Overview
Take a trip to Port Louis on your Mauritius Vacation
Port Louis, located on the northwest coast of Mauritius, serves as the country’s capital city and is the economic, cultural and political centre. Port Louis is also the most populous city in Mauritius hosting a variety of cultures, languages and religions and will be of interest on a Mauritius vacation.
Port Louis was used as a harbour as far back as 1638, however, in 1735 the French took over the region naming it after King Louis XV. The harbour became an important stopping-over point for French ships sailing around the Cape of Good Hope. Despite a series of disasters that occurred between 1773-1892 including fires, plagues and tropical storms, Port Louis never fell. As a result, it emerged as one of Africa’s most important financial centres and ports in the 20th century.
There is much to see in this historical city on a Mauritius vacation. Following the abolition of the slave trade in 1834, Aapravasi Ghat became the landing point for indentured labourers in the 19th century. Today, this area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site dedicated to the thousands of labourers who went on to settle in Port Louis. Champ de Mars is the oldest racecourse in the southern hemisphere while Domaines Les Pailles allows visitors to travel back to Mauritius’ old-fashioned sugar estates. Just as in the past when Port Louis was an important stopping point for French ships, today it maintains that status providing a popular landing spot for cruise ships.
At a Glance
Languages
English, Mauritian CreoleCurrency
Mauritian Rupee (MUR)What do the experts say?
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An aerial view of Port Louis and the starting p...
The harbour Port Lois in the evening
An old cannon overlooking Port Louis - a great ...
An aerial view of Port Louis on beautiful sunny...
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Place
Conditions
Daily max temperatureMonthly rainfall
Port LouisOccasional Showers
28°C / 82°F
77mm / 3.0"
Weather data is based on monthly averages.Popularity rating
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