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Port Louis

Mauritius travel guide

What to see in Port Louis

The capital, with its central market, the Caudan Waterfront and the memory of Aapravasi Ghat.

Updated 18 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • 5 must-see places
  • Best time: from April to December
  • Typical food: Gâteaux piments
Photo: Peter Kuchar (pkuchar) · CC BY-SA 3.0

Port Louis highlights

The places you can’t miss. In the app we sort them by day and close to each other.

  1. Central market

    Fruit, spices and street food.

  2. Caudan Waterfront

    A walk along the harbour.

  3. Aapravasi Ghat

    A World Heritage Site.

  4. Citadel

    A fort with views.

  5. Natural History Museum

    With a dodo skeleton.

Day trips from Port Louis

We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

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When to travel to Port Louis

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Port Louis are from April to December.

  1. Jan with warnings
  2. Feb with warnings
  3. Mar with warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun no warnings
  7. Jul no warnings
  8. Aug no warnings
  9. Sep no warnings
  10. Oct no warnings
  11. Nov no warnings
  12. Dec no warnings
  • from January to March

    Cyclone season

    Between January and March it’s hotter and more humid and the odd cyclone may pass through.

    What to do: The best time is May to December; take out insurance if you go in the southern summer.

Typical food of Port Louis

The dish you have to try there and how to make it at home, to whet your appetite before the trip (or to go back to Port Louis from your kitchen).

Gâteaux piments
Photo: Anoha · CC BY-SA 3.0

Gâteaux piments

Split-pea fritters with chilli, spring onion and coriander, crisp and spicy. They’re sold by the bag at the stalls of Port Louis’s central market.

  • Serves 6
  • 30 min

Ingredients

  • 250 g yellow split peas (soaked overnight)
  • 2 green chillies
  • 3 spring onions
  • 1 bunch of coriander
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin
  • Salt
  • Oil for frying

How to make it at home

  1. Drain the split peas and blitz them coarsely, without water.
  2. Add the chopped chillies, spring onion and coriander, the cumin and salt.
  3. Shape walnut-sized balls and flatten them slightly.
  4. Fry in oil at 175 °C until golden.
  5. Drain and serve hot, in buttered bread as they do in Mauritius.

The trick: The mixture shouldn’t be too smooth: the little pieces make them crunchy.

Where and what to eat

To eat like a local: a street-food stall or a table d’hôte. The dishes you can’t miss are in the Mauritius guide.

Frequently asked questions about Port Louis

What to see in Port Louis?

Central market, Caudan Waterfront, Aapravasi Ghat, Citadel and Natural History Museum.

What to see in Port Louis in one day?

Don’t miss Central market, Caudan Waterfront, Aapravasi Ghat, Citadel and Natural History Museum. To split it into days and areas without crossing the city back and forth, the Bagintravel app plans your trip in a minute.

What’s the best time to travel to Port Louis?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Port Louis are from April to December.

What day trips can you take from Port Louis?

Port Louis.

What is the typical food of Port Louis?

Gâteaux piments. Split-pea fritters with chilli, spring onion and coriander, crisp and spicy. They’re sold by the bag at the stalls of Port Louis’s central market.

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More in Mauritius

Guide reviewed 18 October 2026. Places, areas and seasons: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.