Beach at Bel Ombre on the south coast of Mauritius

Self-Drive Mauritius

How driving works on Mauritius, and how to plan a trip around it.

Hero image: jokin.lacalle, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Mauritius drives on the left. A motorway crosses the island from the airport in the south-east through Port Louis towards the north coast, while smaller roads follow the coast and climb into the uplands of the south-west.

Distances are short, but traffic around Port Louis and the plateau towns, and winding roads in the south and west, mean journeys often take longer than the map suggests. Rodrigues is a separate island reached by air or sea.

Driving in Mauritius: the essentials

Side of the road: Left
Main roads: M1 motorway (airport–Port Louis) and M2 (Port Louis–north)
Licence and rules: Check current requirements with your hire company and official sources
Traffic: Heavy around Port Louis and the plateau at peak times
Upland roads: Narrow and winding to Chamarel and the national park
Emergencies: Confirm current emergency numbers with your hire company on arrival

Is a hire car worth it?

A car is the easiest way to explore the south-west, the south coast and the uplands, where public transport is limited. For a beach stay in Grand Baie, Pereybère or Flic en Flac with one or two excursions, taxis and organised tours may be simpler.

Routes worth driving

West and south-west: Flic en Flac to Le Morne along the coast, then up to Chamarel and the Black River Gorges.
South coast: Bel Ombre east to Souillac and Gris Gris.
North: the coast road from Pointe aux Piments to Grand Gaube, with Pamplemousses inland.
South-east: Mahébourg north along the bay of Grand Port.

Drive carefully: upland roads are narrow, winding and often misty; avoid them after dark if you are unfamiliar. Watch for pedestrians, cyclists and buses on village roads.