Email: info@mauritius-villa.co.uk

Get In Touch : +44 (0)1275 373 174 (8am - 8pm GMT)

Out Of Hours : +44 (0)1275 371 677

Mauritius offers a multitude of landscapes: volcanic craters, waterfalls, vast coral reefs, stunning forests, and white sandy beaches. You can laze on a  tropical lagoon beach, walk through spectacular river gorges with mountain vistas, scuba dive some truly amazing dive-sites, sailing into the sunset, eat in a delicious array of restaurants or sip a cocktail under the stars - Mauritius has it all and much more besides!

Mauritius can be a shopping paradise – with Traditional Arts and Crafts, designer clothes, jewellery and textiles found in the many shopping arcades. Best shopping places are in Port Louis, Curepipe, Quatre Bornes and Rose Hill.

Mauritius, with its virgin beaches embraced by coral reefs and translucent lagoons, offers some of the best diving in the Indian Ocean. The waters surrounding the Island have an astonishing marine fauna and some of the most interesting coral and fish species in the world.

The calm waters within the barrier reef provide some excellent diving among the small reefs & bommies, and several channels running through the reef, out towards the ocean, offer spectacular wall diving. Plus great drifts, caves & swim-throughs, depths in excess of 60 metres, wrecks and an amazing shark dive at Pigeon Rock. Sharks, dolphins & eagle-rays can all be found and even the occasional whale-shark. Further good dive sites can be found around Flic-en-Flac and on the north-west coast. Snorkeling is another option, with over-the-side boat trips leaving from Grand Bay beach.

Many beaches have windsurfing and kayaking equipment, and  there's usually the option of a glass-bottom boat trip. For Jules Verne fans, lead-booted, bubble-headed 'undersea walks' can be arranged near Grand Baie reef, as can a ride on La Nessee, a semi-submersible submarine boat that allows a close-up view of the reefs.

Surfing was big on the island in the 1970s, and things are picking up again. The area around Tamarin is said to be the best spot to 'drop in', and the season lasts from around June to August.

Serious anglers will love the superb deep-sea fishing, where there are healthy populations of blue and black marlin, bonita, barracuda, and yellowfin tuna, as well as several species of shark and spectacular sailfish to hook into.

Hiking and walking through the interior is also very popular; Macchabee Forest, Le Pouce, the Black River Gorges National Park, Black River Peak, Long Mountain and Piton Savanne are some well-known destinations. For lowland walking, take into account the heat and humidity, and go prepared for rain on highland treks. There are some fantastic short-but-strenuous hill walks around Moka Town. Curepipe, atop the plateau, is the best place to stock up before a trip. Rodrigues Island also has some lovely coastal and mountain walks, and caving aficionados will want to visit Caverne Patate on Rodrigues.

Birdwatching - Mauritius has some of the rarest birds on Earth. The Mauritius Kestrel, once the world's rarest bird, Pink Pigeon and the Echo Parakeet, can be found here.

For car hire (30% discount off typical prices for Pendene Villa guests), scuba diving, boat trips, etc.

Garcon - our villa manager - will be happy to organise things for you when you arrive in Mauritius.

Mauritius Beaches

• Tamarin - Lying in the shadow of the Rivière Noire Mountains. Great place for surfing the ocean swells and an ideal place to see black and long-beaked dolphins.
• Grand Baie - The main centre for yachting, water-skiing, windsurfing and many other sports.
• Pointe aux Piments - Famous for its underwater scenery.
• Trou aux Biches - Coconut palms and splendid Hindu temple.
• Choisy - One of the most popular beaches, offering sailing, windsurfing and water-skiing
• Péreybère - The deep, clear water makes it one of the very best bathing places on the whole island.
• Cap Malheureux - A fishing village with magnificent views of the volcanic islands; Flat Island, Round Island and Gunner’s Quoin.
• Grand Gaube - Another charming fishing village famous for their sailing craft making skills.
• Roches Noires and Poste Lafayette - Two popular seaside resorts favoured for the fresh sea breezes that blow almost all year round.
• Belle Mare - A beautiful white sandy beach with fine bathing, plus an 18 hole championship golf course.
• Blue Bay - In a semicircle of filao trees lies one of the finest bathing spots on the island, with a deep, clear, light-blue bathing pool.

Tourist attractions in North and West Mauritius:

• Grand Baie - A first choice for night-life, shopping and leisure. Good diving available.
• Pereybere - A popular beach with water sports, shopping facilities, restaurants and pubs.
• Mont Choisy - The longest and largest beach with horse riding at the Mont Choisy Sugar Estate.
• Balaclava Ruins - The old Balaclava estate ruins.
• The Triolet Shivala - The longest village on the island, and home of the biggest Hindu temple.
• The Pamplemousses Gardens - Botanical gardens famous for its Victoria regia giant water lilies.
• The Labourdonnais Orchards - Hike or mountain bike through sweeetly scented exotic flowers and tropical fruit trees.
• The Aquarium Maurice - Numerous tanks and pools containing Indian Ocean marine life.
• Port Louis - Capital and main port of Mauritius with plenty of character., sheltered by a semicircle of mountains.
• Chamarel - Meaning coloured earth, beautiful patterns created by volcanic rocks that cooled at different temperatures.
• Casela Bird Park - Home to 140 bird species, deer, tortoises, kangaroos, tigers, monkeys and more.
• Yemen - Nature park with Java deer, wild boars, monkeys, mongoose, birds and exotic plants.
• Martello Towers - Five small defensive forts built by the British during the Napoleonic Wars.
• The Tamarin's Salt Pans - Ancient salt production
• Curepipe - The island’s main westerly town provides good shops and restaurants.

Tourist attractions in South and East Mauritius:

• Domaine du Chasseur/Domaine des Grands Bois - A 2000 acre park with Java deer, wild boar, Kestrels and monkeys.
• Domaine L'Ylang Ylang - A plantation of ylang ylang trees at Anse Jonchée near Vieux Grand Port.
• La Vanilla Crocodile Park - Over a thousand Nile crocodiles situated in a luxuriant tropical forest.
• Ile aux Aigrettes - Eco tourism Nature Reserve 800 metres off the south-east coast.
• Dutch Ruins - At Vieux Grand Port, the oldest settlements in Mauritius.
• Mahebourg - One of the main fishing centres where you can find the Naval Museum of Mauritius.
• Souillac - A village with the coral-built “La Nef” house of famous Mauritian poet Robert Edward Hart.
• Ile aux Cerfs (Deer Island) - Has the most beautiful beach in Mauritius and is a paradise for water sport enthusiasts. It also offers glass-bottom boat trips and 18 hole golf course.
• The Waterpark Leisure Village - Located on Coastal road, Belle Mare. Guaranteed fun for kids and adults alike.
• Flacq Market - The country's largest open-air market.
• Rochester Falls - Water rushes over naturally formed lava rocks.
• Gris Gris - Spectacular view of waves crashing against the black rocks.
• Falls of Trou d'Eau Douce - Black basalt rock formed by rapid cooling of lava. The water flow changes depending on the rains and when trickling, the rock formation can be seen in all its splendour.

Tourist attractions in inland Mauritius:

• Black River Gorges National Park - Highly recommended for its spectacular scenery, native plants and some of the rarest bird species.
• Ganga Talao (Grand Bassin) - Resting within the crater of an extinct volcano, this natural lake is the most sacred place for Mauritian Hindus.
• Domaine les Pailles - A nature park and cultural centre covering more than 3000 acres.
• Le Val Nature Park - A natural reserve situated at Cluny in the Grand Port District.
• Eureka - A unique creole residence built in 1830 in a magnificient garden surrounded by the waterfalls of Moka River and the Moka Range.
• Trou aux Cerfs - a dramatic, extinct crater 85m (280ft) deep and more than 180m (600ft) wide, which offers extensive views of the island from its rim.