One of the most visited natural attractions in Mauritius are the Tamarind Falls, often referred to as the 7 cascades, 7 waterfalls or Sept Cascades.

It is actually a set of 9 waterfalls, but two of them are not open to the public, hence the more familiar name "7 Cascades".

The official name refers to the name of the Tamarind River, which creates the deep forested canyon with the falls.

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If you go on a shorter tour just to the 5th cascade like most tourists do, set aside at least 2-3 hours.

Hiking through the canyon along the falls

There is a narrow path along the river and all the cascades that is accessible to all hikers.

The trail is unmarked and in places very difficult and steep. It is often very slippery, even on dry days, as the water from the falls spreads over a wide area.

The trail starts near the dam about 1 km south of the Henrietta bus terminus.

• Starting point of the trek on the map

You'll hike a bit through a sugar cane field, but after about 400 meters there are first switchbacks to the 1st waterfall (only about 100 meters round trip) and then to the 2nd waterfall at the bottom of the canyon.

From this point on the trail is challenging, slippery and steep, but no climbing skills are required and even less trained hikers can manage it with care.

The views from the 2nd cascade are spectacular.

If you found the route here challenging and at the limit of your abilities, we recommend turning back.

The path to the other cascades is a bit more challenging.

However, the challenging descent below the 2nd falls was worth it and in my opinion, this is the most beautiful spot in the entire Tamarind Falls system!

The trail continues on to Cascades 3 through 5, and this part can be the most confusing, as the path often gets lost in the deep forest and it's not obvious at first glance where it actually goes.

The views, however, are again beautiful.

From the 5th to the 7th cascade is the most challenging and requires a lot of time and skill. Moreover, the views are not so nice anymore, so I decided - like the vast majority of hikers - to go from the 5th cascade back to the car.

Is a guide necessary?

At the road where the hiking trails start, you will be approached by official and unofficial guides who will usually take you along the route from Cascade 1 to Cascade 5.

Prices are around 1 000 mur per person.

If you are at least a moderately fit hiker, you won't need a guide. I went on my own without a guide and except for a few places where I took a while to find the trail, everything was uneventful.

Also, the hiking trek around the 7 cascades is very busy, so if you don't know which way to go, you can usually just wait 5-10 minutes and a group of hikers will show up with a guide to follow.

A guide is recommended if you have no experience in hiking at all.

Organized tours and activities

If you are not travelling around Mauritius by hire car or bus and are staying in one place rather than in a resort, organised guided tours and transfers to/from your resort are also available.

Prices for half-day excursions are usually between 2 000 mur and 3 000 mur and you can compare all the agencies clearly, for example via getyourguide.com.

How to get there

If you go to the falls on your own, you have several options.

By car

The easiest way is to travel by rental car. The road is not very well marked, so we definitely recommend using a sat nav.

We definitely recommend using the highway and bypass around the towns of Curepipe and Vacoas-Phoenix, although the distance is significantly longer.

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From the falls, I drove to the resort of Flic en Flac directly through the centre of Vacoas-Phoenix and the journey took over an hour. However, another part of the bypass directly to Flic en Flac will soon be completed

• Recommended route map Tamarind Falls - Flic en Flac(from the beginning of 2026)
• Recommended route map Tamarind Falls - Port Louis
• Recommended route map Tamarind Falls - Airport

Free parking is available anywhere along the tarmac road (around this location).

Taxi

Taxis are ubiquitous in Mauritius and are popular especially with guests of the large hotel resorts.

To get to Tamarind Falls you will pay roughly the following prices:

• Flic en Flac - 1 200 mur
• Port Louis - 1 300 mur
• Le Morne - 2 500 mur
• Palmar / Belle Mare - 3 000 mur

Public transport - buses

The nearest bus station is called Henrietta located about 1,5 km north of the start of the hiking trail.

• Curepipe - lines 134/134A
• Quatre Bornes - line 3B
• Port Louis - lines 3B, 141
• Vacoas - line 66

View of the waterfalls from afar

We have a secret tip that not many tourists know about. If you have a rental car, take a drive to the viewpoint from which you'll have 5 of the 7 cascades right in the palm of your hand from about 180 meters high!

If you take the second narrow road at the Henrietta bus terminus (going to the right as you leave the centre), after about 300 metres you will reach a beautiful viewpoint.

The exact location on the map is here.

Our tips and recommendations

• good quality hiking shoes are essential
• we recommend clothes that you don't mind getting dirty or torn
• a guide is not necessary unless you are completely inexperienced in hiking
• the total trek between the 1st and 5th cascade will take around 2-3 hours
• if you go all the way to the 7th cascade, expect 4-4.5 hours

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