Curepipe
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Curepipe

Curepipe

Central Plateau Mauritian town known for model ships, textile outlets, and the Trou aux Cerfs crater.

Curepipe is the main commercial town of the central plateau, sitting at 550 metres above sea level — cooler and often cloudier than the coast. It's primarily a shopping town for Mauritians, known for its model ship workshops (a Mauritian craft speciality), textile factories, diamond cutting operations, and the Floreal Knitwear factory shop where you can buy quality wool knitwear at good prices.

The Trou aux Cerfs volcanic crater, in the western part of town, is an impressive sight — an 85-metre-deep, 200-metre-wide crater that last erupted thousands of years ago and is now a peaceful park with panoramic views over the island. Worth the short walk up.

The town centre has an old Carnegie Library and a Botanical Garden (free entry), and the general Edwardian-era architecture gives it a quietly distinctive character. The Mauritius Glass Gallery nearby does good glass sculpture if you're looking for souvenirs.

Guide

Shopping

Curepipe is Mauritius's main inland shopping town, and the central shopping street has a concentration of fabric shops, jewellers, and craft outlets that draws Mauritians from across the plateau. For visitors, the most interesting purchases are the ones you can't easily find elsewhere: hand-crafted model ships and quality knitwear.

The model ship industry is one of Mauritius's distinctive crafts. Workshops produce detailed scale replicas of famous sailing vessels — the Bounty, the Endeavour, 18th-century frigates — in camphor wood, with individually carved planks, rigging, and brass fittings. Visiting a workshop to watch craftsmen at work is worthwhile even if you don't buy; the level of skill involved is remarkable. Several workshops are in and around the Curepipe area.

The Floreal Knitwear factory outlet, in the adjacent suburb of Floreal, sells quality wool sweaters, cardigans, and accessories at good prices. The brand has been operating since 1949 and is well regarded across the Indian Ocean region; their products are sold in upmarket boutiques across Mauritius at higher prices than you'll pay here.

Guide

Things to Do