Things to do in the North of Mauritius
The North is lively Mauritius: the beaches of Grand Baie, Pereybere and Mont Choisy, the red-roofed church of Cap Malheureux, the Pamplemousses garden and the catamarans to the northern islands. It is also the best-equipped region for nightlife. Every place below is within 30 minutes of the others.
Grand Bay
The island's liveliest seaside town: restaurants, shops and bars around a turquoise bay from which most northern-island excursions depart. The ideal base for the whole north coast.
Pereybere Beach
Rated one of Mauritius's best swimming beaches: a compact cove of brilliant sand and deep, intensely blue water. Ice-cream sellers, snacks and casuarinas complete the postcard.
Cap Malheureux Red-Roofed Church
The famous red-roofed chapel facing the lagoon, with Coin de Mire as a backdrop: one of the most photographed views in Mauritius. The village marks the island's northernmost point.
Trou aux Biches Beach
Nearly two kilometres of fine sand shaded by casuarinas, regularly ranked among the Indian Ocean's finest beaches. Its shallow turquoise lagoon is ideal for swimming and snorkeling.
Mont Choisy Beach
A huge crescent of white sand running from Trou aux Biches to Pointe aux Canonniers, backed by a casuarina grove. Calm water and spectacular sunsets: an absolute northern classic.
SSR Botanical Garden, Pamplemousses
The southern hemisphere's oldest botanical garden (1770), world-famous for its giant Victoria amazonica water lilies and talipot palms. Shady avenues, spices, baobabs and giant tortoises.
Gabriel Island
A little paradise of white sand and translucent water next to Flat Island, goal of the north's finest catamaran trip. Swimming, lagoon snorkeling and BBQ on board: the ultimate castaway day.
Northern Islands Catamaran Cruise
From the Grand Baie jetty, sail past Coin de Mire and its tropicbirds, then anchor between Flat and Gabriel Islands: crystal-water snorkeling and BBQ on board.
La Cuvette Beach
A small golden-sand cove tucked between two rocky points north of Grand Baie. Deep, clear water, perfect for swimming, more intimate than the big beaches nearby.
Bain Boeuf Beach
A strip of white sand between Pereybère and Cap Malheureux, with an unbeatable view of Coin de Mire. Little known to tourists, its calm shallow lagoon is perfect with children.
Anse La Raie
A large shallow lagoon swept by the trade winds, between Cap Malheureux and Grand Gaube. A noted kitesurf spot and a quiet picnic corner away from the crowds.
Grand Gaube
An authentic fishing village untouched by mass tourism, with a public beach lined with colourful boats and views of the northern islands. Departure point for Amber Island trips.
Pointe aux Canonniers
A chic peninsula between Mont Choisy and Grand Baie, a former French battery with a few remaining cannons and an old lighthouse. Secret little coves and fine snorkeling spots.
Pointe aux Piments
A quiet coastal village famous for its lagoon where sea turtles come to graze. One of the best shore-accessible snorkeling spots in Mauritius.
L'Aventure du Sucre Museum
In the old Beau Plan sugar mill, this modern museum tells 250 years of Mauritian history through sugar cane, slavery and indenture. Special-sugar and rum tasting at the end.
Château de Labourdonnais
A superb 1859 colonial mansion restored with period furniture, surrounded by century-old orchards and a craft distillery. A dive into the lifestyle of the great sugar families.
Goodlands Market Town
A big trading town in the north-east, far from the tourist circuits: bustling bazaar, fabric shops and Indo-Mauritian street food. The north's best place to feel local life.
Poudre d'Or
A peaceful, history-laden fishing village: the Saint-Géran sank offshore in 1744, the wreck that inspired 'Paul et Virginie'. A memorial faces the lagoon with Amber Island on the horizon.
Maheswarnath Mandir, Triolet
The largest and one of the oldest Hindu temples in Mauritius (1888), dedicated to Shiva, in the heart of Triolet. Carved towers, colourful deities and a peaceful air: a fine Indo-Mauritian immersion.
Gunner's Quoin
A spectacular wedge-shaped islet 4 km off Cap Malheureux, a no-landing nature reserve. Tropicbird cliffs and some of the north's finest dive waters.
Flat Island
11 km north of Mauritius, this island topped by a 19th-century lighthouse shares a crystal lagoon with Gabriel Island. A former quarantine station, visited on day catamaran trips.
Amber Island
A wild mangrove-ringed island in the north-east lagoon, off Poudre d'Or, famous for the Saint-Géran shipwreck. Explored by clear kayak or paddleboard along mangrove channels.
Scuba Diving, Trou aux Biches
Over 20 sites within a 20-minute boat ride: wrecks, drop-offs and coral gardens between 12 and 30 m. Many PADI centres, calm conditions year-round and 25-30 m visibility.
Tandem skydive (Mon Loisir)
Tandem jump from 10,000 ft above the Mon Loisir cane fields: 30 seconds of freefall at 200 km/h, then a canopy ride facing the turquoise lagoons of the north coast. One of the most spectacular drop zones in the Indian Ocean.
Grand Baie La Croisette
The North's main shopping mall, in the heart of Grand Baie: fashion galleria, restaurants, cinema and air-conditioned food court. The practical counterpart to the Grand Baie bazaar, and a welcome refuge when rain hits the northern beaches.
Blue Safari Submarine
The Indian Ocean's only real tourist submarine: a comfortable dive to 35 m from Trou aux Biches, among corals, turtles and a wreck. For everyone, and you stay dry.
Helicopter Island Flight
A scenic flight over the lagoons, mountain cirques and above all the famous 'underwater waterfall' off Le Morne, an optical illusion visible only from the sky.