A country · 64 places · 9 regions

Mauritius, all of it.

64 curated places across 9 regions — photographed, mapped, and noted with the season each is best in.

Black River Gorges National Park, Mauritius

Black River Gorges National Park · via Wikimedia Commons

The 4 biggest regions — Plaines Wilhems District, Rivière Noire District, Grand Port District and Port Louis District — read below as chapters, with 5 more waiting past them.

Chapter I · Plaines Wilhems District · 9 places

Plaines Wilhems District

A dormant volcanic crater in the middle of Curepipe, its bowl thickly vegetated and its rim circled by a walking path popular with morning joggers. On clear days the viewpoint takes in much of the island's central plateau and the peaks of the southwest. It is an easy stop when crossing the highlands.

Trou aux Cerfs

Plaines Wilhems District, Mauritius

✦ May to December · $

Curepipe

Plaines Wilhems District, Mauritius

✦ May to December · $

Curepipe Botanic Garden

Plaines Wilhems District, Mauritius

✦ May to November · $

All 9 places in Plaines Wilhems District →

via Wikimedia Commons

Chapter II · Rivière Noire District · 8 places

Rivière Noire District

A geological curiosity near Chamarel where dunes of volcanic earth settle into distinct bands of red, brown, violet and blue that never mix. Walkways circle the protected dunes, and a small enclosure nearby houses Aldabra giant tortoises. The site pairs naturally with the adjacent Chamarel waterfall viewpoint.

✦ May to December · $$

Meet Seven Coloured Earths All 8 places in Rivière Noire District →

Chapter III · Grand Port District · 7 places

Grand Port District

A small coral island 850 metres offshore from Mahébourg, Ile aux Aigrettes is managed by the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation as an ecological restoration project recreating the island's pre-human ecosystem. Aldabra giant tortoises have been introduced as ecological replacements for the extinct Mauritian giant tortoise, and the island shelters the last remnant of dry coastal forest once found across Mauritius. Access is by guided boat tour only, maintaining the fragile restoration effort.

Ile aux Aigrettes

Grand Port District, Mauritius

✦ April to November · $$

Blue Bay Marine Park

Grand Port District, Mauritius

✦ May to December · $

Mahébourg

Grand Port District, Mauritius

✦ May to December

All 7 places in Grand Port District →

via Wikimedia Commons

Chapter IV · Port Louis District · 7 places

Port Louis District

The Champ de Mars in Port Louis is one of the oldest horse-racing tracks in the world, opened in 1812 within a natural amphitheatre of hills. Racing here is a national passion, drawing large, festive crowds through the winter season in a tradition dating back to the early British period. The grounds also hold significance as the place where Mauritian independence was proclaimed in 1968. Ringed by the mountains that enclose the capital, the course blends sporting spectacle with a strong sense of civic memory.

✦ May–November · $

Meet Champ de Mars Racecourse All 7 places in Port Louis District →