Port Louis draws two kinds of visitors: people staying there for work, and people visiting for a day. Either way, a car is useful for getting out of the city and less so for getting around it. This guide helps you use it at the right time.
Picking up a car in Port Louis
Local agencies deliver to your hotel or office in the capital, or hand the car over at the airport if you fly in (about 45 minutes to an hour on the M1 outside rush hour). Riding Car Hire, based in Phoenix about fifteen minutes from the centre, delivers anywhere on the island (rentcar.mu/riding-car-hire).
To see available cars on your dates with delivery in Port Louis, check our car rental in Port Louis page.
Getting around: the hours to avoid
Port Louis traffic is the heaviest on the island. On weekdays, avoid driving into or out of the city between 7 and 9.30 am and between 4 and 6.30 pm: the M1 and M2 jam up around the capital. Saturday afternoons and Sundays are much quieter and the best time to visit by car.
In the centre, streets are narrow and often one-way, with lots of pedestrians and deliveries. A small car is far more practical than an SUV. For a return trip from Rose Hill, Quatre Bornes or Curepipe, the Metro Express light rail is often faster than driving at rush hour.
Parking in Port Louis
On central streets, paid parking uses scratch coupons sold at petrol stations and shops: scratch off the date and time and leave the coupon clearly visible behind the windscreen. No coupon means a fine.
The easiest option for a visit is the covered car parks at Caudan Waterfront, a short walk from the central market, Place d'Armes and the waterfront. Our guide to parking in Mauritius covers the rules (rentcar.mu/blog/se-garer-a-maurice-parking).
What to see in Port Louis
- The central market, for fruit, spices and dholl puri.
- Caudan Waterfront and the Blue Penny Museum, for the island's history and its famous stamps.
- Aapravasi Ghat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where indentured labourers arrived.
- The Company Garden and Chinatown.
- Fort Adelaide (the Citadel), for views over the city and harbour.
Exploring from the capital
Port Louis sits at the centre of the road network: Grand Baie is about 30 to 40 minutes away on the M2 outside rush hour, Pamplemousses garden 20 minutes, Flic en Flac about 30 minutes. For a first day, combine a morning in town with an afternoon on a northern beach (rentcar.mu/blog/road-trip-nord-maurice-une-journee).
Prices in Port Louis are the same as elsewhere on the island: from Rs 1,300 a day for a small car in low season with our partners. Seasonal ranges are on our price barometer (rentcar.mu/barometre-prix).
