Mauritius is an island nation off the coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about 900 kilometres (560 mi) east of Madagascar. In addition to the island of Mauritius, the Republic includes the islands of Cargados Carajos, Rodrigues and the Agalega Islands. Mauritius is part of the Mascarene Islands, with the French island of Réunion 200 km (120 mi) to the southwest and the island of Rodrigues 570 km (350 mi) to the northeast.

Uninhabited until the 17th century, the island was ruled first by the Dutch and then the French after the Dutch had abandoned it. The British took control during the Napoleonic Wars and Mauritius became independent from the UK in 1968. Mauritius is a parliamentary republic and is member of the Southern African Development Community, the African Union and the Commonwealth of Nations.

Important places to visit:

Rodrigues

Rodrigues is one of the most pleasant surprises Mauritius has to offer. Blissfully isolated over 500km northeast of the mainland, this tiny island is a volcanic creation only one million years old, a stunning, mountainous gem where it’s hard to feel connected to even Mauritius, let alone the wider world.

Grande Baie
Famous for its nightlife, Grand Baie is actually a surprisingly cosmopolitan and classy town. It is the centre of northern Mauritius’ tourism industry.

Port Louis
Explore the capital's colonial-era buildings, the fantastic daily market and colourful Chinatown.

Trou D'Eau Douce
A charmingly relaxed town with great beaches all around and superb restaurants

Eureka
This perfectly preserved colonial-era mansion high up on the central plateau, near Moka, is a must for history buffs.

Le Morne Peninsula
Visible from much of southern Mauritius, Le Morne Brabant (556m) is the stunning, vast rock from which this beautiful peninsula takes its name. The peninsula itself has some of the country’s best beaches along its 4km shores and is home to a number of upmarket hotels.

Almost totally uninhabited by locals, the peninsula nevertheless has a particular resonance in Mauritian culture – it was apparently to here that a group of escaped slaves fled in the early 19th century, hiding out on top of the mountain to remain free.

Blue Bay
Dive and sunbathe around one of Mauritius' most beautiful lagoons, with plenty of activities nearby

South Mauritius
A highlight of any visit to Mauritius will be taking in the relatively undeveloped south of the island, which includes some of the country’s most wonderful scenery and wildest landscapes. While the area around Blue Bay has been a long-established favourite with tourists for its great beaches and crystal-clear waters, the majority of the south coast has no beach, thankfully limiting hotel construction for the most part. One big recent development was the building of three huge luxury hotels on the former sugar estate of Bel Ombre.

Black River Gorges National Park
Enjoy amazing vistas, wild monkeys, waterfalls, volcanic lakes and excellent hiking

Chamarel
The highest waterfall in Mauritius.