Mauritius Best Things to Do: A Practical Guide for Visitors and New Residents
Mauritius rewards the curious. The island's best experiences range from reef-protected lagoons on the east coast to volcanic peaks in the interior, colonial-era markets in Port Louis, and a food culture shaped by Indian, Creole, Chinese, and French influences. Whether you are planning a two-week holiday or weighing a longer stay, this guide covers what is genuinely worth your time, and what you need to know if the island starts to feel less like a destination and more like a home.
Explore the East Coast Lagoon
The east coast lagoon is the quietest argument for staying longer than you planned, reef-protected, impossibly clear, and lined with resorts that have quietly set the standard for Indian Ocean hospitality. Belle Mare and Palmar are the anchor points. The water here is shallow enough to walk far from shore and calm enough for kayaking without a guide. Rent a bike in the morning, follow the coastal track south toward Mahébourg, and you will pass fishing villages, casuarina groves, and roadside stalls selling grilled corn and fresh coconut.
Drive the South Coast
The south is different: wilder, less visited, and worth every kilometre of the drive. The road from Mahébourg to Le Morne traces clifftops above a coastline that receives the full force of the Indian Ocean swell. Stop at Gris Gris, the southernmost point accessible by road, where waves break against black basalt and the spray carries far inland. Chamarel, a short detour north, holds two reasons to stop: the Seven Coloured Earths, a geological formation of volcanic soil in distinct pigments, and the Chamarel waterfall, which drops into a forested ravine below the plateau.
Hike Le Morne Brabant
Le Morne Brabant is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most recognisable peak on the island. The guided hike to the summit takes roughly two hours and gains around 550 metres in elevation. The historical significance matters as much as the view: the mountain served as a refuge for escaped enslaved people in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Guides from the local community lead the ascent; book in advance, as numbers are limited and the path is not marked for independent walkers.
Spend a Morning in Port Louis
Port Louis is a working capital, not a curated tourist zone, which is exactly what makes it interesting. The Central Market on Farquhar Street is the most honest cross-section of the island's food culture, dried spices, pickled mangoes, street food vendors serving dholl puri and roti from early morning. The Caudan Waterfront offers a quieter alternative for coffee and a view of the harbour. The Blue Penny Museum, also at the Caudan, holds the original 1847 Mauritius Post Office stamps, among the rarest philatelic items in the world.
Dive or Snorkel the Northern Reefs
The waters around Coin de Mire (Gunner's Quoin) in the north offer some of the most accessible diving on the island. Visibility regularly exceeds twenty metres, and the reef systems here support hawksbill turtles, moray eels, and seasonal whale shark sightings between October and January. Grand Baie is the logistical base for most dive operators; a two-tank morning dive typically departs before 8 a.m. and returns by midday, leaving the afternoon free.
Visit the Tea Estates of the Central Plateau
The interior plateau sits between 400 and 800 metres above sea level and carries a noticeably cooler, greener character than the coast. The Bois Chéri tea estate near Mahébourg offers guided tours through working tea fields and a tasting room overlooking a crater lake. It is a quieter, more considered experience than the coastal circuit, the kind of half-day that recalibrates the pace of a trip.
Relocating to Mauritius: Jobs and Career Opportunities
For internationally mobile professionals, Mauritius has become a credible base. The island's financial services sector, ICT industry, and expanding hospitality economy generate consistent demand for skilled workers. Job opportunities in Mauritius are concentrated in Port Louis and the Ebène Cybercity corridor, where regional headquarters for financial institutions, technology firms, and professional services companies cluster.
Career opportunities in Mauritius are particularly strong in accounting, compliance, fintech, software development, and hospitality management. The government's Occupation Permit scheme allows foreign nationals to live and work on the island under a single permit, provided they meet income or investment thresholds. Searching for jobs in Mauritius is most efficiently done through the MyJob.mu platform, which aggregates listings across sectors and is widely used by both local and international employers.
Mauritius job opportunities also extend into the creative and digital economy. Remote workers who hold contracts with overseas employers can apply for the Premium Visa, which grants a one-year renewable stay without requiring local employment.
Banking in Mauritius: What New Residents Need to Know
Setting up a bank account is one of the first practical steps for anyone relocating. Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB) is the largest commercial bank on the island and the most widely used by both residents and expatriates. MCB's internet banking platform, accessible through the bank's official website, allows account holders to manage transfers, pay utility bills, view statements, and access foreign currency services from any device.
Internet banking with Mauritius Commercial Bank requires initial in-branch registration, after which the platform is fully self-service. MCB internet banking supports multi-currency accounts, which is particularly useful for professionals receiving salaries in euros, US dollars, or sterling. The bank's mobile app mirrors most desktop functions and is available on iOS and Android.
Other major banks operating internet banking in Mauritius include SBM Bank, AfrAsia Bank, and Absa Mauritius, each with their own digital platforms. For day-to-day transactions, MCB's branch and ATM network is the most extensive on the island.
Planning Your Time
A first visit of ten to fourteen days is enough to cover the east coast, the south, Port Louis, and one or two inland excursions without feeling rushed. Mauritius is small, roughly 65 kilometres north to south, but the road network is slower than the distances suggest. Hiring a car gives the most flexibility; taxis are widely available but negotiating a fixed price before departure is standard practice.
The dry season runs from May to November, with July and August the coolest and least humid months. The cyclone season runs from December to April; most years pass without a direct hit, but short, heavy rain events are common and can close beaches for a day at a time.
Between the reef, the plateau, the capital, and the south coast lies most of what makes Mauritius hard to leave.