The North

Blue penny Museum

The doors of the museum open on a voyage of discovery... We follow in the footsteps of the explorers and first settlers, meet at the crossroads of European, African and Asian civilizations, travel to the very heart of legendary and contemporary Mauritius, an island which appeals deeply to the tourist as much as to its own people, whether artist or mere passer-by.

The most striking items in the museum are the unused one penny orange-red stamp of which only two specimens are known, and one of the four unused two pence indigo-blue stamps in existence. These were the first stamps issued in 1847 (Mauritius was the first British colony to issue postage stamps) and engraved Post Office by Barnard. Considered as two gems of world philately, they came back to their native land in 1993 and are now on show for your personal pleasure at the Blue Penny Museum.

Port Louis Central Market

Shopping in Mauritius is an experience in itself. You can experience the Mauritian buzz in the Central Market which is located in the Mauritian capital of Port Louis near the harbor. This market is very energetic market with stalls piled high with tropical fruits and vegetables and also mountains of spices. This place is always crowded with locals and tourists.

You can experience the local life in the traditional Port-Louis Central Market. Everything can be found in there from vegetables to meat to clothes. It is well represented in terms of the Mauritian population with Indians, Chinese and Africans going about their business.

Horse Race, Champ de Mars

The Champ de Mars was founded by the British in 1812, by Colonel Draper and it is the oldest hippodrome in the southern hemisphere and the second oldest in the world. The horse racing season starts in May and continues weekly through to November. It is a favourite national sport for Mauritians and much of the English racing regulations are followed here. Dress code is formal and throughout the season there are special days such as 'ladies day' where people really dress for the occasion. The course is named after the Champ de Mars of Paris. This incidentally, is the place where Independence was proclaimed in 1968.

Fort Adelaide (Citadel)

This building was constructed between 1834 and 1840 at the time of the governor Sir William Nicolay, La Citadelle (Fort Adelaide). Its sole purpose was to dissuade any revolt among the citizens of Port Louis during the abolition of slavery. Today the building is in ruin, the roof has gone, but the exterior walls of the building remains.

L'Aventure du Sucre

Once lusted after as much as gold, as much sought after as Indian spices, as sweet on the palate as silk is round a woman’s neck, sugar has enjoyed an extraordinary existence, leaving a profound impression on the history and identity of Mauritius.

By following the trail of the Sugar Adventure over 250 years, we can trace the history of the whole country, as in a book – a mixture of faces, the verdant or silvery sugarcane in the countryside and the sunny, colourful customs.

L’Aventure du Sucre recounts this multi-faceted history and what could be a better symbol for this jewel of a museum than a former sugar factory, redolent with memories and emotions? The setting is the beautiful Beau Plan sugar estate, located close to the sprawling and famous Pamplemousses Garden.

Pamplemousses Botanical Garden

The gardens are known to naturalists throughout the world for their large collection of indigenous and exotic plants.
The 60-acre garden boasts 500 different species of plants, of which 80 are palms. Of particular interest are the giant water lilies, a spice garden and the Talipot Palms, said to flower every 60 years after which they die.

Château de Labourdonnais

Call (230) 696 6000 to sign up for "The North" excursion