To all nature lovers, easy hike fans and incredible view seekers, we highly recommend you the hike on the Pouce mountain.
Located on the North-West part of Mauritius Island, in the Moka district between the Signs mountain and the Pieter Both mountain. The Pouce is the third highest mountain in Mauritius at 812 meters after the Pieter Both and the Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire. This volcanic mountain was name the Pouce (french of the Thumb) because of its funny thumb-shaped pick. The Pouce is overgrown with a lot of plants such as guava and acacia and with a few endemic plants like the “Pandanus pseudomontanus” which are at risk of extinction.
The trek to the top of the Pouce can be started from Port Louis or from St-Pierre (the one we recommend). It’s not easy to find the start point of the treck if you are going without a guide : pay attention to the roads signs and do not hesitate to ask to the friendly locals if you ever feel lost.
From the motorway M1, direction : Moka with, in your back-pack : sun-cream, water, hat, mosquito repellent, your photo camera, some energy refill goodies and at your feet some good walking shoes. When you reach Moka, around 150 meters after the round about of Mont Desert Alma you’ll have a road sign indicating “Le Pouce / Nouvelle Découverte” follow the direction and then take the first left. Then after around 1 km, 15 meters before the turn on your right, you’ll see a small sign “le Pouce” at the entry of a sugar cane road. You have to turn here and you can park your car near the village’s houses or a bite further near the starting point of the hike.
You’ll find some arrows painted on the south side of the mountain which indicate the road. After 10 minutes in the sugar cane fields road you’ll reach the mountain’s zigzag road under the big trees and dense nature where the hike really start. After the hiking under the trees you’ll reach the tree-less road, at the edge of the cliff which already offers, at this height, a great view over the highlands of Plaine Williems, over Pailles and the harbor. Shortly after, you’ll have to turn right on a small path that will lead you to the top of the mountain. Be carefull though, if you go straight instead of turning right you will end up in Port Louis on the other side of the
Pouce.
This hike to the top of the Pouce mountain is well-know to be simple enough for a nice family walk or an easy sport day between friends. The only difficult part of the hike is the ascension of the Thumb’s “nail”. Even if no climbing equipment is required, you’ll have to be careful after going through a small path of dense nature when you’ll reach the last slope. A bite of challenge at the end before reaching the top with a great gift : an unbelievable and magnificent 360 degree view of the North and its little Islands (Coin de Mire, Ile Plate…), the capital’s docks, the Champs de Mars racecourse, the neighboring mountains, the sugar cane plantations, the West coast, and the highlands (Curepipe, Quatre-Bornes…).
It is advised that the children wait with an adult in the meadow below the top while the adventurous reach the top. Feel free to bring your pick-nick as the spot is perfect to ‘break the crust’ in front of a fabulous view on the Pieter Both and the highlands.
While going back down the mountain, do follow the same road backward to be sure not to get lost in the woods around. As any other hiking, in case of rain or strong winds, it would be better to postpone your walk another day. From the month of May, with winter’s arrival, you will have a wonderful time without a cloud. And we recommend to start your walk in the morning for a better atmosphere and for more beautiful pictures.
