarel attracts with fantastic places. Those should be on your Mauritius bucket list, too. One of these places is the highest waterfall on the island. With a height of 100 m (328 ft), the Chamarel Falls shows how impressive they are and represent one of the perfect spots in Mauritius. 

The Seven Coloured Earth is another highlight in Chamarel you shouldn’t miss out. This place is made up of sand dunes with different colors such as red, brown, and purple. The different colors resulted from the cooling of the volcanic rocks at different temperatures, which created the differently colored dunes. It’s a wonderful natural phenomenon that you can’t see anywhere else. So make sure it’s on your list!

La Vallée des Couleurs Nature Park

La Vallée des Couleurs Nature Park is a unique attraction of the island where you can discover and do lots of different things. For nature lovers, it offers a remarkable flora and fauna while thrillseekers get their money worth with fun activities and excursions for all ages. So you can expect zip-lining over the unspoiled valleys and craters, quad biking through the beautiful natural landscape, and walking over the iconic Nepalese Bridge which is 350 m (1148 ft) long and gives you breathtaking views over the whole park.

Trou aux Cerfs

Today it is hard to imagine that Mauritius was originally a volcanic island with its primeval forests and idyllic beaches. An imposing testimony to the volcanic past of Mauritius, however, is the Trou aux Cerfs. It’s located in the middle of the island and is the crater of a long-extinct volcano. This crater is about 90 m (295 ft) deep and has a diameter of more than 200 m (656 ft). In the inner part, you can find a swampy lake now, which is surrounded by a grove.

Iles Aux Cerfs

Are you up for a little boat trip? Then head over to Iles Aux Cerfs on the east coast of Mauritius. This little island persuades with spectacular white sandy beaches, palm trees, and clear blue and turquoise water. Once arrived, you will have the feeling of being on a treasure island where you can relax, enjoy cocktails or go parasailing. I especially recommend doing the latter, because you will have a terrific view of the pristine island. 

Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden

The Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden or just SSR Botanical Garden is a beautiful green facility with giant water lilies and talipot palms. But it also offers a large number of exotic spices, ebony trees, sugarcane, and 85 different species of palm trees from Central America, Asia, Africa, and other Indian Ocean islands. It is located 8 km (5 mi) north of Mauritius’ capital Port Louis and is worth a visit if you stay in the northern part of the island.

Best travel time

Mauritius has a tropical climate with two seasons: summer and winter. From November to April the weather is mostly warm and humid with temperatures of 24°C (76°F). And from June to September you can expect a relatively cool dry winter with still pleasant temperatures of 20°C (68°F).

Mauritius has no rainy season, but it happens to rain sometimes – especially in the summer months. Also, tropical cyclones can occur occasionally between January and March. But they tend to be over Mauritius for only about three days.

Mauritius travel tips

There are a few things to know before traveling to Mauritius. One thing is that taxis and minibusses with private drivers are hardly more expensive than rental cars. Since it’s a country with left-hand traffic and the road conditions are sometimes very confusing (lots of roundabouts), you can rely on the local drivers. Although it’s rarely worth trading, you should definitely agree on the price before you start your journey.

Also, make sure the taxi is an official one. The advantage here is that the driver on the road acts as a guide and waits anywhere for you, no matter how long it takes. Day trips by taxi cost about 2.500-3.500 MUR (62-87€/$72-101) depending on the route. 

Another important thing to mention is the beach on Mauritius. Most of them have little rocks and sharp stones. So if you have water shoes at home, take them with you. Otherwise, you can invest in good ones, since it’s always a benefit to have a pair of water shoes on activity holidays. 

Booking.com

If you are unsure where to stay on Mauritius, I can recommend Le Toussrok, LUX* Le Morne and the SeaSense Boutique Hotel. But on booking.com you will definitely find a nice spot. Just use the search box above and find the hotel you want.

Do you have any questions about Mauritius and my stay there? Then let me know in the comments below.

I just wanted to let you know that this page contains affiliate links. If you decide to buy something using one of these links, I will earn a small commission. Don’t worry that’s at no extra cost to you, but it does help to fund my travels and keep the website running. Thank you!