Mauritius history & culture
The island's history, legends, flavours and cultures, told simply and with sources.
All figures, direct flights and public holidays
History
11Before the settlers: Arab sailors, the Portuguese and an empty island
Known to Arab sailors and then to the Portuguese, Mauritius had no inhabitants until the 17th century.
The Dutch period (1598-1710)
The Dutch gave Mauritius its name, exploited its ebony and introduced sugar cane and deer before leaving in 1710.
Isle de France (1715-1810)
Under the French East India Company and then the Crown, Mauritius became Isle de France: a strategic port, a slave society and a base for privateers.
1810: the Battle of Grand Port and the British conquest
A French naval victory in August 1810, a British conquest in December: Mauritius changed flags but kept a French-inspired language and law.
Slavery, marronnage and abolition: the memory of Le Morne
From the 17th century to 1835 slavery shaped Mauritius; Le Morne Brabant, a refuge for maroons, has been a World Heritage Site since 2008.
Indentured labour and the Aapravasi Ghat
Between 1834 and 1920 almost half a million indentured workers arrived in Mauritius, most through the Aapravasi Ghat depot, a UNESCO site since 2006.
Towards independence (1968) and the Republic (1992)
On 12 March 1968 Mauritius became independent under Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam; on 12 March 1992 it became a republic.
Rodrigues, Agaléga, St Brandon and the Chagos: the islands of the Republic
The Republic of Mauritius is more than its main island: Rodrigues, Agaléga, St Brandon and the Chagos question.
From sugar cane to tourism and services: the Mauritian economy
From a sugar-dominated island in 1968, Mauritius has become a service economy driven by its export zone, tourism and finance.
Who Mauritians are: communities and languages
With no indigenous people, Mauritius was built by successive waves from Africa, Madagascar, Europe, India and China.
A quick timeline of Mauritian history
Key dates in Mauritian history, from the Cantino map (1502) to the Chagos treaty (2025).
Legends & places
5Pieter Both, the mountain with a stone head
Mauritius's second-highest peak wears a huge balancing boulder on its summit. The story of a Dutch name and a much-loved folk tale.
Le Morne, a mountain of memory for runaway slaves
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Le Morne Brabant sheltered escaped slaves. A tragic legend set in 1835 has made it a symbol of freedom.
Grand Bassin (Ganga Talao), the sacred lake
Tucked into a crater in the south of the island, Ganga Talao is the spiritual heart of Mauritian Hinduism and the scene of a huge Maha Shivaratri pilgrimage.
Paul and Virginia and the wreck of the Saint-Géran
Published in 1788, Bernardin de Saint-Pierre's novel made the island famous across Europe. It draws on a real shipwreck of 1744.
Pirate and privateer treasure: La Buse, Surcouf and Rodrigues
From Indian Ocean pirates to the privateers of the Isle de France, tales of buried treasure still fire the imagination. What is history, and what is not.
Flavours & crafts
5Tea in Mauritius, from Bois Chéri to the Tea Route
Tea has been grown on the southern uplands since the late 19th century. The story of an everyday drink, and of its famous vanilla tea.
Mauritian rum, from molasses to cane juice
Long made from molasses, Mauritian rum has been reborn since 2006, when distilling fresh cane juice was finally allowed.
Sugar cane, the story of an island
Brought by the Dutch, sugar cane shaped the landscape, economy and people of Mauritius. To understand that story, visit L'Aventure du Sucre.
Spices, vanilla and the Pamplemousses Garden
In the 18th century, intendant Pierre Poivre set out to break the Dutch spice monopoly. His Pamplemousses garden is now one of the finest in the Indian Ocean.
Mauritian food, a melting pot on a plate
Dholl puri, rougaille, biryani, fried noodles, chilli cakes, alouda: every dish tells of a wave of arrivals on the island. A short guide to tasting it all.
Cultures
3Sega, the heartbeat of Mauritius
Born among enslaved people, sega has been on UNESCO's intangible heritage list since 2014, along with Rodrigues's sega tambour and the Bhojpuri Geet-Gawai songs.
Festivals and faiths: an island of many calendars
Hindus, Christians, Muslims and Buddhists live side by side in Mauritius, and each faith's great festivals are often public holidays for everyone.
Kreol Morisien, everyone's language
The mother tongue of most Mauritians, Kreol has been taught in schools since 2012. Its history, its rules and 15 handy phrases.
Nature
2The dodo, emblem of extinction
Endemic to Mauritius and gone by the end of the 17th century, the dodo became the world's symbol of extinction. What we really know about it, and where to see it.
Endemic wildlife: Mauritius's survivors
The Mauritius kestrel, pink pigeon and echo parakeet were all saved from extinction at the last minute. Where to see them, from Île aux Aigrettes to Black River Gorges.