Mauritius
A lagoon all the way round, a mountain at every corner, and a creole table.
Mauritius is a volcanic island in the Indian Ocean ringed by a coral reef, so that almost every beach has a calm turquoise lagoon in front of it and a jagged green mountain behind. Its people came from India, Africa, France and China, and the food, the festivals and the languages show it.
Why go
For an island holiday with variety: the lagoons and resorts of the coast, the Black River gorges and waterfalls of the interior, the coloured earths at Chamarel, the markets of Port Louis and the sugar-cane country between.
And for the sea itself: kitesurfing at Le Morne, diving on the reef walls, dolphins in the morning off Tamarin, catamaran days to the northern islets.
Highlights
What people go for, in no particular order.
01Le Morne
The mountain at the island's south-west corner, a place of refuge for escaped slaves and now a World Heritage site, with the reef and the 'underwater waterfall' illusion seen from the air, and kitesurfers on the lagoon below.
02The Black River gorges and Chamarel
Forested gorges with hiking trails and viewpoints, the Chamarel waterfall and the dunes of seven-coloured earth, in the island's high south-west.
03Port Louis
The capital's central market, Chinatown, the racecourse at the Champ de Mars and the waterfront, for a morning of city life.
04The north and Grand Baie
The resort coast of Grand Baie and Trou aux Biches, the Pamplemousses botanical garden with its giant water lilies and catamaran trips to the northern islets.
05The east coast lagoon
Belle Mare's long beach and the Île aux Cerfs off Trou d'Eau Douce, with the calmest water on the island for swimming and sailing.
06Dolphins, diving and the reef
Early boats from Tamarin for the dolphins, dive sites along the reef drop-offs and the wreck dives in the north, and snorkelling from most beaches at low tide.
Areas
Where to base yourself, and what each area is like.
The north: Grand Baie and Trou aux Biches
The liveliest coast, with restaurants, nightlife, sunset beaches and a full range of hotels.
The east: Belle Mare and Trou d'Eau Douce
Long beaches and the widest lagoon, with large resorts and morning sun.
The south-west: Le Morne and Flic en Flac
Mountain views, sunsets, kitesurfing and the gorges behind, with resorts at Le Morne and a village feel at Flic en Flac.
When to go: Mauritius
- Dry seasonMay – October
- The southern winter: warm days, cooler nights, less rain and steady trade winds that suit the kitesurfers. Comfortable and clear.
- SummerNovember – April
- Hot, humid and green, with the warmest sea and the chance of cyclones between January and March. The quieter months outside the holidays.
Getting there
Airports
One airport in our search serves Mauritius. Distances are measured in a straight line.
- MRUSir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International · Plaine Magnon (Mahébourg)
Distance from
- JNBJohannesburg3,060 km
- BOMMumbai4,690 km
- DXBDubai5,080 km
- SINSingapore5,600 km
- SYDSydney9,080 km
- CDGParis9,430 km
- LHRLondon9,770 km
- JFKNew York14,910 km
Getting around: Mauritius
The airport is in the south-east; transfers to the resorts take from half an hour to an hour and a half depending on the coast. Taxis are arranged through hotels and by the day.
A hire car opens the interior and the markets; the roads are good and distances short. Buses run along the coasts; boat trips leave from most beaches.
Practical facts
The country, its currency and languages, the time zone and the time there now.
- Country
- Mauritius
- Currency
- MUR · Mauritian Rupee
- Languages
- English and French
- Time zone
- Mauritius Standard Time
- Local time now
- Calling code
- +230
The atlas
Mauritius in figures
The figures under this guide: the climate on modelled 2001–2020 averages, how far it is from the UAE, and the places around it.
Climate
The weather in Mauritius, month by month
- Jan28°
- Feb28°
- Mar28°
- Apr27°
- May26°
- Jun25°
- Jul24°
- Aug24°
- Sept24°
- Oct25°
- Nov26°
- Dec27°
- Mild to warm and dry
- Mild to warm, humid or showery
- Hot
- Cool
- Wet
- Cold
Good for going all year, on these averages.
Mean highs run from 24°C in August to 28°C in February, with about 676 mm of rain in a year.
These are modelled averages for 2001–2020; the seasons described above are our own reading of a typical year.
Month-by-month climate for MauritiusThe model's grid cell here is mostly sea, so the daily high and low sit closer together than they do on land: afternoons ashore are usually warmer, and nights cooler.
Modelled averages for an area about 50 km across, not a weather station's record: NASA POWER climatology, 2001–2020.
The figures are modelled at Port Louis, the atlas city this page's place is measured from.
Airports
How far it is from the UAE
From DXBMauritius
5,080 km
6 hrs 45 mins · Estimate
From AUHMauritius
4,990 km
6 hrs 35 mins · Estimate
The great-circle distance, and a rough flying time: the distance at an average 850 km/h plus 45 minutes for take-off and landing. Real flights follow airways, meet headwinds and wait for traffic, so schedules differ.
On the map
Places near Mauritius
Plan this trip: Mauritius
Open the trip builder with Mauritius already filled in. Flights, stays and everything else are priced together in one quote, prepared by a person on our team.
