Walk & Hiking Spots in Mauritius
February 27, 2016
17.12.22, Dietmar: Hi there, this article isn’t up to date. I don’t have the hiking videos online anymore. You can read from the titles and their descriptions places that I have hiked. One of my favorite hiking locations remains the Black River Gorges.
Find below my videos of walks and hikes I have done in Mauritius. You are welcome to share other nice tracks you have done in the comments section below.
Mauritius Pont Naturel, South, Cliff, Lava Formation, Big Waves, Sightseeing spots
Beautiful sightseeing spot in the south of Mauritius called Pont Naturel. We walked from La Cambuse till Pont Naturel and back. You get to see nice varied sceneries from a lot of green, sea, some beautiful beaches, then cliffs, sugar cane fields and the lava formation that makes up a natural bridge on which you can also walk across.
Secret spots of Mauritius – Piton du Milieu (Pat Loisirs)
Hiking with Pat Loisirs at Piton du Milieu Mauritius
Sunday 26th of October 2014. Discovery hiking trip – Centre Region (Level 1 suited for beginners) 10 kms.
Places that we walked through:
Valetta – Vuillemin – Chassée Hardy – Piton Du Millieu – Réservoir Piton Du Millieu – Belle Rive. #Permission granted.
In order to access some of these spots an access permission needs to be granted in written form which the club Pat Loisirs took care of.
It was a great occasion to discover some other facets of Mauritius. Particularly stunning on this hike where the rocks around the Piton du Milieu slope.
Why did I call this post with the title of “Secret Spots” namely being that you don’t easily get access to these locations as they are located on private properties. In order to access some of these locations you need to apply for a permission in written with the state and owners.
The highlight of this spot is namely the Piton du Milieu slope. Piton du Milieu or ‘’peak in the middle’’ is located right in the middle of the island of Mauritius, in Moka District. it’s elevation is approximately 589 meters above sea level. What makes this slope so special are the surface reliefs along the slope. It has a lot of very unique lines and shapes. Also at the bottom or in close vicinity to the slope you have various huge rocks that have very unique shapes. One looks like a missile launcher! These rocks show sign of volcanic activity that was once present and which led to the creation of the island.
The walk was well managed by Pat Loisirs club. If you want to be informed by their upcoming hikes or join one contact them per email on: patloisirs@intnet.mu or on their Facebook group page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/32466514952/
Hiking with Pat Loisirs Circuit du Pouce from Dauguet Forest behind Champ de Mars, Mauritius
Sunday 21st September 2014. North West – Pouce Circuit – (Level 2) 10 kms.
Port Louis – Forêt Du Dauguet – La Grande Fenêtre – Versant du Pouce – Epaule du Pouce – Le Dauguet.
Many are familiar with the common Le Pouce mountain track in Mauritius accessible in Moka. I have also posted a video of this hike in the past. It’s rather short, only 4 km in total. This time, with Pat Loisirs we did a completely new passage set free by the Marcelin hiking group. It was also the first time that I walked through the Dauguet forest which is located behind Champ de Mars, at the back of Port-Louis. Who would have thought that Port-Louis still has some very nice nature remaining! Especially those Eucalyptus forest, I really want to walk in there someday.
The track that we did in the beginning was quite east. Rocky paths. After a while it become more dense with vegetation and more steep. From time to time you had to hold on some branches to progress. This is the fun part! Then we reached a part of the mountain that has a window shape which you will see in my video. We stood right in that window and you can see on both sides of the island. It got a little rainy for a while but this added to its charm. Afterwards we had our lunch break seated next to some huge rocks!
Then it got really tough, very steep and you could only progress by holding on branches. This was the most fun part! I would say that this was the point where this track gets its well merited LEVEL 2 rating. For those that aren’t fit and haven’t done any hikes before, I wouldn’t recommend to start right away with a Level 2 hike. Better to get acquainted first with some Level 1 hikes.
Once we were done going around the Le Pouce mountain we walked back and used the common track that leads back to Le Dauguet. We really enjoyed this hike and the panoramic views.
The walk was well managed by Pat Loisirs club. If you want to be informed by their upcoming hikes or join one contact them per email on: patloisirs@intnet.mu or on their Facebook group page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/32466514952/
Hiking with Pat Loisirs – Southern Coastal Region from Le Buchon till L’Escalier Mauritius
Sunday the 28th September 2014. Southern Coastal Region – (Level 1) 12 kms.
Le Bouchon – Ilôt Brocus – Le Pont Naturel – Le Souffleur – Savannah – Bassin Carangue – Radier La Sourdine – L’Escalier.
This video turned out a bit better than my previous ones as the weather and light were somewhat just perfect to get some excellent footage. I use a Samsung SIII mini. This is a hiking track beginners can do, therefore categorised as Level 1 by Pat Loisirs club. The hiking track through which the club guided us goes along the southern costal area which has some beaches and cliffs where huge waves break. In most of these areas you cannot bath in the lagoon. However you will be spoiled with magnificent views and a good atmosphere in nature. Since its a 12Km track, in the heat you will feel the fatigue after a while. Bring along at least 2L of water. Also don’t wear red! In some places there is cattle and you need to walk around them carefully. Some of these cliffs offer a spectacle of waves breaking on huge lava rock. Here you can see the formations of Mauritius island, which is a volcanic island. I enjoyed this hike and also like this video which offers some nice sights of the island. Mauritius fans will love this one!
The walk was well managed by Pat Loisirs club. If you want to be informed by their upcoming hikes or join one contact them per email on: patloisirs@intnet.mu or on their Facebook group page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/32466514952/
Hiking with Pat Loisirs from Camp Thorel till Ville Bague Mauritius
Sunday 24th of August 2014. Centre & Northern part of the island – (Level 1) 12 kms.
We walked from Camp Thorel – Health track de Camp Thorel – Forêt de Salazie – Feeder canal la Nicolière – Cascade Ruisseau Jamblon – Réservoir La Nicolière – Ville Bague.
It was a nice walk on mainly flat terrain and some small elevations or downhill walks. Can be done by beginners, kids and elderly persons. The track is quite long and in summer you need to bring a lot of water with you and also some anti mosquito spray.
A great occasion to discover the centre of the island. For me this area was totally unknown and new. A great discovery. It’s not the kind of place where you will pass by often as it is not attached to any towns or important facilities.
The walk was well managed by Pat Loisirs club. If you want to be informed by their upcoming hikes or join one contact them per email on: patloisirs@intnet.mu or on their Facebook group page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/32466514952/
Hiking Mauritius Roches Noires Caves, Bras d’eau forest, Poste Lafayette beach – Pat Loisirs
Level 1 hike. Not tough, easy go for amateurs.
Track we did was around 10Km.
We started at the village of Rivière du Rempart — Old Railway Track — Caves of Roches Noires — Mauritius Radio Telescope — Mango Orchard — Bras D’eau Visitor’s Centre — Bras D’eau Trail — and ended at Poste La Fayette beach.
Climbing through the caves of Mauritius left by volcanic activity is like witnessing the foundation and construction of Mauritius. It does look a bit like concrete bays without the proper lighting.
The group was well managed by the crew of Pat Loisirs. We were around +100 persons. It’s amazing the places they know. Am sure those caves are unknown to many Mauritians. It’s good to be guided through the caves. If you do it on your own you might not know which cave you should enter as there are several. We visited 6 of them!
At some places if was sad to see rubbish. In some other spots it did look like some construction works will take place. I hope those caves will still remain and not be destroyed in the years to come.
After we were done with the caves we hiked on through the Bras d’eau forest till Poste Lafayette beach. It was mainly flat ground and an easy very enjoyable walk.
Enjoy the video to discover the beauties of Mauritius!
Climbing & Hiking Le Pouce Mountain, Mauritius the 07.06.2014
We made it till the top from which you can enjoy magnificent views of various mountain ranges, towns and the capital Port-Louis. You can also spot the whole of the northern plains till the horizon including the islets of Coin de Mire, Round Island and more!
Hike in the south of Mauritius from Benares till Gris Gris with Pat Loisirs
Sunday the 15th of june 2014.
Hiking along the southern coastline — 12kms.
We passed the following places:
Benares — Riviere Dragon — Bel Air Sugar Estate — Riviere Des Anguilles — Union St Aubin — Les Lodges D’Andrea — Cascade des Négresses — La Roche qui pleure — Gris Gris.
For some places authorization was required to access due to being private property or sugar estate owned land.
We started at around 10/11am from Benares and finished at around 16:00 o’clock at Gris Gris. It was a great hike with mainly a mix of flat surfaces, a few up and down hills and minor climbs. Adequate for amateurs. We were a big group of +100 persons. Everything went well and smooth. The team of the hike club Pat Loisirs has more than 20 years of experience when it comes to hiking. Everything was well organised and I was also impressed how smoothly a group of more than 100 people was managed.
Strict rules such as no throwing of rubbish in nature was respected. The video will show you the places we saw from start to finish. It is interesting to note the various mix of vegetation that you get to see plus the horizon of the ocean. This coastline is not an area where you can swim, you will see how huge the waves are and how violently they crash on the cliffs. They offer a beautiful spectacle and a nice relaxing sound which makes this hike very special.
The Gorges National Park of Mauritius – rainy day, top views
It was a great hike, after a while it got very rainy so we ended up walking bare foot through mud and small rivers, it was great fun and the views at the top were stunning!
Hi! I’m looking forward to your comment. Sunny greetings from Grand Baie.
Hi, I’ve been meaning to undertake some hikes for some time so it’s great to have heard of an organisation which does them. There are some very interesting looking places. I’ve walked from Vacoas to Grand Bassin and it gives a very different perspective than being in a car. It also makes you realise what a feat it is for those walking during Maha Shivarati from all across the island every year. Seán.
Hi Seán,
nice that you take time to appreciate the beautiful sceneries the island has to offer. In the car things go way to fast, sometimes even when cycling it seems to fast. So walking is best to take time to enjoy. There is also a forest after Curepipe, Forest Side, after Winners, where you can start walking to reach places like Mare aux Vacoas. The place has a name but I forgot, its at the factory you keep following that road > Link on Google Map Best regards, Dietmar
Hi Dietmar, thank you very much for your interesting posts. I recently founded Maurirando, a small eco-tourism company, offering (German speaking) guided hiking tours in Mauritius. We mainly offer hiking tours in the Black River National Park, but we also offer hiking trips to Le Morne and the Tamarind Waterfalls. I am still discovering new hiking routes, and, in contrary to what I have expected when first arriving in Mauritius in 2012, there are lots of hiking opportunities all around the island. Be assured that I will be profiting from your descriptions above. The hike along the Southern coast is on my to-do list, but I am planning to walk from Le Souffleur to La Cambuse and then take a taxi back. Fortunately, there are now hiking clubs and outdoor activity companies offering another side of the island that many tourists have been missing so far. By the way, my favorite hike at the moment is to the upper part of the Mare aux Joncs Waterfall in the national park. Sabrina
Hi Sabrina, great to read from you! Your project is a great idea! Yes, it’s indeed a nice walk from Le Souffleur till La Cambuse. I like the vegetation, it offers a beautiful tropical setting and peacefulness + tranquility, which I particularly enjoy as I live in a town. The Mare aux Joncs waterfall am not so sure if I have done it, is it the walk you can do at the Gorges National Park where you walk up the river till it’s source? I have done this hike once, and then several times after not found the track how to get there again :(.
Hi Sabrina,
wir reisen bald nach Mauritius.
gibt es eine Homepage wo ich mehr Infos finden kann?
Grüße Michael
Hi Dietmar, in fact there are two possible ways to discover the Mare aux Joncs waterfalls. You can either start walking from Black River, then turn to your left at the first junction. This way you can discover the lower part of the waterfall, walking all the way up crossing the river several times. When you reach the waterfall you can have your back massaged by the waterfall. Or you start walking at le Pétrin and then take the Macchabée Loop. You will reach the upper part of the waterfall (indeed you do not see much of the waterfall but you have magnificent views over the valley). Unfortunately it is not even marked in most of the maps that there is a viewpoint with a waterfall! Maurirando is offering hiking trips every Tuesday, maybe you want to join once 😉