Port Louis sits on the west coast of Mauritius, while the airport lies on the southeast, with tourist resorts scattered all around the island’s circumference. The majority of tourists never set foot in the capital city, though it is not without its attractions. The Central Market offers the perfect place to experience the island’s cultural kaleidoscope of color and aroma. At Blue Penny Museum you can view two of the world’s most valuable stamps, the Mauritius orange-red and deep-blue, displayed for just 10 minutes every half-hour to limit their exposure to light.

The Natural History Museum provides an insight into the island’s original wildlife, including skeletons and reconstructions of the extinct dodo. Much of Mauritius is now given over to sugarcane plantations, but the 66-acre Île aux Aigrettes off the east coast provides an impression of what the main island used to be. The rare Mauritian pink pigeon thrives here, while introduced giant tortoises help to restore the natural habitat (extinct Mauritian giant tortoises played an important role in the germination of some plants and trees). You can also see the dodo here, albeit as a life-sized statue.

© Aliaksandr Lobach | Dreamstime.com

Beach holidays remain Mauritius’s biggest draw. Coral reefs protect much of the coast, providing excellent diving. The sheltered waters prove perfect for sailing and other watersports, while the palm-shaded, white-sand beaches offer the archetypal vision of paradise.

The north coast, the liveliest area, centers on Grand Baie and offers plenty to do, day and night. The town of Flic en Flac, boasting one of the best beaches, is an emerging tourist center and a popular Airbnb base. The upscale resorts of the east coast have a more get-away-from-it-all ambience. Despite centuries of human habitation and decades as a tourist destination, at heart Mauritius remains what it has always been: a remote island in the Indian Ocean.

National History Museum © Aliaksandr Lobach | Dreamstime.com

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