Trou aux Cerfs, also known as Murr’s Volcano, is a dormant volcano with a well-defined cone and crater. The volcano has been dormant for the last 100,000 years. It is 605 m high and located in Curepipe, Mauritius. The crater has a diameter of between 300 and 350 meters and is 80 meters deep. The crater was formed less than 2 million years ago in the second phase of volcanic activity that created Mauritius.
The volcano is currently dormant but experts think that it could become active at any time within the next thousand years. Water and silt have clogged the crater, making it inaccessible. The area immediately around the crater edge has been substantially developed, with a road ringing the entire perimeter.
Trou Aux Cerfs crater
Apart from the obvious tropical allure and a clutch of tourist hotspots, the island holds many underestimated sights, perfect for the traveler who enjoys taking the road less traveled.
Trou aux Cerfs offers 360-degree panoramic views. From here, you can overlook Curepipe and the gorgeous Rempart Mountain, Trois Mamelles, and the Moka mountain range. It is a photographer’s paradise. Trou aux Cerfs’ crater is surrounded by lush green shrubs, bushes and pine trees.
Trou Aux Cerfs crater
Trou aux Cerfs is accessible from La Hausse de la Louvière Road, the Edgar Huges Road and from Crater Lane. Here you should find parking easily enough so that you can make your way to the site. The crater itself is only accessible via a steep embankment which can be very dangerous, especially when the path is wet, so you have to be very careful if you decide to take it.
Adventure Park and Casino de Maurice are two attractions near this place.
Featured Image : By S Molteno – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25935306
Curepipe
Curepipe is by far one of the most densely populated areas within Central Mauritius, and in fact the country as a whole. It has an excellent selection of shops, restaurants and amenities, so it’s no wonder that many holiday makers to Central Mauritius choose this location to stay.
Because of it’s relatively high altitude, Curepipe often experiences more rain and cooler temperatures than many other places within Mauritius.
Despite being a relatively large town, there aren’t exactly an abundance of hotels and resorts to stay at within Curepipe. Accommodation within this central Mauritius location is limited to a couple of uninspiring guest houses and hotels such as Auberge de la Madelon and the Shanghai.
As a result, Curepipe tends to be a more popular base for back packers and budget travellers looking to tour Mauritius on the cheap.
Places To Eat In Curepipe
There are certainly many better eating options than sleeping ones in Curepipe.
For a place that serves up sizzling meat dishes and succulent burgers of different varieties try Manhattan. If you’re looking for a more upmarket experience, La Potiniere offers classy French food which may be a strain on the credit card – not one for the budget conscious though.
Things To See & Do In Curepipe
Curepipe makes a nice town to explore – there are also some nice shopping regions within the area, some of which have a very western feel. The pick of these are the Sunsheel Centre and Curimjee Centre. There are also some pleasant bookshops and banks available if you need to exchange some cash.
There’s plenty more sights too – Botanical Gardens for example is a pleasant place to have a stroll and is a keen picnic spot for the locals. Trou Aux Cerfs is another point of interest – a volcanic crater that’s very popular with holiday makers to the central area of Mauritius.
There are also some notable places to visit in and around Curepipe – the obvious place to visit is Black Gorges National Park – use it as a base to explore the National Park.
Other places nearby that are make for excursions for Mauritius tourists include Rose Hill, Moka and Quatre Bornes. Between them they have a decent mix of restaurants and places of interest. For example the Creole Buildings on Rose Hill are worth a visit, and Floreal has the textiles museum.
