Vieux Grand Port: where Mauritius began

Vieux Grand Port is the birthplace of Mauritius. The Dutch fleet anchored here in 1598, named the island after Prince Maurice of Nassau, and built Fort Frederik Hendrik in 1638. A monument on the shore marks the first landing; the ruins of the fort and a small museum (Frederik Hendrik Museum) show what excavations found.

Across the bay, a memorial recalls the Battle of Grand Port (August 1810), the only French naval victory over the British in the Napoleonic wars. A 30-minute history stop between Mahébourg and Lion Mountain.

• First landing of the Dutch (1598)
• Ruins of the Dutch fort
• Battle of Grand Port memorial

Getting there