Who said holidays to Mauritius are limited to the beach? While beach hangs are a given, there’s more to the Indian Ocean island than its palm-fringed shores, clear seas and luminous coral reefs. Especially if you’re someone with an adventurous spirit.
Which is why we’ve rounded up our top hiking and biking trails in Mauritius to keep you moving.
A volcanic island boasting lush valleys must-do summits, Mauritius is a hiking and trekking paradise.
Black River Gorges National Park takes you deep into fairytale forests, while summiting mountain peaks like Le Pouce and Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire (Black River Peak) will reward you with views for miles.
Ain’t no mountain high enough? Put on your hiking boots and head inland to hit the best hiking trails in Mauritius.
An excellent trail for beginners, expect a quick and easy 10km hike through the hills and forests of Black River Gorges – the largest and most well-known national park in Mauritius. Give yourself 2 to 3 hours to follow the trail from Le Pétrin Information Centre to the Black River Visitors Centre. Pack some snacks! The trail takes you via the picturesque Macchabée Viewpoint – a stunning spot for a picnic.
Thumbs up for Le Pouce! Sporting a thumb-shaped peak at 812m high, ‘The Thumb’ rewards hikers with exquisite views of the Moka Range – including its human-head shaped sibling mountain peak, Pieter Both. The trail to the top takes about 2 to 3 hours and presents an easy to medium level of difficulty.
Southeast Mauritius is home to the sphinxlike Lion Mountain, which, at 490m, provides a respectable challenge with some scrambling over rocky sections. At 8.4km, with a medium level of difficulty, the trail will feed your hunger for adventure for about 3 to 4 hours. The views across the island’s interior to the coast beyond are worth the effort.
For an average hiker, the 556m-high Le Morne Brabant is not too daunting a challenge. Standing sentinel over the famous ‘undersea waterfall’ – an optical illusion caused by the runoff of sand and silt – makes this 3 to 4-hour hike a must-do.
Being the highest mountain on the island at 828m, Black River Peak boasts the most brag-worthy views over the southwest peninsular and Le Morne Brabant. The 7km trail is mostly shaded and can get muddy on rainy days. It will take an intermediate hiker about 3 to 4 hours to complete.
Just as the island provides excellent opportunities to explore on foot, Mauritius is earning a reputation for its great mountain biking trails.
The Dharuty MTB Trail varies in surfaces: forest terrain, sugar cane fields, rocky single tracks, residential roads, dirt roads, pavements and grassy areas are all on the menu. The trail is doable for pretty much any rider with rudimentary skills. The real challenge lies in navigating the looped route with its unconventional markers – some being trees or telephone poles!
Located along the south coast’s rugged black cliffs, the South Coast Trail is all about the views! This laid-back mountain biking trail is said to be the best on the island, and because of its ease, it is accessible to beginner riders.
For serious mountain bikers, the annual Mauritius Tour Beachcomber welcomes participants from all over the world, including some of mountain biking’s biggest names, such as Quentin Soubadou and Gregory Maillot from Reunion, Yannick Lincoln and Aurélie Halbwachs Lincoln from Mauritius, and James Reid from South Africa.
Ready to take on the best hiking trails in Mauritius or tackle the top mountain biking routes? Chat to us about booking your next active holiday.
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