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P O R T - L O U I S |
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An aerial view of Port-Louis [073]
Port-Louis, the smallest but the most densely populated district, is the capital and seaport of Mauritius. Port-Louis covers an area of 42.7 square kilometers with a population of 130,420 inhabitants (in Dec 2005).
click on the image to see it at a higher resolution Port-Louis [593]
The History of Port-Louis
[505] The city of Port-Louis, located in the north-west of Mauritius, was given its name by the French governor, De Nyon. There are different opinions about the origin of the name Port-Louis. Some historians suggest that Port-Louis was named in honour of king Louis XV. Others say that it was named in memory of the other Port-Louis in Brittany. Grand Port, located in the South East of Mauritius, has always been used as a harbour ever since the arrival of the Dutch in Mauritius. However, at Grand Port the South East Trade Wind makes it difficult for sailors to sail out of the harbour. In 1730, Maupin who was a French governor, decided to shift the capital and main port of Mauritius to Port-Louis as Port-Louis is protected by a range of mountain which acts as a wind break. However, it was only with the arrival of Mahé de La Bourdonnais on 4th June 1735, that Port-Louis witnessed its first major developments, namely; the contruction of a hostipal, market, drinking water facilities, theatre, naval workshop, barracks, warehouses, office buildings, navigation facilities in the harbour, fortification structures for the defence of Port-Louis from possible enemy attacks and many other important buildings.
Places of Interest in Port-Louis
Map of places of interest in Port-Louis Port-Louis has several historical buildings that have been built since the French and English occupations namely; the Central Post Office, the Aapravasi Ghat, the Government House and Fort Adelaide (the Citadel). Other places of interest in Port-Louis are the Natural History Museum, Caudan Waterfront, the Windmill Museum, Le Dauguet and Signal Mountain.
The Central Post Office [074] The construction of the Central Post Office started in 1810 and was inaugurated in 1868. It symbolizes the efforts undertaken to improve communications both locally and with the outside world. Next to it, there is the Mauritius Postal Museum that displays a variety of postage stamps and postal equipments used during the colonial period. Entrance for Mauritius Postal Museum : FREE
Aapravasi ghat means immigration depot in hindi. All Mauritians descend from migrants, as Mauritius had no indigenous population when the first settlers came to the island. The Aapravasi Ghat also known as Coolie Ghat pays a special tribute to the hundreds of thousands of labourers who, from 1829 to 1925, left India to come and work in Mauritius and, eventually, settle here. Nowadays, the Indo-Mauritian accounts for 68% of the total population with the remaining population being Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3% and Franco-Mauritian 2% (Total population is about 1,243,253). See Aapravasi Ghat official website below for additional information.
The Government House
Government House [201] The Government House is one of the oldest buildings in Port-Louis. The ground floor and the first floor was constructed before 1740 by Mahé de La Bourdonnais which was his official residence as governor. The last French governor, Decaen, had the second floor built. Entrance : Need prior official permit to visit.
The Champ de Mars
Champ de Mars [076] Champ de Mars derives its name from being used by the French, in the 18th century, for military manoeuvres. Champ de Mars has been the site of several political, historical and social rallies and of the Mauritius Independence ceremony on 12 March 1968. Nowadays it is being used mainly for horse racing. (photos of horse racing here)
Fort Adelaide [202] The construction of Fort Adelaide started on 11 November 1830 and completed after ten years. Fort Adelaide was virtually never used except to accommodate a meagre garrison from time to time. Fort Adelaide was built in a very strategic location. Here you have an overview of the harbour which makes it easy to discern any incoming enemy. There is an underground tunel which links Fort Adelaide with the harbour. The British is thought to have built this fortress in fear of a civil war from the remaining French settlers on the island. Entrance : There is an entrance fee of Rs 50. Opening hours : Fort Adelaide is opened throughout the whole week except on Sunday.
Natural History Museum [077] The Natural History Museum is the oldest museum in Mauritius, located on the ground floor of Mauritius Institute building, next to Jardin de la Compagnie. The Natural History Museum has three galleries : The first gallery displays a variety of birds, mammals and reptiles. In this gallery you will see the skeleton of the Dodo, the unique bird to Mauritius that became extinct in 1690. The speedy disappearance of the Dodo is attributed to the arrival of human beings, monkeys, rats, dogs, pigs and cats on Mauritius, which have tremendously disturbed the delicately balanced ecosystem. These exotic animals became a danger to the Dodo, their youngs and their eggs. They were also being killed for their flesh by the first settlers. The second gallery is more about the marine life, namely fishes, sea shells and crabs. The third gallery consists of a section for geology, tortoise, and insects.
Photography is prohibited inside this museum.
Entrance : FREE. Opening hours : The museum is closed on Wednesday, Sunday and on public holidays.
Caudan Waterfront [078] Caudan waterfront consists of a food court, restaurants, hotels, shops, boutiques, a library, a museum and various leisure facilities. See Caudan Waterfront official website below for additional information.
Windmill Museum [200] During the governmentship of Mahé de La Bourdonnais in 1736, a windmill was built so as to provide flour to dockworkers in the harbour. It was then abandoned during the beginning of the twentieth century. Nowadays, it houses a small museum. The windmill museum is located next to Caudan Waterfront. Entrance : FREE Opening hours : Windmill Museum is opened from Monday to Friday from 10.00 am to noon and 01.00 pm to 03.00 pm.
The Sugar Bulk Terminal
Sugar Bulk Terminal [080] The sugar bulk terminal, located at the harbour, is where all the sugar are stored before being exported to other countries. The exportation of sugar was once the most important pillar of the Mauritian economy. According to Mauritius Chamber of Agriculture, Mauritius has produced 645 600 tonnes of sugar in 2001. The total area of Mauritius is about 186 500 hectares and sugar cane alone covers about 84 000 hectares (about 93% of the total cultivated area). However, due to the introduction of Euro which replaces ECU and the crisis of prices of sugar on a global scale due to an oversupply and a decrease in demand, Mauritius is now looking for alternative sources of revenue and thus relying less on the export of sugar.
Le Dauguet [115] Le Dauguet, located at Tranquebar, is a 1400 meters track on the slope of mount Le Pouce. Le Dauguet is the name of the original owner. Here you will hear the chirping of birds, the babbling of running water and the rustling of tree leaves far from the noises of the city. Le Dauguet comprises of a variety of indigenous as well as exotic trees namely: Eucalyptus, Tamarin, Longane, Palmiste Piquant, Bois d`Ebène, Bois d`Olive and Mahogany. During the French occupation, the governor François, built a system to gather water from the springs to provide the town of Port-Louis with clean drinking water.
An aerial view of the harbour [081] Signal Mountain is 323 meters high. From the summit of Signal mountain you have a spectacular view of Port-Louis, not only Port-Louis but even to Gunner`s Quoin island. I would suggest that you bring your binoculars along with you to map out the most important locations. Normally vehicles are not allowed to climb up the mountain. The only road to the summit of Signal mountain is dedicated to pedestrians. To reach the summit, it will normally take you some 45 minutes.
www.aapravasighat.org ; an informative web site about the history of Aapravasi Ghat.
www.caudan.com ; a web site that has additional information about the facilities available at Caudan Waterfront. |
