PORT LOUIS CAPITAL CITY
Welcome to Port-Louis, the heart of the country! The place where you find a melting pot of cultures, friendly locals and amazing street foods to enjoy!
Port Louis, the cosmopolitan capital city of Mauritius was founded in 1735 by the French governor and pioneer Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais. Located on the Northwest Coast, Port Louis is the administrative and business capital of the island. It is also the largest city of the island with approximately 200,000 inhabitants.
Port Louis is home to the nation's main harbor, and is the only official port of entry and exit for sea vessels in Mauritius. Ships must clear in the port before visiting any other anchorage in the island.
Buzzing with activity during the day, the city is full of cultural and historical treasures that should not be missed. Beyond the central market, which is a focal point for those who want to feel close to the soul of Mauritius, are many historic sites ,Aapravasi Ghat,Fort Adelaide,including the Champ de Mars - the oldest race course in the southern hemisphere.
The Remains of Old Port Louis have till today been a subject of fascination to many, especially photographers, who find a way or another to reveal the extra-ordinary out of the ordinary. Old Churches, Colonial Houses, Maisons Creoles, Old Chinese Shops, Ruins of British-occupation… From a different point of view, Port Louis viewed from an artistic angle.
There is nothing like the culinary experience of sampling local street food in an exotic country. In Mauritius, Dholl-puri has acquired something of a national status; a wheat flour roll, stuffed with lentils, veggies and pickles, it comes with a distinct spicy flavour that immediately awakens your taste buds and leaves you craving for seconds. Club it with the savory gateau piment, balls of lentil fried golden brown and served with local chutneys, and end off the spicy treat with aluda, the Mauritian version of the Indian falouda.
Feel free to walk off the beaten tracks and to stroll through the narrow streets of the capital to admire Port-Louis in all its beauty and authenticity. For shopping aficionados, Caudan Waterfront is a must. This tourist-centre, built on the harbour, with its fashionable boutiques and local shops, ensures to the capital an atmosphere of a leisure park.
As for the climate, residents of the cooler regions of the island consider that the Port-Louisiens are not familiar with winter because of the moderate temperatures prevailing in the capital! In Port-Louis, summers are renowned to be torrid, thermometer often shows more than 35°C and the humidity approaches 90%... a situation which is not obvious to all!
Cosmopolitan, picturesque and typical, the beauty of Port-Louis enchants.