When planning your Mauritius itinerary, tackling any of its famous hiking trails is an absolute must. And I’m not just saying that because I’ve just come back from a recent trip. We are visiting in a couple of weeks and we love hiking. great site with a lot of useful information!
Le Morne Brabant, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers a challenging hike with stunning views.
Essential Tips Before You Start
When heading out on any of these hikes, make sure you always pack essential travel gear. I might advise avoiding doing some of the remote ones or ones that require trespassing. Are these trails easy to access or do I need permits/permissions?
I would say that the trails are relatively easy to access, but I am not sure about how to connect them all. I am sure that at least Tamarin Mountain and Le Morne both require you to cross private land and the owners will not give you permission if you ask, so you should just do the run. My time living there taught me not to ask questions for which I didn’t want an answer. Just plead ignorance.
Top Hiking Trails in Mauritius
1. Le Pouce: A Moderate Hike with Rewarding Views
Let’s kick things off with an essential trail that many (myself included) argue might be the island’s finest. Located close to Port Louis, the out-and-back Le Pouce trail is a treat for those looking for a moderate hike. From the trailhead, you’ll venture through sugarcane fields which lead to a curvy mountain road where the actual hiking begins.
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Stick with me here - while the final part of your ascent might be challenging, the reward is worth it.
2. Lion Mountain: A Challenging Trail with Unparalleled Views
Feeling brave? Although it might not be one of the easiest hikes in Mauritius, Lion’s Mountain blends a challenging trail with unparalleled views. Some would even say you need a lion’s courage to tackle this hike, but I’d wager the excitement and payoff is enough motivation. Lion Mountain has quite a bit of room on top and would be great camping.
Starting at the tip of the lion’s back, you’ll head along its spine to reach the summit at its head. Along the way, there are a few steep drops and some slopes to get the adrenaline rushing. Yes, this trail is, at some points, not for the faint of heart. But, once you reach the summit, it’s all worth it.
3. Le Trois Mamelles: A Less-Travelled Trail with Beautiful Ridgelines
If you’re looking for a less-travelled trail with one of the world’s most beautiful ridgelines, skipping Le Trois Mamelles would be a great injustice. It’s this middle peak that hikers tackle most often, but you surprisingly won’t have to deal with too many other adventurers. Thanks to this section, the trek requires intermediate hiking skills, with steep exposed drops and increasingly rougher ridges as you near the summit.
Unfortunately, this one might not make the cut if you’re looking for an easy hiking trail in Mauritius.
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4. Black River Gorges National Park: Cascade 500 Pieds Trail
Rolling hills and dense rainforest. The Black River Gorge National Park is the largest conservation area in Mauritius, with over 50 kilometers of hiking trails. We hike - after first going the wrong way for an hour and a half - the Cascade 500 Pieds, a trail in the southernmost point of the park. Lesson one in Mauritius: hiking trails are poorly marked. We hop over stones and streams, through dense vegetation and crushing viewpoints. Despite the generous amount of mosquito repellent on my body, mosquitoes suck my blood greedily. In the meantime, we have been on the road for almost three hours, including walking the wrong way, we don't have much water and no idea whether we are still going the right way. "Let's turn around," says Robin, as we descend steeply. I don't want to hear anything about that. I haven't labored all those hours to turn around again, without seeing anything.
When called upon, a family appears on our path: the first people we meet. "Another 5 minutes," they say. We hike further down, cross a small steam and then the overgrown path suddenly opens into an open space. I walk along the stream to the edge of the cliff and suddenly find myself at the top of the 150-meter-high Cascade des Galets, which plunges down into the dense vegetation of Black River. I start to dizzy when I look over the edge. I quickly take a step back. I sit on stones and look down on the south coast and the national park, as the waterfall crashes violently past me. What a place! Good thing we haven't turned around ...
5. Tamarind Falls (7 Cascades): A Full-Day Hike Along Waterfalls
To end the year well, on December 31 - again together with JeanBony, our new Mauritian friend - we hike a full day along the Tamarind waterfall, also called les 7 cascades: the 7 waterfalls. The water plunges nearly 300 meters down seven levels into the wild Tamarind Valley. We descend towards the river and hear something running away. A wild boar?
JB rolls down a few large stones to scare the animal. "You don't want to run into them," he says. "If that happens, you better run." Climbing a tree seems smarter to me, I note. "You can do it," JB replies, laughing, "but then you're still there tomorrow."
The hike takes us over huge rocks, narrow paths and dense forests through the valley until we reach the river. A little later we are at the bottom of the waterfall. From here the real work begins. Climbing and scrambling with hands and feet, along several "death walls", or long and steep climbs up, after which we arrive exhausted and breathless on a higher level. There, a new waterfall always awaits with a new overwhelming view. Here we chug. We eat, chat and swim.
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The top three falls are easily accessible from above, but we climb the waterfall from the bottom to the top. And that means: all the nature to ourselves. A rare luxury, in an indescribably beautiful place. After 7.5 hours we walk, exhausted and in the pouring rain, back to the car. I can't think of a better way to end 2017.
6. Le Morne Brabant: A 360-Degree View of Blue Bays
Sigh, puff, cough. We follow the path to the top of Le Morne Brabant, a mountain and peninsula in the southwestern tip of Mauritius. From the foot of the mountain it is about an hour and a half to the top. Sweat drips from my forehead, my temples pound. "How am I going to do this?" I think. Le Morne is our first ascent in Mauritius. My body still has to get used to the steep mountain paths and especially to the heat. But before I know it, like a mountain goat, I am climbing with hands and feet up the ever-narrowing path to the top. All the way we look down on white beaches and turquoise blue lagoons dotted with reefs and islands.
With heads like tomatoes we reach the more than 500 meters high top. "The caves in the rock were once used as a shelter by former slaves," explains our guide JeanBony, as we climb over the basalt cliffs to a higher vantage point. "They escaped just before slavery was abolished and lived here for years without any idea that they were free. When they saw white people approaching the top, they plunged themselves into the abyss."
I look down and I am horrified at the thought. White-tailed tropic birds circle around us. Fortunately, times are better on the island now. Together we stand on a tip of the rock, with a 360-degree view of Mauritius: mountains, forests, beaches and a clear sea. I can't wait to find out the rest.
7. Corps de Garde: A Challenging Hike
Now, for those eager to test their stamina, the Corps de Garde trail is one of the best options in Mauritius. Corps de Garde Mountain offers a challenging hike! You should try that one. You could find a nice place to camp on Corps de Garde for sure. The majority of the trail doesn’t feature much shading and is very exposed, so be sure to bring enough water.
Corps de Garde Mountain is known for its challenging terrain and rewarding views.
I know quite a few people that have camped on the top of of Piton de la Riviere Noire - it is small though. There would be good camping on the shoulder of Le Pouce, but I probably wouldn’t do the summit.
Typically, Mauritius doesn’t boast many easy hikes. While scrambling up mountainsides is fun (very fun, actually), sometimes a hiking trail shines without intensity. Mauritius has some of the world’s finest indigenous trees and plant life, from its Ebony trees to Coffee Mauritania and the striking Takamakas. Starting from the Black River Gorges viewpoint, the trail sees shade from sprawling forests. The entire hike is well-maintained and signposted, making exploring a solo mission easy.
The second part of the trek demands a bit more from you, especially if it has been raining due to muddy and slippery conditions. You’ll need to scramble up a steep incline once at the peak; however, from here, you have a fantastic and unique 360-degree view of the southern peninsula.
Here you won’t find imposing peaks. That doesn’t mean that this Mauritius hike isn’t a challenging trail, albeit only somewhat. Along the route, you’ll encounter 10 waterfalls ranging in height from 32 to 180 feet. Starting at the Le Petrin Information Center, it leads you through a stellar mix of landscapes, offering numerous chances to encounter the island’s wildlife.
Don’t see the caves at Medine here and the feeder canal trail at La Nicoliere/Mare D’Australia. Will see if I can get those together to share them on here. Probably I have to run them again.
Best Family Hikes in Mauritius
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. We have done many of your walks and your instructions are just fabulous.
| Trail Name | Difficulty | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Le Pouce | Moderate | Sugarcane fields, curvy mountain road, panoramic views |
| Lion Mountain | Challenging | Steep drops, exposed slopes, summit views |
| Le Trois Mamelles | Intermediate | Beautiful ridgelines, steep drops, rough ridges |
| Black River Gorges (Cascade 500 Pieds) | Moderate to Challenging | Dense rainforest, streams, 150-meter waterfall |
| Tamarind Falls (7 Cascades) | Challenging | Seven waterfalls, river, climbing and scrambling |
| Le Morne Brabant | Moderate to Challenging | Historical significance, 360-degree views |
| Corps de Garde | Challenging | Exposed trail, rewarding views |
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