Port Louis

The harbour town of Port Louis is Mauritius’ capital and lies on the north west coast of the island. The most recent census is 2015 revealed that a good 150,000 people live in the city. Port Louis has a wonderful, charming atmosphere and also offers a range of different activities. For example you can visit the Caudan Waterfront district, which offers great shopping, restaurants and a casino. There are also a number of museums in Port Louis, one of the most popular of which is the Blue Penny Museum, which is home to a range of artworks and rare stamps.

When you visit Port Louis it is well worth visiting Fort Adelaide, which was built between 1834 and 1840. The main purpose of the fort was to guard the harbour and help maintain order amongst the local population at a time that slavery was being abolished. Today Fort Adelaide is used for artistic performances, and is open to tourists during the day. From the Fort you have a fantastic view over the city and the harbour.

Another attraction worth mentioning in Port Louis is Champ de Mars. Here, between March and December you can watch the city’s popular horse racing meets during the weekend, and experience the fantastic atmosphere generated by the spectators, both locals and tourists.

These are just some of the sights Port Louis can offer. We also recommend simply walking around the city streets and soaking up the lovely atmosphere.

Highlights

• Caudan Waterfront with its great shopping, restaurants and casino
• Blue Penny Museum, showing artworks and rare stamps
• Fort Adalaide with its exciting history and great views
• Champ de Mars with its weekend horse race meetings