Le Morne Brabant
A dramatic basalt mountain rising from the peninsula at the southwest tip of Mauritius, a UNESCO site linked to the history of escaped slaves who sheltered on its slopes. It can be hiked with a guide.
Le Morne
Kitesurfing and quiet beaches are the draw on this southwest peninsula, below Le Morne Brabant, a UNESCO-listed mountain.
Attractive locations
Île aux Bénitiers
Small island in the lagoon off Le Morne, reached by boat. Dolphin-watching trips often combine a stop here with swimming and snorkelling over calm water and sandbanks.
Rochester Falls
Waterfall in the south, with water dropping over a wide wall of basalt columns. A short walk from the road leads to a viewpoint, and the rocks can be slippery after rain.
La Vanille Nature Park
Wildlife park in the south with hundreds of giant tortoises, crocodiles, small animals and native plants. A shaded, easy visit for families interested in the island's animals.
Ganga Talao (Grand Bassin)
Sacred crater lake high in the interior, a major place of Hindu pilgrimage. Temples and tall statues of deities stand on its shore. Visitors dress modestly and remove shoes at shrines.
Airports
Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport MRU
It is about 39 km in a straight line from Le Morne.
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Mauritius page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan27.1 °C126 mm
- Feb27.3 °C113 mm
- Mar26.9 °C124 mm
- Apr26.1 °C79 mm
- May24.7 °C47 mm
- Jun23.2 °C32 mm
- Jul22.4 °C28 mm
- Aug22.2 °C26 mm
- Sep22.6 °C29 mm
- Oct23.5 °C31 mm
- Nov24.9 °C34 mm
- Dec26.4 °C48 mm
Driest months: Jul, Aug, Sep. Wettest months: Jan, Feb, Mar.
Costs
Prices here are about 39% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
999 for police, ambulance and fire (112 also works).
local government
Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA)
Helps with: Mauritius' tourism promotion authority. Contact its Port Louis head office for visitor information. Its page also lists offices at the airport and on Rodrigues.
Who qualifies: Anyone travelling in Mauritius or planning a trip there.
Phone: +230 203 1900
Email: mtpa@intnet.mu
Address: 4-5th Floor, Victoria House, St Louis Street, Port Louis 11302, Republic of Mauritius
local government
Mauritius Police Force
Helps with: The national police force. Its website lists 999 as the emergency line and shows a Tourism Police unit, for which it gives no separate contact details.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Mauritius, including visitors, who needs the police.
Phone: 999
ngo
Mauritius Red Cross Society
Helps with: The national Red Cross society of Mauritius. Phone its head office on weekdays, 8h30 to 17h00 according to its website, for its humanitarian services and information.
Who qualifies: People in Mauritius who need its humanitarian or first aid services.
Phone: +230 670 0276
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Mauritius
Helps with: The UN migration agency. In Mauritius it supports the government on migration, counter-trafficking referral systems, return and reintegration, and ethical recruitment.
Who qualifies: Migrants, returnees and people at risk of trafficking. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +230 2104250
Email: iommauritius@iom.int
Address: 12th Floor, Atalian Tower, 57 Labourdonnais Street, Port Louis, Mauritius