Le Morne Brabant is a truly magnificent high point of Mauritius. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is a rugged mountain, 555 meters high, that juts into the Indian Ocean in the southwest of Mauritius and was used as a shelter by runaway slaves through the 18th and early 19th century. Protected by the mountain’s isolated, wooded and almost inaccessible cliffs, the escaped slaves formed small settlements in the caves and on the summit of Le Morne. There are 2 routes around the mountain: • THE SLAVE ROUTE UP TO THE CROSS (Difficulty: Challenging)This is the more sportive route, which takes you up to the highest point you can climb to, 515 meters above sea level. The hike ends at the ‘Cross of the Slaves’ , a statue to commemorate the runaway slaves who on February 1835 jumped to their deaths to escape a police expedition who came to tell them that slavery has been abolished. The first 250 meters up are easy, and the path is wide. From 250 to 400 meters high, it gets more narrow and steep. The last 100 meters up are the most challenging. • THE HILLY FOREST ROUTE (Difficulty: Easy)Enjoy the lush green mountain scenery on this fun walk. Through the savannah-like landscape, a broad path takes you up to the plateau which surrounds the mountain. Walking around Le Morne – the luxury hotels, astonishing lagoons and Benitiers Island glittering at your feet – you overlook at the southwest coast of Mauritius, all the way up to the mountains encircling capital Port Louis and the peaks of Black River Gorges National Park. The mountain slopes are home to tropical birds, fruit bats, deer and wild boar. To know: ➢ Start of activity is 06.30am and takes about 3-4 hours of hiking depending on the speed of the participants. ➢ Comfortable clothes like shorts, and T-shirts and hiking shoes are recommended. ➢ Also recommended to take towels, sun cream, mosquito repellent. ➢ Included: a bottle of water, chocolate bar and a cereal bar.
