The Central Market in Port Louis is a bustling and lively place where you can find a wide range of fruits and vegetables, meat, and other local products. It is located in the city center and is a popular destination for both tourists and locals.
Inside the market, you will find a maze of stalls and vendors, offering a truly wide range of products. Traders are used to tourists visiting the market, so prices here are slightly higher than, for example, at the market in Curepipe or at the market in Quatre Bornes.
The market consists of several halls, with the main one offering mainly fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices. If you come to Mauritius during the lychee season, I recommend buying this exotic fruit, as well as mangoes or pineapples. The fruit on the island is excellent, with a taste several classes better than those that have to travel halfway around the world to reach us.
Fruit and vegetable vendors constantly refresh their produce with drops of water, so they do not dry out even in the local hot climate.
In the main hall, you can also buy tofu or fresh egg noodles, which small bistro owners use to prepare their dishes – such as the popular fried noodles.
Coconuts grow all over the island, and you can try both young green coconuts and these peeled coconut nuts. The price for one piece is below 1 EUR.
I saw many types of vegetables here for the first time. If you can add the names in the comments, I will be happy.
There are also separate halls for meat and fish at the market. Although they are located right next to the main hall with fruits and vegetables, you will hardly find any tourists here. The unpleasant odor that permeates the halls can deter visitors.
However, if you can manage to block your nose, you will have a view of local fish, beef, and chicken meat sellers.
Visiting the central market in Port Louis is an experience I recommend not to miss when traveling to Mauritius. There is also another separate building at the market, where small bistros offer excellent Mauritian food. You can also taste the popular alouda drink here.
Happy shopping!
More information can be obtained by clicking on the map link:
Accommodation in Mauritius
I wholeheartedly recommend the Seastar Hotel in Flic en Flac, just a short walk from a beautiful beach. The hotel is new, the breakfasts are great, and you almost always have an amazing hot tub on the roof terrace all to yourself! The last time I stayed here was in December 2022 and I will return again.
