Things to do in Mauritius with family: Enjoy this island with kids

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Mauritius, like the tropical island paradise that it is meant to be, offers luxurious beach resorts, long strips of beaches and unending ocean views. You can laze by the pool side or on the beach all day and have a lovely family vacation. But I would urge you to get out of your beach resort and try one of the many things to do in Mauritius with your family.

Mauritius is quite diverse, and you will find historical and cultural activities to do here. The water activities and lovely beaches for the entire family is a given. But did you know about the stunning national park, waterfalls and hiking options in Mauritius? Here are some of the best things to do in Mauritius with kids.

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Best season to visit Mauritius

Mauritius has a warm tropical climate year round. The rains distinguish 2 main seasons in Mauritius. The best time to visit Mauritius is generally winter season (June to September) for cool, dry, sunny weather, ideal for beaches and activities. The temperature is slightly cooler in the evenings and night with less humidity. We went for a memorable family vacation to Mauritius in July. The weather was pleasant with daytime temperature at an average of 23º C and cool nights.

The summer season (from November to April) is hot, humid and rainy. There is also cyclone risk in January and February. Though the warm, clear water is good for water sports like diving and snorkelling. Shoulder months (April/May & Oct/Nov) are ideal as they balance good weather with fewer crowds and potentially better prices before or after peak times.

Top Things to do in Mauritius for families

This post covers some of the best natural and cultural attractions, and unique water activities to be enjoyed in Mauritius by families. If diverse activities appeal to you, it is a strong reason to choose Mauritius over Seychelles or the Maldives for a tropical vacation.

Natural Attractions in Mauritius

Black River Gorges National Park

Black River Gorges National Park is the largest park in Mauritius and one of the best family day trips in Mauritius. It is home to the Seven Coloured Earth. We rented a car and enjoyed the drive to the Black River Gorges national park.

We first visited Seven Coloured Earth inside the national park. Also known as Chamarel Coloured Earth, this is the most prominent natural attraction of Mauritius. There is a curio shop that sells small test-tubes filled with the colored earth and a refreshment stall. We did enjoy the giant tortoises on the premises.

A short distance away from the Seven Coloured Earth park lie the tallest single-drop waterfall in Mauritius. Chamarel Falls at about 100 meters of height is a beautiful waterfall. It is set amidst lush vegetation and makes for a great photo op.

Black River national park has 60 km of hiking trails, so plenty of day hikes to be enjoyed by the entire family. There are guided day tours to this park, browse through these tour options:

La Vanille Nature Park

Opened in 1985, La Vanille is a 5 hectare nature reserve where you can meet giant tortoises and crocodiles along with monkeys, lemurs, deer, bats and lots of other endangered animals. La Vanille is home to a huge herd of giant tortoises that kids love.

Tour Options:

Vanilla Park and Wild Beaches Tour

Boat Tour to Ile aux Aigrettes & La Vanille Park

Bel Ombre Nature Reserve

Located in southwest side of the island, Bel Ombre is a heritage reserve. If you plan a day out to this nature reserve, expect hiking, off-road driving, safari jeep tour. You can also have a relaxing picnic with your kids. There are so may fun activities you can enjoy:

Pamplemousses Botanical Garden

You can schedule a day to visit Port Louis, the capital city on the island. Just a short drive ahead of Port Louis is the Pamplemousses Botanical Garden. This is the oldest botanical garden in the Indian Ocean and is home to many plant species. This is a safari park with a reputation for letting visitors walk with the Tigers.

You can book a full-day tour to Port Louis to enjoy Pamplemousses Botanical Garden, swim at Mont Choisy, and explore the sights of Port Louis.

Alternative tour option is to the Botanical Garden, Chamarel 7 Coloured Earth and Chamarel Falls.

Le Morne Brabant

Le Morne is an UNESCO World Heritage site. It is located in southwest Mauritius and looms over its aurrounding flat areas. We did not hike to the top of this mountain, but it was a sight to behold when we crossed it after our trip to Black River National park. Le More is famous both for its beauty and its history, as a shelter used by runaway slaves in the past.

You can benefit from an experienced guide to hike and climb to the memorial cross summit of Le Morne Brabant mountain.

Water Activities in Mauritius

How can any tropical island holiday be complete without loads of beach time! So make sure you get that baked in your Mauritius itinerary. And, if you are staying at one of the 5 star beach resorts in Mauritius, you will have a private strip of white sandy beach to relax at. Though not as pristine and unique as the beaches in Seychelles are.

Snorkel or dive in the ocean

Much of the island of Mauritius is surrounded by reef and lagoon giving you the perfect shallow waters to explore the fish and coral.

We stayed at Westin Turtle Bay resort during our family vacation in Mauritius. Some of the water activities that you can do with young kids is to take a glass-bottomed boat ride over the corals and see pretty fish darting about. Even better if you can do a snorkelling trip with your family and see marine life up-close in the water.

I found another Advanced Level scuba diver and went for an epic ship wreck dive site at the Turtle Bay. I had a fun time following a turtle. The dive shop at Westin resort organised this.

Boat Trip to Ile Aux Cerfs

You can take a boat tour to explore some of the smaller and uninhabited pristine islands around Mauritius. Ile Aux Cerfs is a popular day trip from Mauritius and a great family day out. Ile aux Cerfs is a lovely island spread over 87 hectares off the east coast of Mauritius. It is famous for its white sandy beaches, serene lagoons, golf courses and wide range of restaurants.

Browse through these tour options to Ile Aux Cerfs:

Unique water activities

One of the unique activities to enjoy in Mauritius is to take a sub-scooter ride. A cross between a submarine and a scooter, this ingenious idea is made for 2 people to ride and breathe in the ocean via an oxygen tank. The sub-scooter looks a bit like a normal scooter, with a slightly wider front and a big glass dome that covers your head.

Another enjoyable water activity in Mauritius is the riding pleasure of a Seabob. This is a self-controlled device that allows you to explore the ocean at high-speed. You get to choose from 6 power different power levels and explore the ocean floor and surface.

Another unique experience in Mauritius is the submarine. You get onboard a 10-seat BS 1100 Submarine with this tour from Trou-aux-Biches. You reach a depth of about 35 meters and have the chance to spot wildlife like Javanese moray eels and turtles on this 40-minutes dive.

Dolphin watching at Tamarin Bay

There is a pod of spinner dolphins that regularly visits Tamarin Bay in the mornings. This day trip includes a speedboat tour. There is opportunity to watch dolphins on the speedboat tour in Tamarin Bay or Black River. You also get to enjoy snorkelling at a reef and a BBQ lunch on an island. You can also take a guided kayaking tour into Tamarin Bay.

Other water sports

A kayak ride around our the beach strip of the resort is a great adventure for the family. Adults can enjoy kitesurfing. The official kitesurfing season in Mauritius is April – November, this is when you’ll get the best winds.

Cultural excursions in Mauritius

Aparvasi Ghat

Aparvasi Ghat is a good place to know more about the culture and history is the island. It is an UNESCO World Heritage site. It is a 19^th century Immigratioin Depot site located in Port Luois. This historical site served as an immigration depot by the colonial British government in 1849. It has played a pivotal role in Mauritian history.

You can book a full-day tour of Port Louis. See the Central Market, China Town, Caudan Waterfront, experience Citadelle Fort, and Aapravasi Ghat.

Visit a rum distillery

During our visit to Black River Gorges National park, we visited one of the oldest rum distilleries on the island, The Rhumerie de Chamarel. This is an eco-friendly estate that still cultivates its own sugarcane and produces some of the finest rums in Mauritius. You can book a tour to explore southwest of Mauritius that includes Chamarel Waterfall, 7-Colored Earth, La Rhumerie de Chamarel, Grand Bassin, Trou aux Cerfs and the ship model factory in Curepipe.

You can take a short tour on how the different types of rums are processed in the distillery and enjoy rum-tasting with the tour. We skipped that and enjoyed a fabulous lunch here.

Visit a tea factory and tea plantation

Bois Chéri is the first tea plantation in Mauritius. You can take a hour-long guided tour of the Bois Cheri tea factory, visit the tea plantation and the tea museum. There is sampling at the end of the tour. It is best to visit in the morning. Besides the processing of local tea, you get to know the history of the Bois Chéri and the importance of tea production in Mauritius.

St Aubin is an elegant plantation house that dates back to 1819. There is a traditional rum distillery and a nursery growing vanilla. During the 1-hour tour of the estate, you get to know the rum making process. You also discover the process of the vanilla flower to the aromatic pod.

You can take a tea tour in Mauritius that combines visits to estates of Le Domaine des Aubineaux, Le Domaine de Bois Chéri, and Le Domaine de Saint-Aubin.

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