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Hiking in Mauritius is a must-do when visiting the island. We will be even more honest; you are a fool if you skip this! There are many mountains in Mauritius to hike, which peaks are visible high all over the island. Providing ultimate hiking trails through forests, waterfalls, caves and spectacular views over the Indian ocean. The true adventurer will skip a resort day and make sure to get on top. There are endless opportunities; guided hike tours and trails to fly solo! Below 3 incredible hikes we did so far – all very much doable for us hiking rookies!
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Looking for a perfect boutique hotel to stay in Mauritius? Check out Tropical attitude in Mauritius – review of an authentic hotel
Prepare for hiking in Mauritius
Safety first when hiking Mauritius
Better be well prepared than sorry later! That is the same for hiking in Mauritius. In the end, you want to enjoy your trip and not travel home with regrets or injuries. Ensure that you are taking safety measures, wear appropriate hiking clothing and shoes and do not stunt on the mountain edges. However, some mountains are also possible to hike without hiking shoes. A good pair of sneakers is then recommended.
Besides that, we also highly recommend always bringing sunscreen, water, a hat and mosquito spray. Surely the very active mosquitos are looking forward to your arrival!
Hike with a guide or alone?
Some hiking trails in Mauritius are easily accessible for tourists, who are not familiar with the area. Below we will share our recommendation per mountain. Whether you wish to do a guided tour or hike on your own really depends on the hiking places in Mauritius you wish to visit. However, not all hiking trails are easy to find without local expertise. It can therefore be highly recommended to do a hike with a guide. Maybe this could even make you feel more comfortable to start with already.
Recommended guide: Hike with Ashwin
If you do wish to hike with a guide, we highly recommend you to “hike with Ashwin“. Just get in touch with him through this Facebook link. Without a doubt, he knows the best hikes in Mauritius! A true Mauritian hiking hero who will show you around safely, and above all shares a lot of local knowledge along the way. Ashwin joined us pleasantly on our hike to Le Morne Brabant.
Get more inspiration for your trip to paradise island Mauritius: Visit Mauritius, paradise Island in the spotlight
3 best hikes in Mauritius for beginners
Kicking off with a little disclaimer; because what is a beginner level? In our opinion and experience, the hikes below are doable for beginners like us. And like us means ‘hiking rookies’; who do challenge themselves during one-day hikes, but only hike a mountain once per one or two years. Besides that, we do not sport heavily at home, are active on holidays but also love the lazy sunbed days. We are healthy, however, both have a history with (exercise-induced) asthma and therefore take it more easily and stop for more breaks. Can you somehow relate, and don’t mind a sweaty day with painful muscles the day after? Then we believe you are ready for the mountains below.
1. Hike Le Morne Brabant
- Difficulty: medium (for beginners who love a challenge)
- Distance: 7KM round trip
- Duration: min. 3 to 4 hours
- Height: approx. 500M
- Guide required: we do recommend for beginners and newbies
Starting with the best of all hiking trails in Mauritius, the Le Morne Brabant hike! However, we will give it to you right away. Above the 2 others hikes mentioned here, this is truly the most challenging. But moreover, the most spectacular hike we have ever done. Online you will read many different opinions; is this hike doable for beginners or not? We believe and experienced a big yes, for those who are determined to reach the top and challenge themselves!
The hike starts easily and quite steadily. At one point you will notice a slight incline and your legs will need to do some more work. However, the first viewpoint will show you a first glimpse of the master show you will experience all the way up! From there on the hike becomes steeper and steeper up to a point that it even involves some rock climbing. How fun! You get the best of all hiking worlds on this hike in Mauritius.
The true rewards always come after the hardest climb right? Le Morne hiking trail is going to give it to you! Wow, wow wow! Nothing better than this view over the extreme turquoise waters of Mauritius. You have great views over the island, Ile Aux Benitiers and Le Morne area all around.
2. Hike Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire
- Difficulty: easy (with a few steep parts)
- Distance: 6,5KM round trip
- Duration: min. 2 to 4 hours
- Height: approx. 828M
- Guide required: no
Get ready for the highest views possible when hiking Mauritius. Yep, you heard that right, this is the highest mountain in Mauritius. This trail is located in the Western part of Black River Gorges National Park, and one of the many Black River Gorges Hiking Trails. It being the highest one might sound terrifying, but the hike is considered one of the easiest.
Some moments of ascending and descending will take place before you reach some of the impressive views. Views over the lush green national park and turquoise waters on the other side. If you are lucky, you can even see some of the waterfalls from “7 Cascades”. Do you think that Le Morne is too heavy for you? At least from this summit, you will be able to admire Le Morne from the outside!
The good thing about this trail is that it is much covered. Perfect for sunny days. On the other hand, does it also mean that there are long parts of walking without any views. Compared to Le Morne with many more views at all times, that could be a bit disappointing. However, the panoramic views from the highest mountain of Mauritius are unbeatable!
3. Hike Le Pouce
- Difficulty: easy
- Distance: 4,3KM round trip
- Duration: min. 2 to 4 hours
- Height: approx. 812M
- Guide required: no
A popular one on the hiking trails Mauritius list, Le Pouce mountain, is centrally located on the island. It is the third highest mountain on the island and is considered one of the easiest. Only at the very end you will reach a steep rocky part to get to the summit. Altogether, we do believe that this mountain is also perfect for a family day out.
There are several ways to get on the mountain. If you would like to, you can even start this hike from Port Louis. In general, most start from straight under the mountain at “Petit Verger”. Along the way up you will find multiple spots to take a chill break to soak in all the views.
The views from Le Pouce are rich! To summarize, it has a huge variety with views over the capital city Port Louis, sugarcane fields, surrounding mountains, green inland and even the Indian Ocean on the East Coast. Surely you will capture some nice photos for the album up here.
More Mauritius hiking travel tips
There are a few hiking specialists that we do not want to keep away from you. They have more hiking experiences on very popular Mauritian mountains. Such as Lion Mountain, Trois Mamelles and Tamarind Falls. Truly they will show you some more best hiking in Mauritius. Make sure to check out “Lets Venture Out“, “Explore Mauritius” and “The Broke Backpacker“.
What to do in Mauritius?
There is so much more to do besides hiking in Mauritius. The island is full of adventures and other experiences. Start planning your trip with our help:
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