Must-see attractions in Port Louis

  • 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…

  • Racing track in Port Louis

    Champ de Mars Racecourse

    Port Louis

    This racecourse was a military training ground until the Mauritius Turf Club was founded in 1812, making it the second-oldest racecourse in the world…

  • 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

    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…

  • Plaine Verte

    Port Louis

    Located on the far side of the citadel, Plaine Verte is the Muslim quarter of the city and strongly contrasts with the glass towers in central Port Louis…

  • Jardins de la Compagnie

    Port Louis

    Jardins de la Compagnie is the city's most attractive garden, with its vast banyan trees, huge number of statues, quiet benches and fountains. During the…

  • 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

    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…

  • Fort Adelaide

    Port Louis

    Fort Adelaide resembles a Moorish fortress. Built by the British, the fort sits high on the crown of a hill, offering splendid views over the city and its…

  • Chinatown

    Port Louis

    The Chinese have traditionally occupied an important position in the life of Port Louis, and the area between the two 'friendship gates' on Royal St forms…

  • Jummah Mosque

    Port Louis

    The Jummah Mosque, the most important mosque in Mauritius, was built in the 1850s and is a striking blend of Indian, Creole and Islamic architecture – it…

  • SSR Memorial Centre for Culture

    Port Louis

    This simple house museum near the Jardin Plaine Verte was home to Mauritius' father of independence, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, from 1935 until 1968. It's…

  • ICAIO

    Port Louis

    One of Mauritius' premier art institutions, this fine space is designed to increase local exposure to high-quality art, with four temporary exhibitions…

  • Government House

    Port Louis

    Government House is a beautiful French-colonial structure dating from 1738, although it was added to in later years. Outside it stands a typically solemn…

  • King Edward VII Statue

    Port Louis

    This statue of King Edward VII within the grounds of Champ de Mars Racecourse was created by sculptor Prosper d'Épinay.

  • St James Cathedral

    Port Louis

    Inaugurated in 1850, St James is the oldest Anglican church in Mauritius, and has a peaceful, wood-panelled interior with plaques commemorating local…

  • Malartic Tomb

    Port Louis

    This obelisk to a French governor stands within the grounds of the Champ de Mars Racecourse.

  • Mahé de Labourdonnais Statue

    Port Louis

    At the quayside end of Place d'Armes, the best-loved statue in the city has become its emblem throughout Mauritius.

  • St Louis Cathedral

    Port Louis

    The slightly austere St Louis Cathedral dates from 1932 and is popular with the Chinese community.

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