New Year in Mauritius is a family holiday, not a ticketed party. There is no big countdown in a city square. Instead the whole island sets off its own fireworks at midnight, and on 1 January a good part of it moves to the beach with a tent and a cooler. If you are here over the turn of the year, that night and that day are what you are planning around.
Two days off, not one
Both 1 and 2 January are public holidays in Mauritius. In 2027 they fall on a Friday and a Saturday, so for most people the break runs straight into the weekend. Plan as if most things outside your hotel slow down for three days: offices shut, shops keep holiday hours or close, and some attractions close outright. The Château de Labourdonnais in the north, for example, is closed on 25 December and on 1 and 2 January. If you are self-catering, shop on the 31st.
Midnight: the whole island at once
At midnight on the 31st, fireworks and firecrackers go off from gardens, rooftops and beaches all over the island, not from one official display. They are sold openly in the weeks before, from supermarkets to roadside stalls, and the noise carries on well past midnight. The fire service puts its crews on alert for the night; the emergency number is 115.
The organised displays belong to the hotels. Resorts on the north and west coasts hold gala dinners that end in fireworks over the lagoon, and in Grand Baie some are launched from boats in the bay, so you can watch from the public beach without paying for the dinner.
Where to watch from
For the island-wide view rather than one hotel's show, get up high. These are the spots locals head for:
- La Tourelle, above Tamarin: a wide arc of the west coast, from Le Morne to Flic en Flac.
- Montagne des Signaux or La Citadelle, Port Louis: the capital and its harbour below you.
- Trou aux Cerfs, Curepipe: the crater rim in the middle of the island, with the towns of the plateau all around.
- The public beach at Grand Baie: for the fireworks launched from boats in the bay.
Get there before 23:00. The roads up are narrow and fill up, and getting down afterwards is slow.
1 January: the beach camp
The day after is the part visitors miss. Camping on the public beaches over Christmas and New Year is a long-standing Mauritian tradition: families pitch tents on the 31st, start cooking on the morning of the 1st and spend the day around big pots and coolers. Flic en Flac, La Cuvette, Pereybere, Le Morne and Blue Bay all turn into temporary seaside villages, with the north the liveliest and the west and south more family-paced.
It is friendly, it is very local, and it is not put on for tourists. If you want a quiet beach on 1 January, use your hotel's or go very early. If you want to see the island at its most itself, walk a public beach at lunchtime.
What gets eaten
The New Year meal is cooked at home or on the beach rather than in restaurants, and biryani made in a big pot for the whole family is the festive dish you are most likely to be offered. Restaurants that open on the 31st often run set menus, so book ahead, and expect a hotel gala dinner to cost several times a normal night out.
Getting home
Buses run more often and later through December, and the police escort some of the last evening services, but do not count on a bus after midnight on the 31st. Book a taxi for the way back before the evening starts, or stay within walking distance of where you are celebrating. The roads are busy that night and on 1 January, and the police run extra checks.
A quick checklist
- Do your shopping on the 31st.
- Book dinner and the taxi home in advance.
- Check that whatever you planned for 1 or 2 January is actually open.
- If you are travelling with small children or a dog, the fireworks start early and finish late.
