Food stalls at Central market.

Mark Read

Port Louis

Port Louis (por loo-ee), the island's capital and largest city, can feel like a kaleidoscope of countries and cultures, with flashes of India, Africa, Europe, China and the Middle East. Unless you've essential business to transact here, though, or you're in the country for a prolonged visit, there aren't that many reasons to come – there are numerous other day excursions that we'd rank above Port Louis.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Blue Penny Museum, stamp museum at Caudan Waterfront in Port Louis, Mauritius, Africa

    Blue Penny Museum

    Port Louis

    Although dedicated to the world-famous Mauritian one-penny and two-pence stamps of 1847, the Blue Penny Museum is far more wide-ranging than its name…

  • Pope Francis makes a prayer as he visits the mausoleum of Jacques-Desire Laval in Port Louis, Mauritius, on September 9, 2019, on the final stop of an Africa tour. - Pope Francis visit three-nation tour of Indian Ocean African countries hard hit by poverty, conflict and natural disaster. Francis' visit coincides with the 155th anniversary of the death of Father Jacques Desire Laval, a French priest who died in Mauritius in 1864 and was beatified in 1979. (Photo by TIZIANA FABI / AFP) (Photo credit should read TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty Images)

    Père Laval's Shrine

    Port Louis

    The shrine of French Catholic priest and missionary Père Jacques-Désiré Laval is something of a Lourdes of the Indian Ocean, with many miracles attributed…

  • Mauritius, Port Louis, Central Market interior (NR)

    Central Market

    Port Louis

    Port Louis' rightly famous Central Market, the centre of the local economy since Victorian times, is a good place to get a feel for local life, watch the…

  • Aapravasi Ghat

    Aapravasi Ghat

    Port Louis

    Aapravasi Ghat, a small complex of buildings located on the seafront, served as the island's main immigration depot for indentured labourers from India…

  • Photography Museum

    Photography Museum

    Port Louis

    This small but engaging museum, down a cobbled lane opposite the Municipal Theatre, is the labour of love of local photographer Tristan Bréville. He's…

  • Place d'Armes

    Place d'Armes

    Port Louis

    The city's most imposing boulevard, Place d'Armes is lined with royal palms and leads up to Government House, a beautiful French-colonial structure dating…

  • Mauritius Postal Museum

    Mauritius Postal Museum

    Port Louis

    This interesting museum beside the Central Post Office houses a mishmash of commemorative stamps and other postal paraphernalia from around the world. One…

View more attractions
  • placement: fullWidth
  • path: destinations/top
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [300, 250], [320, 50], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "destination": "Port-Louis",
  "city": "Port-Louis",
  "region": "Mauritius,-Réunion-&-Seychelles",
  "country": "Mauritius",
  "continent": "Africa"
}

in partnership with getyourguide

Book popular activities in Port Louis

  • placement: fullWidth
  • path: destinations/bottom
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [300, 250], [320, 50], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "destination": "Port-Louis",
  "city": "Port-Louis",
  "region": "Mauritius,-Réunion-&-Seychelles",
  "country": "Mauritius",
  "continent": "Africa"
}