Getting there is simpler than it once was. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport continues to build its role as a regional hub, with strong connections through Europe, the Middle East, and southern Africa. For US travelers, one-stop routes via Paris, London, Dubai, and Johannesburg make Mauritius more accessible than many travelers assume, and once on the island, distances are short. You can drive from the airport to the capital, Port Louis, in under an hour, and cross the island coast-to-coast in a single morning.
Mauritius’s cultural mix is influenced by people from African, Indian, Chinese, and European communities. The island’s population has shaped a food culture that’s as compelling as its scenery. In Port Louis’s Central Market and neighborhood snack stands, vendors sell dholl puri, gateaux piments, and fried noodles that reflect that layered history. Inland, tea plantations in the central highlands and rum distilleries using locally grown sugarcane add agricultural context to what often gets framed in typical travel media as a resort-only destination.
Photo: Suzie Dundas
The island’s beaches have long been the main traveler draw, and that hasn’t changed. But nature extends well past the beaches. Black River Gorges National Park protects a large swath of native forest and endemic birdlife, while guided hikes and canyoning routes are expanding access without opening fragile areas to mass tourism. Offshore, marine parks and regulated diving sites aim to balance reef access with protection, an approach that’s increasingly central to how Mauritius markets itself to long-haul travelers.
In 2026, Mauritius makes the most sense for travelers willing to slow down: to split time between coast and interior, to eat where locals eat as often as they book a tasting menu, and to treat the island not as a backdrop, but as a place with its own rhythms and priorities. 