Best time to visit Mauritius?

What month of the year is the best time to visit Mauritius?

This is undeniably one of the most frequent questions we receive, and by far one of the most difficult to reply to.

Flic en Flac beach in October

The question one should really ask is; When is the best time to visit Mauritius for me?

Also, one should ask; What part of the island is the best one for me?

Hot and humid are keywords when it comes to the Mauritian climate, as opposed to mainland Europe and other countries sharing the same latitude. Below are a few points that might be of help;

Mauritius has two seasons; summer (Oct-Mar) and winter (Apr-Sep).

The island can (roughly) be divided into three climate zones; the west, inland and the east.

Temperatures in the west are roughly 20-25C in the Mauritian winter, 25-35C in the summer and generally about 5C cooler on the inland plateau and in the east.

A good thing to keep in mind is that the east coast is windier than the west, which has both its advantages and disadvantages. Have a look at the wedding post for more info on the pros and cons of the temperature and wind in Mauritius.

If one is planning on spending most of the holiday on the beach, November-December, and possibly January and February will arguably be the warmest (but not necessarily the sunniest) period, regardless of the location, with a few inland exceptions.

South La Preneuse

However, for anything outside of beach life, such as trekking or travelling around the island, the weather at this time of year can get very exhausting, due to the combination of high temperature and high humidity. Also, a good thing to keep in mind is that the high season is also the wet season.

There is a reason why the summer (October to March) is called the “high season”, and this is simply because the majority of the hotel industry in Mauritius is geared towards relaxation and beach life rather than activities and culture.

Another thing to keep in mind for the traveller on a budget is that restaurants in Mauritius typically use a three version menu system, with pricing adjusted to low, high and peak seasons. In other words, eating out in Mauritius is typically most expensive from mid December to mid January. The low season vary from restaurant to restaurant, but for most restaurants in Mauritius, March to October is generally regarded as the low season, and thus fewer guests and lower prices.

Conclusion:

Without getting too analytical, if you plan on spending most of the time on the beach (and can stand the heat), October to March is arguably the best time to visit Mauritius from a weather perspective, with peak season around Christmas and New Years.

The rest of the year is somewhat cooler and thus allows for a more comfortable holiday if you plan on discovering the country side, rain forests, botanical gardens, mountains, Port Louis or if you plan on putting any other sort of activities on your agenda!

The passionate beach lover will probably find BeachMap-Mauritius.com useful. Launched in September 2011, it is the ambitious venture of mapping all public beaches in Mauritius into one large database. The project is expected to be completed in late 2012, but is already now accessible through the link BeachMap-Mauritius.com.