Updated: February 2024
As a tropical island, Mauritius offers a massive selection of natural wonders. This island is blessed with not only awesome beaches and beautiful lagoons but also lakes, rivers, and waterfalls. The places might not be as private as they are years ago, but the beauty is still next to nothing.
Tamarind Falls is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Mauritius. Also known as the 7 Cascades, the Tamarind Falls consists of 12 incredible waterfalls with various heights and depths. You can enjoy a full day of swimming and jump into the water, surrounded by lush vegetation and a picturesque view of Le Morne Mountain.
Located in West Mauritius, Tamarind Falls is not far from the small fishing village of Henrietta. It’s considered a hard-to-reach vacation spot, but once you are there, all the efforts are worth the views. With moderate-level hiking difficulty, visitors are strongly advised to be prepared and hire a hiking guide for safety measures.
Below are all the things you need to know on how to hike Tamarind Waterfalls in Mauritius.
How To Get There
Tamarind Falls is located in the central part of Mauritius island. The site is free to visit, but you might have to spare some money to hire a local guide. Sure, it’s possible to visit the beautiful waterfall without a guide, but since the trail is quite challenging for a beginner, you might want to be extra careful and hire a guide instead.
To get to Tamarind Falls, first, you need to go to its nearby villages, one of which is Henrietta. There are two ways to access Henrietta village: by car or by public transportation.
By Car
Henrietta village is about a 1-hour drive from Port Louis, Mahebourg, Grand Bay, Le Morne, and Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport. Since it’s in the central part of Mauritius, Henrietta Village is pretty much near any point on the island.
If you want to rent a car in Mauritius, please remember to bring your driving license, valid credit card, passport, and identity card. Also, you need to be over 21 to be able to rent a car in Mauritius. The scooter rent cost starts from US$16.20 per day and the car rent cost starts from US$ 26.95. Search for Henrietta Bus Station on Google Maps and the application will take you to the location.
Near the end of your ride, you will see a bus terminal on your right. After that, continue for about two minutes until you see a cemetery on your left. No designated parking area, but you can leave your car on the side of the road next to the cemetery. You will find a path to the waterfalls near the cemetery between sugar cane fields.
By Public Transportation
It’s possible to reach Henrietta village by bus. Public buses are available to Henrietta from Quatre Bornes, Curepipe, Port Louis, or Rose Hill.
Quatre Bornes is also known as the city of flowers and Curepipe is known as the city of light. Both towns are located in the Plaines Wilhelm district of Mauritius. Once you get to one of the cities, take a bus to Henrietta Bus Station. The distance is less than 10 kilometers which would take around 20 to 30 minutes by bus ride.
Since you will need at least a half-day to explore tamarind falls, it’s best to make sure that you will get to the Henrietta Bus Station in the morning. From Henrietta Bus Station, you will need to walk to Tamarind Waterfalls. It will take around 20 minutes within 1.2 kilometers of walking distance.
Tamarind Waterfalls Hike Difficulty
It is said that the path to and around the Tamarind Waterfalls is quite exhausting. The trail can be very slippery and steep, especially after rain. If you have a problem with heights, it’s best to skip this place.
It is also said that beginner hikers should be accompanied by experienced ones. You could always get help from a local guide to avoid getting lost in the forest or hurting yourself.
What to Expect When Hiking Tamarind Waterfalls
Tamarind Waterfalls originated from Rivière Tamarin or Tamarind River. Tamarind Falls stands at the height of 300 meters, the highest waterfall on the entire island of Mauritius. This place is the perfect spot for nature lovers and fit hikers or anyone who enjoys a serene place to let go of stress.
There will be not only one or two, but 7 big waterfalls and 5 small waterfalls for you to adore, touch, feel, jump into, and dive in. You can take a picture from above or below the waterfalls. You can even see the cave behind the waterfalls. A visit to the Tamarind Waterfalls means a chance to have a full day of waterfalls activities, so enjoy everything to your heart’s content.
From the cemetery path, after a 5-minute walk between the sugarcane fields, you will hear the sound of water rushing. That is your first waterfall. The water would be an emerald color, and the view around the area is also amazingly adorable.
The guide will ask you to walk across the river. He will guide you to walk behind the waterfall where you can see water falling from a 30-meter height. Enjoy the unique view of sunlight reflected through the water plunging from above. Wear your raincoat if you don’t want to get soaked yet, there will be watery mist due to the force of the wind.
We advise you to take some photos here but keep your energy full because there will be a better spot for you to swim in the freshwater. The second waterfall is less deep, so you can swim in it.
Your guide might take you to the third waterfall, but to get there you will need the help of ropes. Your guide should be prepared with the ropes already, so all you need to do is to be brave and focused.
Most of the visitors stop at the third waterfall but you can continue to visit the fourth waterfall from there. It is said that the fourth waterfall is the most beautiful of all! You will see two waterfalls combining into one emerald pool before splitting again into two waterfalls.
Along your trip, your guide will also explain to you some interesting facts about the local vegetation and animals in the forest. There will also be a chance to enjoy a fish foot massage at the bottom of the waterfall.
It would need around 4 to 5 hours to visit the Tamarind Waterfalls. We advised you to take a good rest before the day and start your journey in the early morning.
What To Prepare for Tamarind Waterfalls Hike
Since the hike to and around Tamarind Waterfalls is considered difficult to reach, we strongly advised you to well-prepare yourself before the trip. Here below are several things that you need to pay attention to.
- Don’t forget to bring yourself enough drinking water and snacks because it will take at least half a day to explore the waterfalls. Some of the guides will bring you lunches from the local delicacies but you are always welcome to bring your own comfort food.
- Bring an extra pair of dry clothes since you will be swimming and playing in the water.
- Bring a raincoat if you don’t wish to get wet that much.
- Bring mosquito repellent. The hiking trail will be full of mosquitos, especially after rain.
- Wear non-slippery hiking shoes or hiking sandals. Do not wear regular sandals or canvas shoes because your feet might get stuck in the wet soil.
- Since you will need to hold on to tree branches, roots, and maybe rocks, you can also wear hiking gloves for extra safety.
- Keep in mind to prepare some money to hire a local guide. It’s best to prevent yourself from getting lost in the forest.
- Keep your load light, just bring enough things of everything.
- Start your hike early since it will get hot during the day.
Things to Remember
There are several things to remember during your visit to Tamarind Waterfalls.
- The best time to visit Tamarind Waterfalls would be from the end of December to March. It will be the rain/cyclone season in the area, so you will have a more majestic waterfall view to see.
- GPS signals would get weak in several parts of the area so stick with your guide during your trip.
- Book a local guide before your visit. There will be several recommendations in the guide on the internet. The most mentioned local guide to the Tamarind Waterfalls is Prakash from the Green Discovery Tour.
- Don’t just jump or swim into the pool, ask your guide and let him tell you where is the best cliff to jump from and the best pool to dive in.
- Do a double-check on the bus schedule and make sure that you will not miss the trip back from Henrietta village. Mauritius has no nightlife so the buses usually stop operating at 6PM.
- Do not smoke in public and do not go topless.
- Do not drink from the tap or questionable water resources.
- Do not hurt the local animals and plants because Mauritius is known for its endangered species and plants.
- Do not touch shrines or religious artifacts.
- Only eat non-vegetarian food in Buddhist and Hindu village locations.
Related: Black River Mauritius Hiking Guide
