Waterfalls and natural wonders of Mauritius
Beyond the beaches, Mauritius hides spectacular nature: the Chamarel and Rochester waterfalls, the Black River Gorges, seven-coloured volcanic earths and century-old botanical gardens. This selection gathers the natural sites that make it worth renting a car and leaving the coast for a day.
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.
Chamarel Seven Coloured Earth Geopark
A unique geological phenomenon: volcanic clay dunes in seven ochre, red and violet hues that never mix. The geopark also hosts giant tortoises and the Chamarel waterfall lookout.
Chamarel Waterfall
Mauritius's highest waterfall: a nearly 100 m curtain plunging from a basalt plateau into a lush green cirque. The viewing platform offers a striking panorama.
Rochester Falls
A one-of-a-kind waterfall: the water drops over rectangular basalt columns carved by erosion, in the middle of the cane fields. The bravest dive from the rocks.
Plaine Champagne
A 700 m highland plateau crossed by Mauritius's highest scenic road, between Chinese-guava moors and native forest. Cool air, frequent mists and a string of viewpoints.
Kanaka Crater
A shallow volcanic crater, entirely swallowed by vegetation, perched at 570 m above the Bois Chéri tea plantations. You reach it on an easy walk through tea bushes and bamboo groves: Trou aux Cerfs without the tour buses or the concrete railing.
Osterlog Endemic Garden
A botanical garden devoted to Mauritius's endemic plants, tucked in a green valley in the Grand Port uplands. A short loop leads to the Tortue waterfall, where you can shower under the trickle, and to a pen where giant tortoises graze in real greenery — not on a concrete slab as in the paying parks.
Bassin Blanc Crater Lake
A crater lake set above 600 m over Chamouny, often drowned in mist, its milky-white water giving it its name. The site sits completely off the tourist circuits and feeds a fine collection of local legends.
GRSE Waterfall
A wide, powerful waterfall dropping into the estuary of Mauritius's largest river, reached by boat from the lagoon. Cliff monkeys and the light on the water make it very photogenic.
Ebony Forest Reserve, Chamarel
A conservation reserve for Mauritius's endemic forest: canopy-level walkways, replanted ebony trees and the Sublime Point lookout over Le Morne bay. Reintroduced pink pigeons and Mauritius fodies.
Tamarind Falls / Seven Cascades
A spectacular canyon where the Tamarin river tumbles down seven successive falls through dense tropical vegetation. Hiking, natural-pool swims and canyoning: the western highlands' adventure playground.