The West: Sunsets, Le Morne and the Gorges

About the area

About West

The west coast faces the sunset and is usually the driest and sunniest part of the island. Flic en Flac has one of the longest beaches in Mauritius and plenty of places to stay and eat; Tamarin and Rivière Noire are the base for dolphin-watching trips and deep-sea fishing, and the Le Morne peninsula in the south-west has a wide lagoon popular with kitesurfers. Le Morne Brabant, the mountain at its tip, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its history as a refuge for escaped slaves, and can be hiked with a guide. Inland, the Black River Gorges National Park protects the island's largest area of native forest, and the Chamarel plateau has the Seven Coloured Earth and a tall waterfall.

Towns and villages

Flic en Flac, Wolmar, Tamarin, Rivière Noire, La Preneuse, Le Morne, Chamarel, Cascavelle

Good for

Sunsets, dolphins, hiking, kitesurfing, long beaches