Port Louis lies at the base of the Moka Mountains in Mauritius. The Portuguese traders who colonized the island of Mauritius in the 16th century established this city as a trading port. It became the administrative center for the French colonial empire in 1735. The buildings, granaries, mills, aqueducts built in those times can still be seen in Port Louis. It has many places of interest apart from the beach- the main ones being the Chinatown, the Place d'Armes, the waterfronts and the museums.
The Place d'Armes is in the heart of Port Louis, and is home to the administrative blocks of the government and most of the major businesses and offices of the city. It still retains traces of the old French buildings, though most have either crumbled away through neglect or were torn down when the city was renovated after independence in 1965. The Rue du Vieux and Gilbert Street are still paved in the French style. You can also visit the old St. James and St. Louis Church. A visit to the Natural History Museum is also a must.
Your trip to Chinatown will take you back to old China, since the older inhabitants of this district still speak in Chinese, and dress and live like the Chinese of yore. At the cramped shops dotting Chinatown, sell everything from toys, paintings to clothes and books. A visit to the central Market is also a must in a visitor's itinerary, as it allows the visitor to pick up great duty free bargains.
