Port Louis
Port Louis, city, northwestern Mauritius, capital of the country, located on the island of Mauritius. A port on the Indian Ocean, it is also the country's largest city and main commercial and administrative center. Major manufactures include processed food (especially sugar), wood products, and printed material. Port Louis is the site of the Mauritius Institute (1880), which operates a public library and the Port Louis Museum (featuring natural history collections), and the Citadel, a fortress built in 1838. Established by the French about 1735, the city grew as a deepwater port for ships traveling between Europe and Asia, but declined after the Suez Canal was opened in 1869. In 1968, when Mauritius became independent, Port Louis was chosen to be the nation's capital. Population (1998 estimate) 147,131.

Curepipe
The town of Curepipe owes its size and prominence to the malaria epidemic of 1867, during which thousands of people fled mosquito infested Port Louis for healthier, higher ground. The bulk of Franco-Mauritians live in outlying communities and come into Curepipe mainly to shop.

With the flavour of an English market town, Curepipe is the centre of the island's tea and model-ship building industries and the best place to scatter your money. The town itself is worth a quick visit at most as the surrounding countryside has a more universal appeal.

Belle Mare
A long, luscious, casuarina-fringed beach along the eastern coast, Belle Mare is best seen from atop a reconstructed lime kiln that's been converted into a lookout tower just inland from the beach. On the far side of the road that parallels the beach stand the ruins of a sugar mill.

More substantial sugar mill ruins hide behind Belle Mare. Aside from swimming, which is probably the best the island has to offer, about the only thing to do here is lie back and relax. It won't take long to get used to the idea. Belle Mare is a long, rollercoastery bus ride east of Port Louis.

Rodrigues Island
A volcanic island 18km (11mi) long and 8km (5mi) wide, Rodrigues is in many way a miniature Mauritius. It's surrounded by coral reefs, covered with similar vegetation and landscapes, and blessed with an equally tropical climate. The vegetation isn't as lush, but then neither are the tourist throngs.

The pace of life is more relaxed and the people prone to stop and chat. On the down side, it's more likely to be hit by the cyclones that plague the region. The last big one, Cyclone Bella, swung through in early 1991, bringing with it winds in excess of 200km/h (125mph).