3 days : the essentials of Mauritius
A concentrate of the must-sees from a single base on the west coast: the lively North, the spectacular South-West and Port Louis. A brisk pace, but no drive exceeds 1h30.
Single base: Flic en Flac or Tamarin (west coast).
The North : beaches and fishing villages
~90 km A/RGoogle Maps- 1
SSR Botanical Garden, Pamplemousses2-3h · Rs 300 - 2
Grand Baydemi-journée · free - 3
Pereybere Beach2-3h · free - 4
Cap Malheureux Red-Roofed Church30min · free
Leave early (8am): Pamplemousses garden at opening before the heat, lunch in Grand Baie, swim at Pereybère, then the red-roofed church of Cap Malheureux for the late-afternoon light.
The South-West : mountains, waterfalls and Seven Coloured Earths
~80 km en boucleGoogle Maps- 1
Black River Gorges Viewpoint30min · free - 2
Ganga Talao Sacred Lake1h · free - 3
Chamarel Seven Coloured Earth Geopark1-2h · Rs 800 (non-resident adult, child Rs 400) - 4
Chamarel Waterfall30min · Rs 800 (included with Seven Coloured Earth) - 5
Le Morne Public Beachdemi-journée · free - 6
Maconde Viewpoint30min · free
Clockwise loop: up through the Black River Gorges viewpoints, Grand Bassin, back down to Chamarel (table d'hôte lunch), finishing with Le Morne beach and the Maconde bend at sunset.
Port Louis and a last swim
~40 kmGoogle Maps- 1
Port Louis Central Market1h · free - 2
Aapravasi Ghat World Heritage Site1h · free - 3
Flic en Flac Beachdemi-journée · free
Port Louis in the morning only (heavy traffic after 3pm): central market then the UNESCO-listed Aapravasi Ghat. Afternoon beach and snorkeling at Flic en Flac, 25 min from the capital.