More than a place, Mauritius Island is, above all, a gift for the traveller. The island, of little more than 2,000 square kilometres, is a true miniature continent, full of endemic species of flora and fauna, truly unique traditions and a climate that the qualification of “perfect” falls short of. A true paradise that, with all these virtues –and many more–, made Mark Twain exclaim that: “God created Mauritius first and then the sky”, although it was another great writer, Joseph Conrad, who in his many voyages through the Indian Ocean landed numerous times on the island, who gave it the definition of “the island of fortune”, a well-deserved motto that accompanies it to this day.
Mauritius Island is located in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The two closest continental points are the eastern coast of Madagascar, which is about 900 kilometers away, and Cape Comorin, in India, about 3,800. The island is a true melting pot of peoples – Malagasy, Indian, European, Asian, African… – who communicate with each other with 33 original dialects, 13 of them Hindu, and there are more than 80 religions on the island.
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So, at all times, the feeling of being in a place far, far away is the one that invariably overwhelms the traveler, who walks in awe through the bustling markets, follows the routes to natural movie spots or swims in the turquoise waters of the beaches postcard. And all this, under the almost omnipresent gaze of Morne Brabant.
Port-Louis, the capital of Mauritius
The capital, Port-Louis, is one of the liveliest urban centers in the Indian Ocean. It is the commercial and financial center of the country and, also, of leisure. Le Caudan Waterfront is the best place on the island for shopping, dining or enjoying the night. 
The busy Central Market of Port-Louis, in addition to food, diamonds are sold.
Diamonds are also sold at the Central Market in Port-Louis. Mostly from India, they are carved on the island and have become one of its main exports. Other markets that are also worth visiting in Port-Louis are Quatre Bornes, Grand Baie, Caudan and Curepipe. Very close to Port-Louis is one of the essential places to visit in Mauritius. This is the Pamplemousses Botanical Garden, where there are more than five hundred different species, including more than eighty varieties of palm trees, many of them unique in the world.
Beaches for all tastes
Under the shade of the filaos and bougainvillea, the golden sands of the island’s beaches are as you imagine them: magazine cover. On the east coast, in the Belle Mare area, there are some of the most amazing, such as the one that stretches for more than twelve kilometers between Pointe de Flacq and Trou d’Eau Douce. Also in the east of the island, the casuarina bushes caress the turquoise water of the beaches of Palmar, with no human presence other than that of some fisherman going out to sea in a traditional boat.
The beaches of Mauritius are spectacular.
In the west are the beaches of the luxurious hotel complexes. These beaches are more popular with tourists, locals and also surfers from all over the world. In this part of the island, the sunsets are breathtaking, the perfect setting to fill your Instagram account with images of Tamarin beach, the beach preferred by surfers, or Flic en Flac.
Here is the beach of Le Morne Brabant, where the wind blows almost all year round, and which is in the shadow of the mountain that gives it its name and which, with its 556 meters of altitude, is the highest point on the island. . In addition to its most recognizable icon, it is a world heritage site. And not only because of its resounding beauty or its natural wealth, but also because of its history and its importance in the identity of the island: in the 18th and 19th centuries, Le Morne Brabant was a refuge for slaves who fled from the cane plantations to raise settlements throughout the mountain, both in caves and on the top itself. There are also spectacular beaches and cobalt blue natural pools on Deer Island, probably the most beautiful of the islets that surround Mauritius.
A barrier reef and an active volcano in the Indian Ocean.
Volcanoes, waterfalls and colored lands
The idyllic landscape of the beaches of Mauritius contrasts with that of its black rocks, the old lava, which speak of its volcanic past, and which have their indisputable reference in the Trou aux Cerfs, the crater of an extinct volcano whose eruptions caused the irruption of the island. It is another of the numerous natural treasures treasured by the country, which has no less than 18 parks and nature reserves crossed by numerous hiking trails.
One of the most beautiful and easiest to follow is the one that takes us to the Tamarin Falls, and another to the Exil Falls. In the middle of the humid subtropical forest, the Riviere Noir gorges and the Domaine de Bel Ombre nature reserve are essential places to visit, as is the Black River Gorges National Park. Here awaits us one of the most impressive and spiritual places in the country, the Grand Bassin lagoon. In its waters stands a Hindu temple dedicated to Siva and other gods, which is one of the most important pilgrimage centers of Hinduism.
In the lagoon of the Grand Bassin stands a Hindu temple dedicated to Siva.
Near the Grand Bassin are the highest waterfalls in Mauritius, those of Chamarel. And from here we can go to another of the magical places, the Land of Seven Colors. Very close to Chamarel, it is a fold of solidified volcanic ash that erosion and the passage of millions of years have painted in capricious colors, such as red, green or orange, forming a unique vision whose memory will accompany us for forever.
