6 Big Reasons Why Mauritius Should Be on Your Radar

Explorer Julia headed to the tiny island of Mauritius and uncovered a bunch of big adventures.

Tiny Mauritius is big on action-packed days, its size making it easy to jump from one adventure to the next. The ‘Jewel of the Indian Ocean’ extends 65km north to south and 45km east to west, taking just over an hour to travel opposite sides of the compass.

Jewel-toned ocean to match | MTPA

At its core, the East African nation is veiled by its biggest industrial source, sugar cane plantations. Between cane fields, the real fun begins exploring the country’s natural assets: crooked mountain ranges, waterfalls, natural pools, rainbow lumps, and evergreen valleys. Oh, and we can’t forget those blissfully blue beaches with golden sands, either.

Forget lazy island days. Here, I share my top things to do in Mauritius to get your muscles moving.

Top 6 Mauritius Adventures

1. Charamel 7 Coloured Earth Geopark

Mauritius is a colourful place, but no locale is more fascinating than Charamel 7 Coloured Earth Geopark. It’s as if the Earth has shed a layer, revealing its wrinkled skin across over 7,500m², with its uneven volcanic formations dating between 1.9 to 3.5 million years.

Mars or Mauritius?

The island’s hot and humid climate has influenced its unusual appearance, eroded the region’s basaltic rock and exposed saprolite (chemically-weathered rock) at the surface. The result? Rainbow pigmentations on the lumpy landform, with seven colours – red, brown, yellow, purple, green, and blue – sighted.

The weird and wonderful rock bed starkly contrasts the green mountains in the distance and, more often than not, blue skies. The Geopark has few viewing platforms to spot all shades of this unique natural wonder.

Such an intriguing contrast to the surrounding lush forest

Opposite the bumpy formations are mounds of a different kind. The park is home to a giant Aldabra tortoise enclosure. Originating from nearby Seychelles, these tortoises are one of the world’s largest tortoise species. The park’s population of eight slow movers is fascinating to watch – even if they’re eating, sleeping or, as I saw them, getting familiar with one another.

Tickets to access Charamel 7 Coloured Earth are 550 Mauritian rupees ($18AUD) for non-residents and include access to Chamarel Waterfalls’ viewpoints.

2. Chamarel Waterfall

Not far from Charamel 7 Coloured Earth Geopark (remember, it’s a small island!) is Chamarel Waterfall. The country’s tallest waterfall is roughly 100m high and spectacularly falls over a basalt ledge formed by lava flows of two different ages, up to 10 million years ago. At the bottom is an oval pool; yes, you can go swimming if you’re game enough to put in the legwork!

It’s a three-hour total trek through tropical rainforest to the waterfall’s base, where you can really soak up the scene.

You know you want to get to the bottom

Along the way, spot birdlife and appreciate the volcanic activity in the area. If you want to learn more, consider hiring a tour guide to tell you all the tidbits. Not keen on working up a sweat? Stay cool instead by admiring the waterfall from afar on the designated platform.

Entrance to the waterfall is included in the Charamel 7 Coloured Earth Geopark ticket.

3. Bird Watching

Mauritius is the land of the legendary Dodo bird. But despite the real-life big bird sadly being no more, the island still has ample opportunities to see some feathered friends. Tour company Yanature offers bird-watching tours to spot the island’s brightly coloured endemic bird species in their natural habitat at the country’s largest national park, Black River Gorges – just BYO binoculars.

Read more: Why Birdwatching Will Improve Your Next Adventure & How To Get Started

4. Scuba Diving

Add depth to your Mauritius experience by going on a scuba diving adventure. Over 200 dive sites surround the island, including shipwrecks, rich-hued reefs, and sandy seabeds.

Start your scuba adventure with Panorama Divers. Located in the tourist town Grand Baie, the dive centre offers two dive packages with boat and gear hire from $135AUD. From here, it’s a short journey to Mauritius’ most renowned dive sites, such as the famed coral garden, Merville Patches.

The site is between 12-15m deep and is abundant with marine life, including hangry-eyed Moray eels peeping through gaps, Leaf fish, and octopuses – if you can spot ’em.

Read more: A Beginner’s Guide to Scuba Diving

5. Hiking Trails Aplenty

Pack hiking boots, as Mauritius is packed with scenic tracks. There are many coastal and inland trails; however, many are largely unmarked, so hiking with a guide is encouraged. Yanature offers guided half-day and full-day hikes along some of the island’s most popular tracks.

Let’s go! There’s heaps of trails to see | MTPA

Test your endurance by ascending Le Morne Brabant, a UNESCO World Heritage site. As beautiful as it is, towering at the southwestern tip, the 556m basaltic mountain has a grief-stricken past. It’s believed that after the British abolished slavery in 1834, soldiers journeyed to tell the enslaved people they were now free.

Panicked by approaching authorities, many enslaved people made the gruelling summit to Le Morne Brabant and jumped to their deaths. These days, the rugged mountain represents the enslaved people’s fight for freedom. The challenging 6.6km return climb features caves and some scrambling to the summit and is largely unshaded.

Le Morne Brabant is an awe-inpsiring peninsula that’ll leave you breathless (in more ways than one) | MTPA

In stark contrast to Le Morne Brabant, choose to trek Tamarind Falls. Located in Black River Gorges National Park in the country’s heart, the trail is illustrious for its forested tiered falls and pools surrounded by tropical undergrowth.

Also referred to as Tamarin or Seven Cascades, the moderately challenging route features 12 waterfalls with Jungle Book-style tree-grabbing required in some sections. Go on a full day 8km hike to see most falls or conserve energy, completing 5km on a half-day hike. Either way, you’ll be amazed about how much beauty is in one spot.

Read more: 10 Essentials Every Day Hiker Needs

6. Beaches (and More Beaches!)

Ok, I get it. After an action-packed day of adventure, there’s nothing like cooling off at the beach. Mauritius isn’t short of sandy beaches. Flic en Flac on the west is a popular spot for a snorkelling and swimming double act. The palm-fringed, white sandy beach is also one of the country’s longest, stretching 8km.

For a different coastal vibe, head down the coast to Tamarin Beach. It’s one of the best spots to catch a break with surfers and bodyboarders descending on its shore.

In the south, Gris Gris offers dramatic scenery with walking trails fringing its shore. Whichever direction you choose to go, plenty of adventures (and tip-top beaches) await, so get moving!

Julia D’Orazio was a guest of Air Mauritius and the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, and all thoughts and opinions are her own.