We are often asked “When is the best time to visit Mauritius”. The correct answer is, anytime! The temperature varies from 16-28 C, day or night, summer or winter. What is very important to note is that the weather in one part of the island could be totally different from another on any given day. There are some other considerations apart from temperature, which we will take you through.
What to consider apart from the weather?
Everyone is going to tell you about the weather in relation to when to visit Mauritius. I will touch on that towards the end of this blog but first want to go through some things you might not have considered when planning a holiday to Mauritius.
Also be aware when you are looking around the web, a lot of websites tend to confuse our seasons as they are opposite to the Northern hemisphere. Summer is in December here!
Food in Mauritius during the year
In hotels, resorts and restaurants you will find amazing fresh produce year round. However, if you enjoy experiencing local seasonal treats (which are amazing) there are a few things to consider.
Bananas, coconuts and papayas are available locally grown and fresh year round. If you are after fruits like mangos, jamalac, Java plums, pineapples November to January are when they are sweet and plentiful. Litchi season is November, December.
A particular favourite is the Chinese guava’s which you can find sold on the streets served with chilli salt or you can go guava picking in the forests. Guava season is March – June.
If you are a fan of venison, the Mauritian deer hunting season runs from June to September so you can expect some great venison dishes on the menus during this time.
Cultural festivals during the year
Mauritius is a multi-cultural nation and celebrates many diverse festivities during the year. Many of these are based on the lunar calendar so do fluctuate over the years.
One of the most colourful is Cavadee which is mid January – February. All across the island, everyone is on the streets to encourage the Tamil devotees carrying their cavadees to temples. Cavadee should be on the 5th February 2023 and 25 January 2024.
Also observed in mid January – February is Chinese New Year or the Chinese Spring festival. If you are in Mauritius around this time, I suggest you pay a visit to China Town Port Louis to experience the festivities.
Mid February / March is Maha Shivaratri. People from all over the island (all over the world actually) make a pilgrimage to Ganga Talao, often carrying kanwars on their shoulders.
Mauritian Independence day is every year 12 March and sees the island come alive with flags and festivities.
Another wonderful time to be in Mauritius is during Diwali October / November. Houses and streets and decorated with lights and sweet treats are handed out. Triolet village is amazing to visit just be warned there is a lot of traffic.
Activities in Mauritius during the year
If you have your heart set on some whale watching, sperm whales can be seen year round. Humpback whales are nearest our coast in the winter months, so July August.
For the hikers, winter months would be great as it is less hot and generally less wet. However, waterfalls are not going to be as impressive as during the rainy summer months.
Windsurfing and kitesurfing have become quite popular. The best time for these is when the wind is blowing! Plan your holidays from April to November if you are keen on wind sports.
Scuba diving is great year round but you will find different attractions throughout the year. Ask you dive shop if there is something specific that you are hoping to witness.
What about pricing and availability?
Mauritius has a few defined seasons from Low to High to High High and Peak. Peak season is from 16 December to about 8 January. If you have not booked in advance for the period, you will find everything fully booked from hotels to catamaran tours. During Peak season, prices will be double or more what you would pay in low season.
In low season (after Easter to end of July) you can get great discounts on hotels, resorts and activities. Most businesses do not close during low season, so you will still find restaurants open.
August is fairly busy again with an influx of tourists from Europe so you will find hotel prices increase a bit. This can probably be offset with flight prices which are generally on special during this time due to increased demand.
Now we can talk about the weather.
The weather report shows it is always raining!
Well, yes Mauritius is a tropical island. The weather report almost every day is going to say it will rain and it probably will. We get tropical downpours that last 5-10 minutes and then the sun comes out. If you see an ominous cloud overhead, watch what the Mauritians are doing. If they are scampering for cover, do the same. If they are still chilling on the beach, don’t worry it probably won’t rain. However, if you get do caught in a downpour, remember it is warm rain and the sun will dry you out in 5 minutes.
When is cyclone season?
Technically from 15 November to 15 May! Most cyclones that come close to Mauritius do so in January or February. Mauritius is very well set up for dealing with cyclones and has an advanced warning system and efficient clean up plans. If you are here during a cyclone, there is no need to worry. The biggest impact will be that outings at sea will probably be cancelled for 3-7 days due to all the boats being brought out of the water. Mostly the airports and shops are back up and running within 1-2 days.
In recent years with have been affected by anti-cyclones in the winter months which bring cold rainy weather. Not dangerous but a bit unpleasant.
I will write a detailed blog about cyclones and everything you need to know but in the meanwhile, you can check out this video we did about cyclones. There are useful chapters to guide you through.
What about heat and humidity?
Summer in Mauritius is 7 months long from October to April with temperatures peaking in January and February. Although the temperature is not overly high, the humidity does play a part. Not a problem if you have air conditioning or a good fan or just stay in the pool or the sea.
In Conclusion
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Great blog thanks. Very helpful for planning my visit
Thank you, didn’t even consider the festivals but they sound incredible. Hopefully can catch Diwali this year.