Port Louis

Port Louis, located on the northwest coast of Mauritius, serves as the country’s capital city and is the economic, cultural and political centre. Port Louis is also the most populous city in Mauritius hosting a variety of cultures, languages and religions and will be of interest on a Mauritius vacation.

Port Louis was used as a harbour as far back as 1638, however, in 1735 the French took over the region naming it after King Louis XV. The harbour became an important stopping-over point for French ships sailing around the Cape of Good Hope. Despite a series of disasters that occurred between 1773-1892 including fires, plagues and tropical storms, Port Louis never fell.  As a result, it emerged as one of Africa’s most important financial centres and ports in the 20th century.