Martello Tower

Mauritius


In the 1830s the British built five 'Martello' towers – copies of the tower at Mortella Point in Corsica (vowel order was apparently not a priority for the British) – to protect their young colony from predators (namely the French, who were suspected of supporting a slave rebellion). The one at La Preneuse is now a small museum where captions explain the tower's ingenious design – 3m-thick walls are crowned by a copper cannon that could apparently destroy a target 2km away.

Entry includes a guided tour and there's a small shop.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Mauritius attractions

1. La Balise Marina

1.18 MILES

La Balise Marina is already revolutionising the tourism industry in Mauritius before it's completed, by creating the island's first port welcoming luxury…

2. Les Salines de Yémen

1.54 MILES

On the site of the old salt flats of Black River, this place runs 15-minute tours that take in old and new salt production techniques and this striking…

3. Tamarin Beach

2.16 MILES

Locals like to wax nostalgic about Tamarin Beach and its surfing heyday, and in many ways this sandy cove still feels like a throwback to earlier times,…

4. Casela World of Adventures

5.18 MILES

When you arrive at this 14-hectare nature park, you're greeted with a bewildering range of options – in addition to being a zoo (with big cats, rhinos,…

5. Bolom Ng Metal Art Gallery

5.31 MILES

Once a hotel, now an eclectic gallery of sculptures shaped in wrought iron and tile mosaics, this place is a fun place to pass half an hour.

6. Black River Gorges National Park

5.47 MILES

A network of hiking trails crisscrosses the wild and empty Black River Gorges National Park. Unfortunately, they're not always well marked, so check the…

7. Rhumerie de Chamarel

5.49 MILES

Set among the vast hillside plantations of Chamarel, the rhumerie is a working distillery that doubles as a museum showcasing the rum-making process. The…

8. Macchabée Viewpoint

5.51 MILES

The stunning Macchabée Viewpoint is in the heart of the Black River Gorges National Park, where some of the best trails meet.

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "mauritius/west-mauritius/tamarin/attractions/martello-tower/a/poi-sig/1345048/355490",
      "destination": "Mauritius",
      "continent": "Africa",
      "country": "Mauritius",
      "position": "superzone"
    }