Tamarind Falls, known to everyone here as the Seven Cascades, is the best walk on the island and the one most often attempted badly. It is a chain of waterfalls in the interior above Henrietta, and the full route involves swimming, scrambling and a couple of descents that are unforgiving when wet.
What a guide costs, and why you want one
Guided half-day trips from Henrietta start around 1,500 rupees per person, usually including the walk in, the swim stops and the way out. Full-day versions that take in more of the cascade chain cost more.
This is the one hike in Mauritius where going alone is a genuinely bad idea. The route is unmarked and braided with false paths. The descent lines change after heavy rain. There is no phone signal in the gorge. People are hurt here every year, and the rescues are difficult precisely because of those three facts together.
What the day looks like
Most trips start early from Henrietta, drop into the gorge over the first hour, then work down the cascade chain with swim stops at the deeper pools. Expect to be wet from mid-morning. The climb out at the end is the hardest part of the day, and it comes when you are already tired.
Allow four to six hours for a half-day trip including transfers.
Who it suits
You need to be comfortable swimming in cold, deep fresh water and happy scrambling on wet rock. It is not technical climbing, but it is not a stroll and it is not suitable for small children or anyone unsteady on uneven ground.
If that sounds like too much, the upper viewpoint can be reached on a short walk with no scrambling, and it gives you the view without the commitment.
What to bring
- Shoes you can swim in. Trail shoes that drain, or proper water shoes. Flip-flops are useless and bare feet are worse.
- A dry bag for phone and keys. You will be fully in the water.
- Two litres of water and something to eat.
- A change of clothes in the car for afterwards.
- Sun protection. The upper sections are exposed even though the gorge is shaded.
When to go
May to October, the drier season, when water levels are manageable and the rock is less slick. After heavy rain the falls are dramatic and the route becomes dangerous - a good operator will cancel, and if yours does, that is a sign you picked the right one.
Getting there
Henrietta, above Vacoas in the central highlands. There is no practical bus for an early start, so drive or arrange transport through the operator, which most include.
