One day 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, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden and Black River Gorges National Park, then Grand Baie in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Le Morne Brabant

      Start at sunrise to avoid the midday heat; the upper section involves scrambling, so go with a local guide if you are unsure. Allow 3–4 hours.

   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. Allow 1.5 hours.

   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

      Hire one of the licensed guides at the entrance; without one it is easy to miss the spice trees and rare palms. Allow 1.5–2 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      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. Allow Half a day.

   6. Evening

      Grand Baie

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

If it rains

• Swap in L'Aventure du Sucre (Pamplemousses): Combine it with the botanical garden in Pamplemousses on the same morning.
• 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

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 9–12 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.9 hours in June to 13.4 hours in December.

Getting between stops: Car. Hiring a car gives the most freedom for the southwest loop and the south coast.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Mauritius
• 3 days in Mauritius
• 5 days in Mauritius

Questions travellers ask