Last updated September 2, 2026 · Editorial policy
Things to Do in Mauritius: What Is Actually Worth Your Time
Quick answer: This is an honest look at Mauritius: which popular attraction to think twice about, and what to do with that time instead.
The famous Seven Coloured Earth at the Chamarel Geopark is the island’s most photographed sight and, on its own, the most overrated. The striped dunes are smaller than the postcards suggest and you view them from a fixed boardwalk. The redeeming detail most day-trippers miss: your same Geopark ticket also covers the Chamarel Waterfall, one of the tallest single-drop falls in Mauritius, plus the resident giant tortoises. Walk straight to the waterfall viewpoint first, before the tour buses arrive around mid-morning (the gate opens about 09:30), then circle back to the dunes.
For genuine ‘worth it’ scenery, skip a second paid attraction and drive into Black River Gorges National Park, which is free to enter. The Alexandra Falls and Black River Gorges viewpoints give you panoramic gorge-to-ocean views, and the color-coded trails are well signed enough to walk without a guide. It is also the last refuge of the pink pigeon.
The under-the-radar pick is Grand Bassin (Ganga Talao), a free sacred crater lake watched over by the 33-metre Mangal Mahadev Shiva statue. Go in the early morning for quiet and cool air. One thing to skip: the separately ticketed Curious Corner of Chamarel next door is fine for kids but easy to bypass if you are short on time.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.
