By Lebogang Mogashoa
May 9th, 2008
It's the rare individual who goes to Mauritius for hiking. The abundant sand and beach make the prospect seem bothersome, at best.
But hiking does add a bit of variety to lazy Mauritius getaways.
After all it's difficult to take the bother out of some active individuals and on the island you can have the best of both worlds.
The outdoorsy parts of Mauritius are in the western and interior areas. The pictorial Mauritius you have in mind is more to the north of the island.
Find impressive hiking trails at the Black River Gorges National Park. This park is not home to big animals like elephants or lions but that doesn't make it less special.
While hiking at the Black River Gorges expect to be surrounded by some of the 311 species of plants and the nine species of birdlife, all native to the island. Most hikers are awed by the "Bois de Natte" trees. These umbrella-shaped plants are as much a characteristic of Mauritius as its bright white beaches.
For birdwatchers, there are Pink Pigeons, Mauritian Echo-Parakeets, and kestrels amongst others to animate the hikes. Most of the birds you'll encounter used to be critically endangered, until recently their luck has been turning.
This park is about 68 square kilometres in size and the sum total of all the hiking trails comes to just about 6okm. That means whatever trail you'll choose will not be too demanding and this is good news for the rest of us leisurely hikers. (This is Mauritius after all, where we go to slow down). Also, keep in mind the island's highest point is only about 828m above sea level.
Here are some of the park's trails that take you to diverse spots around the park:
Macchabée Forest
This is loopy trail that takes you around the tropical forest. This is the kind of route you should take if you want to see the forests from a 360 degree point of view. It's a moderate 14km (return) walk that starts at Pétrin.
Macchabée Trail
Even though this is about 10km, on return, it can be strenuous. Expect amazing plant views to make up for the hard work you'll be putting. Start at the Pétrin visitors centre.
Mare Longue Loop
This trail is not too demanding, so you can get away with calling it "lounging". It's about 12km long and leads to the reservoir. The highlight of this hike however, is the dwarf forest you will encounter.
Parakeet Trail
For the hardened hikers who want a challenge even in Mauritius, the Parakeet trail delivers. The 8km (one way) starts at Plaine Champagne and goes to the Visitors Centre but not before going through the "Gorges" area (code for difficult).
Black River Peak
For what it offers you might expect this trail to be a bit more difficult. But it's a moderate 9km (return) that takes you to the highest point in Mauritius. The only difficult part is the last few metres towards the top and that's it.
If you still need more you can choose from the Savanne, Bel Ombre and Cascade des Galets trails.
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