Mauritius Coastal North

TOPOGRAPHY

The Northern region is known, as the Northern Plains for it is generally as flat as a pancake with the exception of the La Nicoliere area. For this reason, the northern region has few interesting sights inland. The beauty of the North lies definitely on the seaside.

Apart from the Grand Bay area itself, the seaside of the North is rich in colours and variety. The water inside the lagoon is often as smooth as a mirror, with an unmatched transparency. The way its colour changes from green into light blue, lined by the white of the surf breaking on the coral reef, topped by the deep blue of the open sea is extraordinary.

The excellent weather and ideal nautical conditions contribute to the north/ north western region to be the ideal place for yachting, scuba diving and the unique adventure of taking a 40 meters dive in a real submarine, one of our most recommended activities.

Since access to the sea is a bit restricted by hotels and private bungalows, the interesting features of the North are its several villages found along the coast. Taking half a day for a sightseeing drive along the coast, taking time to stop in villages like Pointe-aux-Piments, Grand Gaube and Poudre d'Or is the right thing to do after you've had enough of the beaches. The North has got at least two inland places of interest, which are "La Nicoliere" and the Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens .

CLIMATE

Since the wind blows generally offshore and the beaches and lagoons are well protected, the northern region is ideal for spending your Mauritius holiday during the windy winter months.

A sweatshirt or something even warmer is necessary for cool winter evenings between June and September. In summer (November to March) though, the North and especially Grand Bay can get so hot and humid that a t-shirt is the only thing you will want to wear.

LA NICOLIERE

La Nicoliere is a water reserve which is located on the way to the East and provides access to the centre of Mauritius . The small lake is surrounded by hills, forming a protected zone where the vegetation is totally different to the one along the coast just a few kilometres away.

Wild monkeys and bats can be spotted on the hills in the late afternoon and the two or three viewpoints along the road provide ideal to stop and enjoy the view and the fresh air. They also provide the chance to take a short walk in the bush.

THE PAMPLEMOUSSES GARDENS

The gardens were initially created by the famous French governor Francois Mahe de Labourdonnais (1699-1753) to surround his governor mansion, after he had started the development of Port Louis as main port in 1735.

De Labourdonnais' aim was to grow the widest variety of exotic palms, trees, plants and spices in the world known at that time.

"Pierre Poivre" (literally translated: Peter Pepper), who dedicated the major part of his life to spices, came to Mauritius shortly after the departure of Labourdonnais. He was to further develop the project, which unfortunately turned into a financial disaster for the "Compagnie des Indes." Today, only a small portion of the once vast gardens exist, but visiting it may provide a pleasant break on the way back from Port Louis .

Opposite the gardens, in the welcoming village of Pamplemousses , one of the oldest churches of the country may be found. If you have gotten hungry while walking around the gardens, you will also find a few places to eat.

OUR RECOMMENDATIONS

• Avoid walking alone after hours
• Take a boat trip to "Flat Island"
• Dive in a real submarine or go on a scuba dive safari to the outer islands
• Go hiking or mountain biking at La Nicoliere
• Try out one of the many water sport activities in Grand Bay

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