Things to do in Central Mauritius and Port Louis

Port Louis's iconic waterfront with its hanging umbrellas, shops, craft market and harbourside restaurants. The ideal starting point for exploring the capital on foot.

An institution since Victorian times, the central bazaar brims with tropical fruit, herbal teas, souvenirs and street food. This is where you feel the capital's pulse, between dholl puri stalls and hawkers.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, this immigration depot processed half a million Indian indentured labourers between 1849 and 1923. A founding memorial of Mauritian identity.

A dormant volcano crater 300 m across in the middle of Curepipe, ringed by a shady promenade. On a clear day the panorama spans the central plateau all the way to Coin de Mire.

A sumptuous 1830 Creole mansion with 109 doors and windows, set at the foot of Ory mountain facing Pieter Both. Period furniture, verandas, tropical garden and the Moka river waterfalls.

The island's third peak (812 m), shaped like a raised thumb and once climbed by Charles Darwin. An accessible hike (2h30-3h return from La Laura) ending in a short rocky scramble and an unforgettable panorama.

Opened in 2021 at Les Salines, the first oceanarium in the Mascarenes: 45 tanks, 3,500 animals and 200 Indian Ocean species across 5,500 m². A modern, educational visit, ideal with kids or on a cloudy day.

Opened in 2023 in the former military hospital of 1740 (the island's oldest building), this museum traces the history of slavery in Mauritius: enslaved people's personal effects, archives and the moving Froberville busts (1846).

A brand-new open-air amusement park opened in July 2026 on the Tribeca Mall esplanade in Trianon: Megatron, Tower of Terror, Superslide and rides for everyone from age 3. A handy family outing in the island's centre, easy to pair with the mall.

The island's biggest mall, in Moka: 150+ shops (international brands and local designers), food court, cinema and events. The go-to rainy-day outing and the duty-free shopping stop for travellers.

A black-basalt British fortress completed in 1840, perched on a hill above Port Louis. Climb up for the 360° view of the city, harbour, Champ de Mars and the Moka range.

Between its two friendship gates, Chinatown lines up pagodas, century-old shops, street art and eateries serving dumplings and fried noodles. Mauritian multiculturalism distilled into a few streets.

The capital's historic green lung, planted with giant banyans and dotted with statues. The French East India Company's former vegetable garden, now Port Louis's shady breather.

The Caudan museum holds the legendary red and blue 'Post Office' stamps of 1847, among the world's rarest, plus the original Paul and Virginie statue.

An upscale highland residential area with a cool climate, historically tied to luxury knitwear. Come for the factory shops (cashmere, wool) and peaceful tree-lined avenues.

The central plateau's 'town of flowers', known for its big textile market and lively fair. A very local shopping and street-food stop at the foot of Corps de Garde mountain.

The plateau's student and arts town, around the Plaza theatre, a 1933 architectural gem, and the commercial Arab Town. A lively urban stop between Port Louis and Curepipe.

Mauritius's iconic mountain (820 m), topped by a balanced head-shaped boulder. The bolted final climb requires a guide; the trail to the shoulder already offers splendid views.

A crouching-lion silhouette watching over Grand Port bay, this 480 m mountain offers one of the island's finest short hikes. The summit ridge rewards you with a plunging view over the south-east lagoon.

A vast 1,200-hectare nature estate in the eastern hills and valleys, an outdoor paradise: quad, buggy, ziplines, horse riding and mountain biking. Java deer and savannah views along the way.

Port Louis's urban hike: a broad track climbing to 323 m above the capital, ideal at sunset when the city and harbour light up.