Mauritius - Northern Mauritius

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Northern Mauritius is divided into two districts: Pamplemousses in the west and Rivière du Rempart in the east.

The coast of Pamplemousses is largely given over to tourism and includes the lively resort of Grand Baie. Its boundary is the mountain range encircling Port Louis, with Crève Coeur, behind Pieter Both, as its southernmost village. It cuts through the sugar plantations east of Pamplemousses town and runs northwards to the coast at Pointe aux Canonniers.

Rivière du Rempart is a compact district of contrasts, encompassing the tourist hot spots to the east of Grand Baie, the industrial/agricultural area of Goodlands and the rugged northeast coast around Poudre d’Or. The town of Rivière du Rempart is in the east of the district, originally named Rampart River for its steep banks.

The importance of sugar in the north of Mauritius gave rise to the construction of the island’s first railway line in 1864. The Northern Line, which connected Port Louis to Pamplemousses and Flacq, was used to transport sugar to Port Louis. It stopped carrying passengers in 1956 and was closed down completely in 1964.

The elbow of land just north of Port Louis is named Baie du Tombeau (Tomb Bay), in memory of George Weldon, an English merchant who was drowned there in 1697. He was not alone in his fate and treasure hunters are convinced that treasure lies in this bay, a legacy of the many ships wrecked in its waters. If ferreting for treasure doesn’t interest you, then there is little to keep you in Baie du Tombeau.

Back on the main road from Port Louis to the north, you pass through the village of Arsenal. Although locals are quick to point out the link with the English football team of the same name, the name actually comes from the munitions stores which the French had here.

Inland from Arsenal is the small village of Pamplemousses, which is home to the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanic Gardens, one of Mauritius’s best-known tourist attractions (see What to see in Northern Mauritius, pages 133–5).

The Church of St François in the village of Pamplemousses was built in 1743 and is one of the oldest on the island. Its cemetery contains the tomb of Abbé Buonavita (1752–1833), who was Napoleon’s almoner (distributor of alms) on St Helena. He settled in Mauritius after Napoleon’s death in 1821. Villebague, Governor of Mauritius from 1756 to 1759, is also buried here. Behind the primary school in Pamplemousses is the Bassin des Esclaves (Slave Pond), where it is said slaves were washed before being sold.

Not far from Pamplemousses are two sites that evoke the area’s agricultural history: L’Aventure du Sucre tells the story of the island’s sugar industry, while the restored 19th-century Château de Labourdonnais gives an insight into the life of a wealthy sugar-estate owner.

Back on the coast near Balaclava, Turtle Bay is a marine park which offers good snorkelling. The coast here is naturally largely rocky, although the hotels lining the coast have each created their own beaches. From the coast you can see ships queuing to enter Port Louis harbour. The ruins of an 18th-century French arsenal are here and, further north, at Pointe aux Piments, lie the remnants of the Batterie des Grenadiers. Some of the most impressive ruins are within the grounds of the Maritim Hotel. Non-residents can obtain permission to visit them at the security hut by the entrance.

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