Port Louis Day Trips

Beaches

The beaches of Mauritius are close to perfect, with fine white sand and clear water running to heavenly shades of blue. Some of the island's best beaches on the west coast are easily reached from Port Louis. Flic en Flac is the longest beach in Mauritius and features a beautiful lagoon. Grand Baie, 12 miles (20km) to the north of the capital, is a major tourist centre, offering watersports, shops, nightlife and restaurants to complement its splendid beach and deep sheltered bay. Also on the north coast road is Pereybere, one of the island's favoured swimming spots. The Baie du Tamarin is at the mouth of the Tamarin River in a beautiful setting, and is popular for surfing, with Indian Ocean rollers washing the beach all year round. In the southwest is Le Morne Brabant, characterised by a basaltic outcrop and beaches shaded by casuarinas and coconut trees. Snorkellers enjoy Trou-aux-Biches with its shallow waters and coral reefs.

Domaine Les Pailles

A short taxi ride to the south of Port Louis is the Domaine Les Pailles cultural centre and nature park, covering more than 1,500 hectares (3,707 acres) and offering plenty of entertainment for visitors. Activities include horse-drawn carriage and train rides, viewing a working replica of an ox-powered sugar mill, a rum distillery, exploring a herb garden and natural spring. There is also an onsite horse riding centre, several restaurants, a jazz club and casino.

Moka

Those who enjoy seeking out some culture along with their sunshine holiday should visit the town of Moka, seven miles (12km) south of Port Louis, which is not only Mauritius' academic centre but also blessed with some beautiful scenery and impressive historic manor houses. Moka is the home of the University of Mauritius and the Mahatma Ghandi Institute, tasked with preserving the island's Indian culture. There is an Indian folk museum to visit, and the Eureka House (now a museum) dating from 1830. Moka can be reached by bus or taxi from Port Louis or Curepipe.

Curepipe

Curepipe, sitting atop the high central plateaux of inland Mauritius 12 miles (20km) from Port Louis, owes its existence to a malaria epidemic in 1867, when thousands fled to the healthy, cooler high ground from Port Louis to escape the mosquitoes. The town is the centre of a spread-out suburban area, and offers some good shopping opportunities. Its main attraction for visitors, though, is an extinct volcano, Trou aux Cerfs, west of the town near the botanical gardens, with a massive wooded crater floor. A road leads to the rim of the volcano and there are spectacular views from the summit. Another natural attraction, just four miles (6km) south west of Curepipe, is the Black River Gorges National Park, home to the rare tambalacoque tree and a variety of exotic flora and fauna.

Ile Aux Cerfs

The small island of Ile aux Cerfs (Stag Island) off the east coast of Mauritius is a popular tourist haven, managed by the adjacent Touessrok Hotel, but open to the public. The island, featuring splendid tropical vegetation and encircled by magnificent beaches, can be reached by boat from the small fishing village of Trou d'eau Douce. The island is equipped with a bar, restaurant and shops, as well as watersports facilities from parasailing to windsurfing. The most recent, and somewhat controversial, development on the island is an 18-hole Bernhard Langer designed championship golf course, which affords a sea view from each hole and often requires the novelty of hitting a tee-shot over a natural sea inlet onto the fairway.

Transport: Boats leave every half hour from Trou d'eau Douce between 9am and 5pm

Black River Gorges National Park

Situated in the south-west of the Island, the Black River Gorges National Park is a popular spot for picnics, hiking and scenic drives. The park encompases thick pine forests, gorges and rugged mountains and is a sanctuary for wildlife and fauna. Bird-watchers should look out for the Mauritius kestrel, the green echo parakeet and the Mauritius cuckoo shrike. Don't feed the bands of macaque monkeys. The park's Chamarel Waterfalls are the highest in Mauritius at 83m (270ft) and are best seen after heavy rains. The best viewpoints are at the Alexandria Falls or the Black River Gorges viewpoint.

Transport: A short drive from Curepipe or Chamarel

La Vanille Reserve des Mascareigne

La Vanille Reserve des Mascareigne is nature reserve best known for its thousands of crocodiles and the giant tortoises, which they are helping re-introduce to the island of Rodrigues. Children can sit on the giant tortoises and watch the crocodiles being fed. The shop sells crocodile skin products, and the restaurant serves crocodile steak.

Address: Riviere des Anguilles; E-mail: crocpark@intnet.mu; Website: www.lavanille-reserve.com/index_eng.html; Telephone: 626 2503; Opening time: Open daily from 9.30am – 5pm. Crocodiles have lunch at 11am; Admission: Rs 230 (adults); Rs 95 (children) on weekdays. Rs175 (adults); Rs 75 (children) on weekends

Souillac

This small seaside resort is sited along the rugged coast in the southern Savanne district. The appeal of Souillac lies in its scenery, as it is not a bathing spot. In striking contrast to the soft curves of the northern coastline, the high cliffs here drop abruptly to the sea to face the bracing winds of the Indian Ocean as it blows all year round. Among the features of the area is a public garden overlooking the sea, the popular Gris-Gris viewpoint, and the nearby Rochester Falls.