MAURITIUS

ISLAND IN THE SUN

The Republic of Mauritius is a small island nation in the Indian Ocean, located about 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles) off the southeast coast of the African continent. The country consists of the islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues (560 kilometres east of the main island), Agalega and Saint Brandon, with a total land area of 2,040 km². Its capital city is Port Louis. Mauritius, Rodrigues and La Réunion (170 kilometres away) form part of the Mascarene Islands.


Mauritius claims sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, situated 1,287 kilometres (800 miles) to the northeast. The United Kingdom excised the archipelago from Mauritian territory prior to independence and gradually depopulated its inhabitants.


Geologically, Mauritius is relatively young, having formed through volcanic activity around 8 million years ago. Along with Rodrigues, Réunion and Saint Brandon, it emerged from underwater volcanic eruptions east of the African and Madagascan continental block. The island is no longer volcanically active, with no eruptions for over 100,000 years, as the hotspot now lies beneath Réunion.

The island is encircled by broken mountain ranges rising between 300 and 800 metres above sea level. The land slopes upward from coastal plains to a central plateau reaching 670 metres, with the highest peak, Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire, standing at 828 metres (2,717 feet). Numerous rivers and streams run through the island, many formed by ancient lava flows.


Mauritius measures approximately 65 kilometres in length and 45 kilometres in width, with a land area of 1,864.8 km². It is surrounded by over 150 kilometres of white sandy beaches, with lagoons protected by the world’s third-largest coral reef. Off the coast lie about 49 uninhabited islands and islets, some designated as nature reserves to protect endangered species.

The island was first visited by Portuguese explorers in 1507 and had no indigenous population. The Dutch settled in 1598 but abandoned the island in 1710. It became a French colony in 1715 under the name Isle de France, before being taken by the British in 1810 during the Napoleonic Wars. Mauritius gained independence on 12 March 1968 and became a republic within the Commonwealth on 12 March 1992.



Mauritius is a multi-ethnic and multicultural society, with most citizens being multilingual and speaking English, French, Creole and various Asian languages. The island is also known for the dodo bird, which became extinct less than eighty years after its discovery.

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Botanical Garden

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ÏLe Aux Cerfs Island

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Port Louis

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Mauritius Botanical Garden, also known as Pamplemousses Garden and SSR Botanical Garden, is one of the most popular tourist attraction in Mauritius, and is located near Port Louis. It is the oldest botanical garden in the Southern Hemisphere. The spectacular garden was built by Pierre Poivre in 1767, and covers an area of around 37 hectares. The botanical garden is most famous for its giant water lilies, spice garden and unique collection of 85 varieties of palms from Central America, Asia, Africa and the islands around the Indian Ocean.

Black River Gorges National Park is a national park stretching on an area of 6,574 hectares in the hilly south-western part of Mauritius.


It was constructed in Mauritius Black River Gorges Nature Reserve order to save the natural vegetation of the island and make it one of the most important Mauritius sightseeing. One can walk along the greenery and reach the highest point of the island, which is the Black River Peak.


Facilities for visitors include two information centres, picnic areas and 60 kilometres of trails.


The Black River Gorges National park protects most of the island’s remaining rainforest and is home to many species of wild animals and birds.


Many endemic plants and animals can be found in the park including the Mauritian flying fox, Mauritius kestrel, pink pigeon, Mauritius parakeet, Mauritius cuckoo-shrike, Mauritius bulbul, Mauritius olive white-eye, Mauritius grey white-eye and Mauritius fody.

Île aux Cerfs Island, known in English as the deer island is an island near the east coast of Mauritius in the Flacq district. Ile Aux Cerfs is famous for its sandy beaches, beautiful lagoon and big selection of activities and facilities. In Ile Aux Cerfs you are sure to have a day of relaxation and fun on one of the picture-postcard beaches, and to enjoy a swim and snorkeling in the lagoon. This paradise island of Mauritius constitutes of around 100 hectares of land. Nowadays there are no more deers on the island, but you will find there some of the worlds beautiful beaches and as such it is one of the must place to visit and see in Mauritius.

Port Louis is the capital city and main port of Mauritius, Port Louis was constructed in the year 1735 by the noted French governor, Mahe de Labourdonnais. Today Port Louis is the largest city in Mauritius. Port Louis is surrounded by a mountain range, called the Port Louis Moka Range which makes it worth watching. Mauritius Capital Port Louis Port Louis has conserved many historic and colonial buildings through the years. One of them is a fortification named Fort Adelaide or La Citadelle, built by the British in 1835.


The latter dominates the city. The main tourist attractions in Port Louis include the Caudan Waterfront, Port Louis Bazaar, Police Barracks, the Mauritian Chinatown and the old Port Louis theatre. The capital has also three museums which are: the Blue Penny Museum, the Mauritius Natural History Museum and the Mauritius Stamp Museum. Also, the biggest and oldest post office in Mauritius is found in Port Louis near the Caudan Waterfront. At the city centre there are a number of French styled buildings, which enhances the charm of Port Louis. Port Louis is definitely a must place to see and visit during your visit to Mauritius.

GENERAL INFORMATION

  • Currency

    The currency of Mauritius is the Rupee, subdivided into 100 cents. It is however likely that you accommodation, car rental and other tourism services will be charged in EURO.

  • Climate and temperature

    Mauritius is a good year round destination. The water is warmest during the summer months from November to May, but this is also the wet season, so it’s more humid. If you want to enjoy the towns of Mauritius as well as the beaches, the best time to go is during the drier winter months (May – November). Temperatures can still reach 28 Celsius during the day.

  • Transportation

    Transport in Mauritius has been free for students, the disabled and seniors since July 2005. There are currently no railways in Mauritius, there were previously industrial railways, but these have been abandoned. To cope with increasing road traffic congestion, a Light Rail Transit system has been proposed between Curepipe and Port Louis. The main harbour where international trade is handled and Cruise Terminal is found at Port Louis. The main airport is Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport with its new airport since 2013.

  • Passports and visa

    Visa for Mauritius is issued by the local Mauritian Embassy or Consular service. Depending on the country of origin, a visa exemption may apply for certain countries while others need to apply for visa.

  • Language

    Being both an English-speaking and French-speaking nation, Mauritius is a member of both the Commonwealth of Nations and the Francophonie.


    English is generally accepted as the official language of Mauritius and as the language of government administration, the courts and business. The Mauritian population is multilingual and most people are equally fluent in English and French. In Mauritius, people switch to languages according to the situation; French and English are favoured in educational and professional settings while Asian and Creole are also common languages.