Thinking about a visit to Mauritius, the beautiful island country in East Africa? There are a lot of different sites that you will enjoy touring. And in this article, I’ll go over my top two favorite places, open for anyone to tour in Mauritius.
Before I get into the best places to travel to in Mauritius, I want to review a brief history about the country and give some general information that may be interesting.
Mauritius wasn’t discovered until relatively recently, having been mapped for the first time in 1502 by Italian cartographer Alberto Cantino (,with the name of Dina Arobi instead of Mauritius). Interestingly, Dina Arobi has Arabic origins, which means the island was likely first discovered some time in the middle ages by Arab sailors.
As for when the island was first settled, that is easier to determine. The Treaty of Tordesillas divided the world in half between Spain and Portugal in the dawn of the age of discovery. Portugal would have the “rights” to colonize the area of the world Mauritius was in, and so the Portuguese would first settle a temporary base on the uninhabited island in 1507.
Today, Mauritius is a bustling island country with lots of tourism and business. It has the fourth largest GDP per capita throughout Africa, ahead of countries like Botswana, South Africa, and Egypt. There are many reasons for this, one of which may be that successful businesses are choosing to put their headquarters in the country, such as this company. With the long history of the island country, topped with its growing economy, it is no wonder the country is home to so many interesting sites to explore!
1. Citadelle Fort (Fort Adelaide)
One fact I’ve always found interesting about the island of Mauritius is how it passed hands between the Portuguese, Dutch, French, and finally the British. The Portuguese were only present on the island for a few years, and it ended up falling into Dutch possession by the late 1500s up until the early 1700s. This is where the Dutch would abandon their settlements because they were not profitable enough. The island would then be taken over by the French from 1715 to 1810, when they would lose the island to the British after battles between British and French naval forces during the Napoleonic wars. The British would then control it from 1810 to 1968, when they constructed Fort Adelaide from 1830 to 1840.
The fort was first and foremost designed as the main means of defense for Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius. However, it was never used in any defensive situations because the island has enjoyed peace since 1811.
Today, you can explore the fort and learn about its history as well as much of the island’s history. With 360-degree views of the Capital, it is definitely worth booking a tour to get a look inside this stunning British fort. If you want to book a tour, follow the instructions provided.
2. The Martello Tower Museum
This 19th century British fort located by Le Morne Mountain is a beautiful coastal fort that was converted into a museum. The tower is built out of a dark basalt rock, giving it a very cool appearance. The construction of the tower took five years, and was built by skilled stone cutters from India as well as slaves.
Like Fort Adelaide, the Martello Tower fort never saw any action. It therefore remains in relatively good condition for old military forts.
Thanks for checking out my article, and I hope you have a pleasant time in Mauritius!
