3 hours
Tamarind Falls
The shortest booking on this page at $56, and the one that leaves most of the day intact. Natural pools are named in the listing.
Water that actually falls
Mauritius waterfall guide: the real ones, and the one that is not
There is more than one kind of Mauritius waterfall, and only some of them are made of water. The island’s named falls sit inland and on the east coast: the Chamarel Waterfall, Alexandra Falls, Tamarind Falls on the Rivière Tamarin, and the Grand River South East waterfall that the lagoon boats pull up to. The famous one off Le Morne is not a waterfall at all. This page sorts them by what you can book, what each booking costs and how long it takes, so you can tell a three-hour hike from a seven-hour drive before you pay for either.
Quick answer
The short answer. For the shortest day, the Tamarind Falls hike is $56 for three hours, with 616 reviews at 4.9 and natural pools in the listing. For the most ground covered, the private south-west day at $110 names the Chamarel Waterfall and Alexandra Falls in one run. The boats to Ile aux Cerfs stop at the Grand River South East waterfall, and the cheapest of them is $54.
The island’s waterfalls at a glance
- Named in the listings
- FourChamarel, Alexandra, Tamarind, Grand River South East
- Shortest booking
- 3 hours$56, Tamarind Falls
- Longest booking
- 7.5 hours$122, private south-west
- Cheapest way to see one
- $54the lagoon boat stops at the GRSE fall
- Swimming named in a listing
- Tamarind Fallsnatural pools, 616 reviews at 4.9
- Most reviewed day on this site
- 2,030 reviews$122, rated 4.8
- Cheapest flight on this site
- $860the island from the air, 3 h outing
- The underwater one
- Not a waterfallan optical illusion of sand off Le Morne
Four names, four days
Which Mauritius waterfall is which
Four falls, four different kinds of day. The one you want depends on how much of a day you have.
The listings on this site name four falls, and they are in different parts of the island.
The Chamarel Waterfall is in the south-west, in the same corner as the Seven Coloured Earths. Two bookings reach it: the private Chamarel highlights day at $122, which runs seven and a half hours with 2,030 reviews at 4.8, and the private south-west day with lunch at $110, seven hours and 1,316 reviews at 4.8.
Alexandra Falls is named by that second listing, alongside the Black River valley, Grand Bassin and Trou aux Cerfs. It is a viewpoint fall rather than a swimming one.
Tamarind Falls is the walking one: a three-hour hiking trip along the Rivière Tamarin at $56, with natural pools to swim in and 616 reviews at 4.9.
The Grand River South East waterfall is on the east coast, and you arrive by boat: the catamaran days to Ile aux Cerfs stop there.
Every trip, current fare
Every booking that reaches a waterfall
The six listings on this site whose descriptions name a fall, plus the cheapest flight for comparison. Cost per hour is the fare divided by the listed duration.
| Flight | Length | Price | What is included | Cost per hour | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mauritius: Tamarind Falls Highlights 3-Hour Hiking TripThree hours at the falls | 3 h | $56 | Three hours at the falls | $18.67 | 4.9 · 616 |
| Mauritius: Catamaran Cruise to Ile Aux Cerfs with BBQ LunchBBQ lunch on the boat | 6 h | $54 | BBQ lunch on the boat | $9.00 | 4.3 · 1,387 |
| Mauritius: Ile aux Cerfs Catamaran Lagoon Experience + BBQA day on the east lagoon | 7 h | $55 | A day on the east lagoon | $7.86 | 4.6 · 923 |
| Ile aux Cerfs Catamaran Cruise with BBQ Lunch & SnorkelingSnorkelling stop on the way | 7 h | $78 | Snorkelling stop on the way | $11.14 | 4.7 · 839 |
| Mauritius: Private South-West Tour with LunchPrivate guide, lunch included | 7 h | $110 | Private guide, lunch included | $15.71 | 4.8 · 1,316 |
| Mauritius: Private Southwest Chamarel Highlights TourSeven Coloured Earths and falls | 7.5 h | $122 | Seven Coloured Earths and falls | $16.27 | 4.8 · 2,030 |
| Mauritius: Scenic Helicopter Flight with Hotel TransfersHotel transfers both ways | $860 | Hotel transfers both ways | — | 4.6 · 102 |
Choosing between them
A three-hour hike or a seven-hour drive
The cheapest Mauritius waterfall day on this site is the lagoon boat at $54, because the Grand River South East fall is a stop on a day that was going to the island anyway. You are not buying the waterfall; you are buying six hours on the water with a fall in the middle of it.
The Tamarind Falls hike is the opposite: three hours, $56, and the fall is the whole point. Its listing is the one that mentions swimming in natural pools, and at 4.9 across 616 reviews it is the strongest-rated of the waterfall days here.
The two private road days are the broad ones. Seven hours at $110 with lunch, or seven and a half at $122, and in both cases a Mauritius waterfall is one stop among the Coloured Earths, the viewpoints and the volcanic crater. If you want to see several things in a day and not drive yourself, that is what you are paying for.
What each day gives you
Five bookings, five different mornings
Durations, ratings and inclusions are the live listing figures.
- Tamarind Falls Highlights, three hours — $56
A hiking trip along the Rivière Tamarin with natural pools in the description and 616 reviews at 4.9. The shortest booking here that is built around a fall.
- Private South-West Tour with Lunch, seven hours — $110
Names the Chamarel Waterfall, the Seven Coloured Earths, Alexandra Falls, the Black River valley, Grand Bassin and Trou aux Cerfs in one run. 1,316 reviews at 4.8, lunch included.
- Private Southwest Chamarel Highlights, seven and a half hours — $122
Seven Coloured Earths, waterfalls, volcanic mountains, viewpoints and temples with a private guide. 2,030 reviews at 4.8 — the largest review count on this site.
- Catamaran to Ile aux Cerfs with BBQ lunch, six hours — $54
Sails from Trou d’Eau Douce, stops at the Grand River South East waterfall, and includes a three-course BBQ lunch. 1,387 reviews at 4.3.
- Le Morne Mountain UNESCO Eco Hike, four hours — $79
Not a waterfall day at all, but it is the booking people pair with one: a climb to a 465-metre summit above the lagoon, 493 reviews at 5.0.
The one that is not a waterfall
Why the underwater one is not on this list
The most photographed Mauritius waterfall is not water. Off the south-west corner, beside Le Morne, sand and silt on the slope of the shelf create the appearance of a torrent plunging into deep water — an optical illusion, in the words of the listing that sells the flight, and one that resolves only when you look straight down at it from the air.
It belongs on this site, but not on this page: nothing falls, nothing can be walked to and no boat gets you a view of it. Two helicopter listings fly over it, at $1,519 and $3,995. The four falls above cost between $54 and $122 to reach, which is the clearest reason to keep the two things apart in your planning.
Getting to them
Where each fall is, and what reaches it
None of the four falls needs you to drive yourself: every one of them is named in a listing that collects you. What changes is the direction you travel and how much of the day it takes.
The south-west holds Chamarel and Alexandra Falls, and the private road days go there. Tamarind Falls sits inland on the Rivière Tamarin and is reached on foot. The Grand River South East waterfall is on the east coast and is reached by boat from Trou d’Eau Douce. The table below puts the four side by side.
Where they are
Four falls and the bookings that reach them
Only the falls named in the listings on this site.
| Waterfall | Where | Booking | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chamarel Waterfall | South-west, by the Coloured Earths | $122 or $110 | 7 – 7.5 h |
| Alexandra Falls | South-west, above the Black River valley | $110 | 7 h |
| Tamarind Falls | Inland, on the Rivière Tamarin | $56 | 3 h |
| Grand River South East | East coast, reached by boat | $54 to $78 | 6 – 7 h |
The flights, what they name, and what three hours on a listing really means.
All four flights compared→Side by side
Which one to book, and the verdict
Three questions, three different answers, and the fares are far apart.
Half a day and you want to swim. Tamarind Falls, $56, three hours, 616 reviews at 4.9. It is the only listing here whose description puts you in the water at a fall.
A full day and no car. The private south-west day at $110 names the most falls of any single booking and includes lunch.
A day on the water with a fall in it. Three catamaran listings, priced between $54 and $78, name a stop at the Grand River South East waterfall on the way to Ile aux Cerfs.
Verdict. If a Mauritius waterfall is the reason for the day, book Tamarind Falls at $56: the shortest day, the highest rating of the waterfall listings, and the one that lets you get in the water. If the fall is one thing among several you want to see, the private south-west day at $110 covers more ground for the money than anything else on this page. Both cost a fraction of the $860 it takes to see the island from the air.
Timing
How much day each one takes
Not a weather calendar. These are the shapes of day you are choosing between, from the live listing durations.
4 hours
The Le Morne climb
Not a fall, but the obvious half-day to pair with one: a 465-metre summit over the lagoon at $79, with 493 reviews at 5.0.
6 – 7 hours
A lagoon day with a fall in it
The catamaran listings that name it start at $54. The Grand River South East waterfall is a stop, not the subject, and BBQ lunch is named on board.
7 – 7.5 hours
The private road days
The south-west with lunch at $110, or the Chamarel highlights day at $122. The most falls in one booking, and the longest day on this page.
Before you pay
Five mistakes on a waterfall day
Every one of them comes from reading a photograph instead of a listing.
- Booking the famous photograph
The picture most people arrive with is the illusion off Le Morne, which is sand rather than water and is reached only by helicopter. None of the four real falls looks like it.
- Expecting to swim at all of them
One listing on this site names swimming at a fall: the Tamarind Falls hike, with its natural pools. Treat the others as places you look at.
- Buying seven hours when you wanted three
The private road days are seven and seven and a half hours. If a Mauritius waterfall is the only thing you want from the day, $56 and three hours does it.
- Thinking the boat day is a waterfall trip
The Grand River South East fall is a stop on the way to Ile aux Cerfs. The day is a lagoon day with a BBQ lunch; the fall is ten minutes of it.
- Reading a rating without its review count
Tamarind Falls is 4.9 across 616 reviews and the Chamarel day is 4.8 across 2,030. Those are both solid; a score quoted on its own tells you nothing.
Checklist
Six lines before you book a waterfall day
Short, and each one has sent somebody on the wrong trip.
- Decide how much day you have
Three hours, four, six or seven and a half.
- Check whether you want to swim
Natural pools are named on one listing here.
- Count the stops
The private road days name several sites; the hike names one fall.
- Look at the review count
616, 1,316, 2,030 and 1,387 on the days above.
- Know which coast
South-west for Chamarel, east coast for Grand River South East.
- Keep the illusion separate
It is not a waterfall and no road reaches it.
Book direct
The waterfall days, with live fares
Three hours at Tamarind Falls for $56, a seven-hour private south-west day with lunch at $110, the Chamarel highlights day at $122, and the lagoon catamaran that stops at the Grand River South East fall for $54. Fares are read off the live listings.
Bestseller616 reviews
3 hMauritius: Tamarind Falls Highlights 3-Hour Hiking Trip
★ 4.9 · 616 reviews
- 3h, Three hours at the falls
- Bestseller
- Must book at least 10h in advance
- Free cancellation
$56$18.67 / hour
Check availability→ 
Bestseller1,316 reviews
7 hMauritius: Private South-West Tour with Lunch
★ 4.8 · 1,316 reviews
- 7h, Private guide, lunch included
- Skip the line
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
$110$15.71 / hour
Check availability→ 
Bestseller2,030 reviews
7.5 hMauritius: Private Southwest Chamarel Highlights Tour
★ 4.8 · 2,030 reviews
- 7.5h, Seven Coloured Earths and falls
- Hotel pickup included
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
$122$16.27 / hour
Check availability→ 
Lowest price here1,387 reviews
6 hMauritius: Catamaran Cruise to Ile Aux Cerfs with BBQ Lunch
★ 4.3 · 1,387 reviews
- 6h, BBQ lunch on the boat
- Hotel pickup included
- Cheapest here
- Free cancellation
$54$9.00 / hour
Check availability→ Common questions
Waterfalls in Mauritius, answered
Which is the best Mauritius waterfall to visit?
For a short day, Tamarind Falls: a three-hour hike at $56 with natural pools named in the listing and 616 reviews at 4.9. For several falls in one day, the private south-west tour at $110 names the Chamarel Waterfall and Alexandra Falls together.
Can you swim at a Mauritius waterfall?
One listing on this site names it: the Tamarind Falls Highlights hiking trip, whose description has you swimming in natural pools along the Rivière Tamarin. The other waterfall bookings here describe stops and viewpoints rather than swimming.
How much does a Mauritius waterfall tour cost?
$54 for the lagoon catamaran that stops at the Grand River South East fall, $56 for the three-hour Tamarind Falls hike, and $110 to $122 for the private road days that name several falls.
Where is the Chamarel Waterfall?
In the south-west of the island, in the same corner as the Seven Coloured Earths. Two listings here reach it: the private Chamarel highlights day at $122 and the private south-west tour with lunch at $110.
Is the Underwater Waterfall a real Mauritius waterfall?
No. It is an optical illusion created by sand and silt on the slope of the shelf off Le Morne, and the listing that sells the flight says exactly that. It resolves only from the air, which is why it is reached by helicopter and not by road.
How long does a Mauritius waterfall day take?
Three hours for the Tamarind Falls hike, six to seven hours for the catamaran days that stop at the Grand River South East fall, and seven to seven and a half hours for the two private road days through the south-west.
Go deeper
More on helicopter rides over Mauritius
Underwater Waterfall
Underwater Waterfall
The illusion, and the two flights that show it.
All flightsAll flights
Four helicopter bookings, side by side.
ChamarelChamarel
The Seven Coloured Earths and the falls below.
Ile aux CerfsIle aux Cerfs
The catamaran days on the east lagoon.
South tourSouth tour
The private days through the south-west.
