Grand Bassin (Ganga Talao)
A crater lake at 550 metres that is the holiest Hindu site outside India, with a 33-metre Shiva at the gate and temples around the water.
Why go
Half a million pilgrims walk here for Maha Shivaratri every February or March. The rest of the year it is quiet: a still lake in a crater, temples on its shore, monkeys in the trees and the huge Shiva statue on the road in. It explains more about Mauritius than any beach.
How to do it
Free. On the road between Curepipe and Chamarel, so it pairs with Black River Gorges. Shoes off in the temples, shoulders covered. Do not feed the monkeys, whatever the person next to you is doing.
Nearby
- Black River Gorges National Park · West
- Bois Chéri Tea Estate · South