3 days in Mauritius

Day by day

1. Day 1: Le Morne Brabant and Chamarel Seven Coloured Earths and waterfall

   Le Morne Brabant, Chamarel Seven Coloured Earths and waterfall and Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden, then Grand Baie in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Le Morne Brabant

      This 556-metre basalt monolith at the island's south-west tip sheltered escaped slaves in the 18th and 19th centuries and is now a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape.

   2. Late morning

      Chamarel Seven Coloured Earths and waterfall

      Visit in the late afternoon when the low sun brings out the colours, then stop at the rum distillery down the road.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Dholl puri

      Street stalls around Port Louis Central Market and in every town; locals queue at well-known vendors at lunchtime.

   4. Afternoon

      Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden

      Founded in the 18th century, this garden in Pamplemousses is famous for its pond of giant Victoria water lilies, avenues of royal and talipot palms, spice trees and a pen of giant tortoises.

   5. Evening

      Grand Baie

      The island's main nightlife area, with bars along the coast road and clubs busy on Friday and Saturday nights.

2. Day 2: Black River Gorges National Park and Grand Bassin (Ganga Talao)

   Black River Gorges National Park, Grand Bassin (Ganga Talao) and Île aux Cerfs, then Flic en Flac in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Black River Gorges National Park

      Stop at the Gorges and Alexandra Falls viewpoints even if you are not hiking, and start walks early before cloud builds.

   2. Late morning

      Grand Bassin (Ganga Talao)

      A crater lake in the highlands that Mauritian Hindus regard as sacred, lined with temples and shrines.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Farata

      Street stalls and snack vans in Port Louis, Rose-Hill and beach car parks.

   4. Afternoon

      Île aux Cerfs

      Walk away from the jetty to the far beaches for quieter sand, and avoid weekends when local excursions fill it up.

   5. Evening

      Flic en Flac

      Beach bars and restaurants with live music on weekend evenings.

3. Day 3: L'Aventure du Sucre and Port Louis Central Market

   L'Aventure du Sucre, Port Louis Central Market and Aapravasi Ghat, then Resort bars in the evening.

   1. Morning

      L'Aventure du Sucre

      A former sugar factory at Beau Plan turned into a museum on the industry that shaped Mauritius, from slavery and indentured labour to the machinery that crushed the cane.

   2. Late morning

      Port Louis Central Market

      Come in the morning on a weekday, eat dholl puri from a busy stall and bargain gently at the souvenir stands upstairs.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Gâteaux piments

      Roadside vendors and markets across the island, especially in the morning.

   4. Afternoon

      Aapravasi Ghat

      The remains of the immigration depot where about half a million indentured labourers, mostly from India, arrived between 1834 and 1920 to work on sugar estates.

   5. Evening

      Resort bars

      Hotels stage séga performances, the island's traditional drum-and-dance music, several nights a week.

If it rains

• Swap in Blue Penny Museum (Port Louis): Pair it with lunch and a stroll around Le Caudan Waterfront next to the harbour.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Grand Baie keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Trou aux Biches and Mont Choisy ($$$) suits families, beach and first-timers. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 20–25 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.9 hours in June to 13.4 hours in December.

More or fewer days

• One day in Mauritius
• 2 days in Mauritius
• 5 days in Mauritius

Questions travellers ask