Port Louis, Mauritius Cruise Port

Port Louis is the capital city of Mauritius, which is located in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar. Now an independent country, Mauritius has been controlled by three major European countries throughout its recent history. First the Dutch had it from 1598 to 1710, followed by France in 1715 and then the British gained control in 1810 until Mauritius gained independence in 1992. With all these different historical and cultural influences, Port Louis and the entire nation have becoming a melting pot. Travelers cruise to Mauritius to bask in the beauty of the mountainous island and its sandy beaches.
 

• Discover the history of Port Louis and Mauritius at the Blue Penny Museum, which gets its name from the two penny blue stamp produced by the Mauritius post office. Along with the red penny stamp, this is one of the rarest postage stamps in the world.
    
• Get a hands on look at the sugar cane plantations that dominated Port Louis for decades at the Domaine Les Pailles, which as a replica of a traditional ox-driven sugar mill on site. They also brew their own rum here.
   
• Visit the Champ de Mars Racecourse, the second oldest racecourse in the world. Races still take place here from April until November. The country’s independence was also claimed here.
   
• Just as you would find in New York or San Francisco, Port Louis has its own Chinatown where much of the country’s Chinese population live and have special grocery stores and restaurants.