Mauritius · Indian Ocean

Mauritius

Le Morne · Waterfalls & hiking · Island-hopping

The trip

A complete adventure.

We'd describe Mauritius as a complete adventure. We visited in September 2026 and were very fortunate to have great weather. The island is bigger than you'd think, and there's so much to do: beautiful beaches, great boating, waterfalls, wild monkeys and dolphins, and a lot of hiking. We spent a full week here, and with friendly people everywhere and amazing tours to discover its natural beauty, it was an incredible experience.

Getting around: rent a car. We rented from IRF Car Rental LTD, and they were incredible: over 4.9 stars on Google, great communication, and a very fair price of only around €160 for the full week. One note: they drive on the left here, which was a bit of a learning curve for us, but not as difficult as we'd thought!

Our tip: because a car gives you so much flexibility, we booked a different Airbnb or Booking.com stay every night, so we woke up in a new part of the island each day and never wasted time driving back and forth.

Part one

Le Morne & the west coast

This is the side of the island we fell hardest for. The west coast gets the calmest water, the softest sand and, every single evening, the sunsets.

Melody twirling her yellow dress on the beach beneath the cliffs of Le Morne Brabant

Andrew standing on the white sand in front of palm trees and the Le Morne cliffs

Our favourite01

The beaches of Le Morne

📍 Le Morne peninsula, south-west

By far the best beaches in Mauritius, in our opinion. The whole area is truly beautiful: powder-white sand, crystal-clear water and the huge Le Morne Brabant mountain rising straight up behind the palm trees. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the view of the mountain from the sand is one you won't forget. If you're up for it, you can also hike to the top. It's a serious climb, so go with a local guide.

Best beaches on the islandMountain backdrop

GetYourGuide We'd recommend · Our top pick

Le Morne Brabant: UNESCO Guided Hike with Local Guides

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Andrew standing knee-deep in glass-clear shallow water with green hills behind

Melody walking along a curved sandy beach lined with palm trees in the late afternoon

A long empty stretch of golden sand and gentle waves at golden hour

Road-trip life02

Beach to beach along the coast

📍 The west coast, from Le Morne northwards

One of our favourite things about having a car was simply driving from beach to beach. Pull over, wade into water so clear you can see your feet, then move on to the next one. The west coast is also where you can go out by boat and see wild dolphins. We were lucky enough to swim alongside them, which was one of the most magical moments of the whole trip.

Rent a carDolphins in the wild

Our silhouettes holding hands in the shallow water under a glowing orange sunset

Us standing together at the water's edge under a pastel evening sky

Sun rays bursting through clouds over the Indian Ocean at sunset

A bright sun low over a glowing orange sea

Golden hour03

West-coast sunsets

📍 Anywhere on the west coast

Because the west coast faces the open ocean, the sun sets right over the water, and every evening felt like a show. Find a quiet stretch of sand, stand in the shallows and watch the sky turn orange and pink. These are some of our favourite photos from the entire trip.

Every eveningBring the camera

Part two

Chamarel & the highlands

Head inland from the south-west coast and the island turns into green mountains, gorges, waterfalls and coloured earth. This is where Mauritius really becomes a complete adventure.

Rolling dunes of red, purple and brown earth at the Seven Coloured Earth geopark

Striped coloured-earth dunes with a green mountain peak behind

Only in Mauritius04

The Seven Coloured Earth

📍 Chamarel Geopark

The Chamarel Seven Coloured Earth Geopark is one of the most unusual places we've ever seen: small rolling dunes of volcanic earth in shades of red, brown, purple and gold, sitting in the middle of the green hills. Walk the viewing platforms around them, and look out for the giant tortoises in the park too.

Unique landscapeGo on a sunny day

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Chamarel: 7 Coloured Earth Geopark Entrance Ticket

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The tall Chamarel waterfall plunging into a lush green gorge

Right next door05

Chamarel Waterfall

📍 Chamarel Geopark

In the same park, a short walk away, is the Chamarel Waterfall, the tallest single-drop waterfall on the island, falling over 90 metres into a jungle-filled gorge. The viewpoint gives you the whole thing in one frame. Nearby, the Vallée des Couleurs nature park adds ziplines, trails and even more waterfalls if you want a full adventure day.

Easy viewpointCombine with the Geopark

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Chamouny: La Vallée des Couleurs Adventure Park Entry Ticket

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A quiet road lined with royal palms leading towards green mountains

A green mountain peak rising above thick forest near Chamarel

A calm highland lake reflecting a pink and orange sunset sky

Hiking & driving06

Black River Gorges & the mountain roads

📍 Black River Gorges National Park

The drives through the south-west are half the fun: palm-lined roads, mountain peaks around every corner and viewpoints over the Black River Gorges National Park, the island's biggest stretch of native forest. We did a lot of hiking here, and keep your eyes on the trees: we spotted wild monkeys swinging through the branches along the way.

Lots of hikingWatch for monkeys

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Mauritius: Black River Gorges National Park 3-Hour Hike

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Us standing together on a clifftop ledge above a deep green gorge

Andrew lying flat on the rock, peering over the cliff edge into the gorge

A waterfall cascading down black rock into a green natural pool

Andrew swimming in the natural pool at the base of a waterfall

Our favourite hike07

The Seven Waterfalls hike

📍 Tamarind Falls, near Vacoas

The Seven Waterfalls (Tamarind Falls) hike was a highlight for us. The trail takes you along a dramatic gorge to clifftop ledges looking straight down the valley, and then down to natural pools where you can swim right under the falls. It's a proper adventure. Wear good shoes (water shoes are great for the pools), and going with a guide makes the route much easier to follow.

Swim under the fallsWear water shoes

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Mauritius: 7 Waterfalls Short Loop Hike

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Part three

The wild south coast

The south coast has no protective reef in places, so the Indian Ocean crashes straight into black volcanic cliffs. It's a completely different mood from the calm lagoons.

Melody with her arms raised on top of a natural rock bridge with turquoise waves rushing underneath

Melody giving a peace sign on black lava rocks as a huge wave explodes beside her

Raw power08

Natural rock bridges & crashing waves

📍 The south coast

Along the south coast you'll find natural rock bridges and cliffs carved by the ocean, with huge waves exploding against the lava rock. It's wild, loud and incredibly photogenic. Please be careful: the rocks are uneven and the waves are powerful, so stay well back from the edge and never turn your back on the sea.

Dramatic photosStay back from the edge

Something different09

The World of Seashells

📍 South of the island

For something a little different, the World of Seashells museum has an amazing collection of shells from Mauritius and all over the world, beautifully displayed. You can get free entry when you book a quad-bike ride nearby, which makes for a fun half day of adventure plus a bit of culture.

Great on a cloudy dayPair with quad biking

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Mauritius: Quad Bike with Free Access to the World of Seashells Museum

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Part four

The east coast islands

Our favourite day of the whole week. From Trou d'Eau Douce, a speedboat takes you across a turquoise lagoon to little islands, sandbanks and a waterfall you can only reach by water.

Us walking on the white sand of Île aux Cerfs next to turquoise water and casuarina trees

A white sandbank in the lagoon with a catamaran anchored offshore

The bow of our speedboat in bright turquoise water with mountains ahead

Crystal-clear green-blue water lapping against a small wooded island

Best day of the trip10

Island-hopping to Île aux Cerfs

📍 Trou d'Eau Douce & Île aux Cerfs

This was our best recommended tour. We took a boat tour to Île aux Cerfs and the nearby islands: stops at white sandbanks in the middle of the lagoon, snorkelling in unbelievably clear water, and plenty of time on the beaches of Île aux Cerfs itself. The colour of the water out here is something else.

Our top tourSnorkelling included

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Mauritius: Southeast Coast Island Adventure (Île aux Cerfs & the GRSE waterfall)

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Us smiling on the speedboat right in front of the roaring GRSE waterfall

A selfie of us on the speedboat with green hills and the lagoon behind

By boat only11

The GRSE waterfall

📍 Grand River South East

Part of the same tour, the boat heads up the Grand River South East to a waterfall you can only really see from the water. The captain takes you right up to the spray. It's loud, misty and so much fun.

You will get wetPart of the island tour

Melody looking out of a window in old stone ruins towards a green mountain and the sea

Melody holding out a pink sarong facing turquoise water and green mountains

Melody on black volcanic rocks with a sarong flying in the wind and jagged peaks behind

Jagged green mountains and the lagoon seen from the boat under a big blue sky

Instagram heaven12

Island ruins & mountain views

📍 The islands off the east coast

One of the small islands we stopped at has old stone ruins with windows that perfectly frame the mountains and the sea, one of the most photogenic spots of the trip. Walk around the island for views of the jagged green peaks of the east coast across the water, and bring a colourful sarong for the photos!

Best photo spotBring a sarong

Part five

Port Louis & the north

The capital and the north of the island are an easy drive from each other and make a great day out, full of colour, culture and history.

Us standing under a canopy of hanging blue, orange and green umbrellas in Port Louis

City centre13

Port Louis

📍 Caudan Waterfront & the Central Market

The capital, Port Louis, is lively and colourful. Walk under the famous floating umbrellas at the Caudan Waterfront, then wander through the market for woven baskets, spices and souvenirs. It's also the best place on the island to try local street food: think dholl puri, samosas and fresh fruit.

Umbrella streetTry the street food

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Port Louis: Street Food City Tour

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A must-see14

The Botanical Garden

📍 Pamplemousses

The Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden in Pamplemousses is one of the oldest in the southern hemisphere, and the giant water lilies, big enough to look like they could hold a child, are the star of the show. Go in the morning when it's cooler.

Giant lily padsGo in the morning

The red-roofed Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice church at Cap Malheureux beside the sea

Us walking over black rocks on a north-coast beach with fishing boats in the bay

Postcard views15

Cap Malheureux & the north coast

📍 Cap Malheureux & Grand Baie

At the very northern tip of the island, the little red-roofed church of Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice at Cap Malheureux sits right beside the turquoise sea, with the offshore islands on the horizon. From there, the northern coast has calm bays full of fishing boats and easy beaches to explore.

Iconic churchEasy beach stops

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