Grand Port

Grand Port is a district encompassing much of the south-eastern part of the island of Mauritius. Its capital is Rose-Belle but the most important town of the district is Mahebourg (former capital of Mauritius). It hosts the only airport of the country.

Grand Port is named after the village of Old Grand Port which saw the first Dutch landing and the first port of the island. It is centered on the town of Mahébourg on the coast, inside the Grand Port Bay. Built by the Dutch and later taken over by the French, the town is a reminder of the colonial past of the island.

The northern part of the district is mountainous with forested valleys and rivers. The eastern part gently rises to meet the central plateau and enjoys a cool temperate climate suitable for tea plantations. The southern part is a flat plain on part of which sits the international airport.

The magnificent bay of Mahébourg has a number of sites which might have been settled, but the Dutch choose the high ground at Vieux Grand Port to build their fort. In the lagoon immediately below, they built a jetty from stones, which can still be seen to this day.

Mahebourg is one of the main fishing centres. It lies in the bay of Grand Port and has a Naval Museum, housed in the French colonial mansion where in 1810 the English and French naval commanders, both wounded in battle, were brought to be given medical care. A handicraft village built in typical island architecture is found on the premises of the museum.