Cities of Mauritius

The island of Mauritius offers a veritable feast of various cultures and histories in its different cities. The capital city of Mauritius is Port Louis which is the center of the island’s social and economical activities, however there are other cities as significant as is the capital. Following is some brief information on the famous cities of Mauritius;

1: Port Louis

Port Louis is the capital and main port of Mauritius. It was founded by the French governor, Mahé de Labourdonnais, in 1735. The harbour lies sheltered in a semi-circle of mountains. The town has plenty of character, and shows in certain quarters of its past elegance. There are some particularly fine French colonial buildings, especially the Government House (eighteenth century) and the Municipal Theatre, built around the same time. There are two Cathedrals, Anglican and Catholic, a Mosque, a Chinese Casino, a fine Supreme Court, some 18th century Barracks, a Natural History Museum.

To see a fascinating cross-section of Mauritian life, visit the lively covered market. Champs de Mars, originally laid out by the French for military parades is now a racecourse.

2: Roese Hill

Rose Hill is a lovely, bustling town which boasts great food and reasonably good shopping for tourists. The 'dholl puri' which you can buy in the town centre (traditional Mauritian-style bread made from cooked and crushed yellow lentils) is amongst the best in Mauritius with a selection of sauces and pickles to choose from to go with it. It is also exceptionally cheap, too. There are always other cheap snacks you can buy and eat whilst you are on the move. In the town centre there is also a busy market ('bazaar') on some days of the week where you can buy anything from toothbrushes to clothes and other household items. There are convenient food shops in the shopping centre and numerous arts and crafts, clothes and accessories shops. The bus station is also in the centre and buses take you to Port Louis, to the beach or almost anywhere. There are some hotels in the area. The residential streets are nice and clean with lots of flowers and corner shops around.

3: Mahebourg Mahébourg is one of the main fishing centers. It lies in the bay of Grand Port and has a Naval Museum, housed in the French colonial mansion where in 1810 the English and French naval commanders, both wounded in battle, were brought to be given medical care. A handicraft village built in typical island architecture is found in the premises of the museum.

Source: www.encounter-mauritius.com