In addition to the white sandy beaches, the island’s natural attractions are also impressive, in fact! The mountains, waterfalls, valleys offer a wonderful view, almost inviting you to go hiking in Mauritius.
Le Morne, Tamarin waterfalls, Tamarin mountain, 500 pieds and many more places are waiting for you. 🙂
Two things can be dangerous for a Mauritian hiker: inexperience and the weather.
Wildlife
Fortunately, there are no poisonous snakes or any dangerous animals on the island. Maybe you just have to watch out for monkeys, but they usually avoid people (except in places full of tourists, such as Gorges Viewpoint or Alexandra Falls). There is always a leader, you will see him, because he will be watching you. As soon as he shows his fangs, turn around and leave (but don’t run!). You probably won’t encounter them, but it’s okay to be prepared. 😀
Weather
Before you go, always make sure the weather is good! Even where you’re going. Not only will it make your job easier, but the view will be much more beautiful! For example, it takes away a lot of the view of Le Morne if it’s cloudy and the sun doesn’t illuminate the lagoon.
The weather is usually beautiful, the sun is shining, and it’s warm all year round. Except when a rain cloud comes and the sky suddenly falls. A lot of precipitation can fall very quickly (especially around January-February), so the level of the rivers can suddenly increase, and the drift can be dangerous, especially at waterfalls. The other problem is that most of the mountains are volcanic, and on many hiking trails you will encounter rocks that will be slimy and slippery in rainy weather.
I use Windy.com to choose the right day. Usually on Sundays I check the weather for the next week for clouds (Clouds) and then rain (Rain), then I choose the right days, which I then recheck on Windy every day until the day of the hike to see if the good weather will actually remain.
I know that as a tourist, you have a limited time of one or two weeks, and you want to participate in as many programs as you can (it is possible that you have already assigned which days you will go hiking before leaving), but believe me, if there is a serious rain on the mountain, it can be a problem. You are better off if you manage it flexibly. Unfortunately, you can’t always listen to some tour guides, because there are several who don’t care about the weather. He has done it hundreds of times, he won’t have a problem, and he needs the money, so he tries to talk you into it. Of course, there are reliable ones, I will get to that at the end.
Inexperience
Here I am thinking mostly about local knowledge. Of course, you also need to be fit, because here in Mauritius there are steep hiking trails, don’t get ready for European trails! Have the right clothing and shoes, where good grip is important (like Formula 1 :D).
Local knowledge is a must. The trails of the most popular destinations (Le Morne, Tamarin waterfalls, Le Pouce, Macchabée viewpoint) are clearly visible and easy to follow. Before you choose a destination, watch videos about it on YouTube, search for the trail on AllTrails, where you can find very good reviews. Many people use Wikiloc.
The AllTrails app can be useful for hiking in Mauritius, because if you have a mobile phone, the app will follow you (the paid version is also offline), and so even if you get lost, you can at least find where you started from. For mobile internet, eSIM is the best choice, if your phone is compatible.
If you feel you can’t go it alone, hire a tour guide. You can find the best tour guides here.
