Family Days Out in Port Louis, Mauritius

Port Louis works for families as a half day or full day of indoor sights and snacks. It is a commercial harbour, so there is no beach or paddling in the city. Families who want swimming go to the north or west coast, which is tens of minutes away by car.

Four kid friendly stops

1. Odysseo Oceanarium

Children walk through an ocean tunnel past many tanks. The oceanarium is open every day from 09:00 to 17:00 and you can enter until 16:15. Non-resident adults pay Rs 1,280, kids aged 4 to 12 pay Rs 960, and under 4s go in free. It is closed on 1 January.

The Natural History Museum next to Jardin de la Compagnie displays the dodo. It opens 09:00 to 16:00 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 11:00 to 16:00 on Wednesday and 09:00 to 12:00 on Saturday, per most listings. Most guides say entry is free, while one lists Rs 75 for adults, so ask at the desk.

3. Le Caudan Waterfront

The waterfront has a promenade, shops, a cinema and the Allee des Parapluies, where umbrellas hang overhead. It is a gentle place to burn off time between museums. The Blue Penny Museum here offers a family ticket of Rs 820 for two adults and two children, and the museum is open Monday to Saturday from 09:30 to 16:00.

4. Pamplemousses

Giant water lilies and tortoises are the draws at the SSR Botanical Garden. Foreign visitors pay around Rs 300 per most sources, and the garden is open from about 08:30 to 17:30. At the sugar museum next door, under 6s are free, children aged 6 to 13 pay Rs 600, adults pay Rs 1,200 and families get 10 percent off. The sugar museum is closed on Sundays.

Snack stops

Stalls at the Central Market sell dholl puri, gateau piment, boulettes and alouda. Cash is needed, prices are low and mornings are calmer.

A note on the memorials

Aapravasi Ghat and the Intercontinental Slavery Museum honour the people who were enslaved or indentured. They are educational memorials rather than play places. Parents choose whether young children come along, and a short, quiet visit works best.

Practical tips

  • Do the outdoor part in the morning, as summer from November to April is hot and humid.
  • The city centre empties by about 17:00 to 18:00, and most of it closes on Sundays.
  • Watch your step on pavements, where drains run open.
  • Read your government’s latest travel advisory ahead of the trip and keep clear of demonstrations.

Read more: Museum and attraction visits and Short trips beyond the city .

Family tours can be searched on GetYourGuide . Full details: Odysseo , Blue Penny Museum and L’Aventure du Sucre .