Best time to visit Mauritius: weather and seasons by month

Mauritius has two seasons, not four. The wet, hot season runs roughly November to April and overlaps cyclone season; the dry, cooler season runs May to October. The island is small, so the month matters more than the coast — but the coast decides whether wind or rain spoils your week.

Use the table as a shortlist, then check the forecast in the week before you fly: a cyclone can close beaches and airports for a day or two at any point from November to April.

The trade winds split the island. The west and north (Grand Baie, Trou aux Biches, Flic en Flac, Le Morne) are sheltered, drier and sunnier, and stay calm through the southern winter. The east and south-east (Belle Mare, Trou d'Eau Douce, Blue Bay, Mahébourg) catch the wind from June to September, which is why kite and windsurf seasons land there and at Le Morne and Bel Ombre — and why October to December is the east coast's best window.

The central plateau around Curepipe, Black River Gorges and Grand Bassin is cooler and much wetter than the coast, with mist and drizzle in any month. It is still worth a day for hiking, best in October and November. Rodrigues, a separate island, is drier and windier than Mauritius, with its own cyclone risk from January to March.

Prices track the European calendar more than the weather. December, and July to August, are the expensive months: resorts charge peak rates and Christmas bookings often need to be made months ahead. October and November are also busy and priced high, because the weather is at its best.

The value window is February and March, when cyclone risk keeps demand low and hotels discount. May, June and September sit in between: decent weather, medium prices, fewer people. Airfares follow the same pattern, so a February trip can cost noticeably less than the same itinerary in December — see the cost page for current bands.

Maha Shivaratri, in February or March, is the one to plan around: hundreds of thousands of pilgrims walk to Grand Bassin and roads close. Thaipoosam Cavadee and the Chinese Spring Festival fall in January or February. Divali in October or November fills towns with lamps and keeps shops busy.

National days are quieter: Independence and Republic Day on 12 March, Labour Day on 1 May, Abolition of Slavery on 1 February with ceremonies at Le Morne, and the Arrival of Indentured Labourers on 2 November. Lunar and Islamic dates shift each year, so confirm the exact day before booking around one.

Cyclones are the one real risk. The season runs roughly November to April, most often January to March. Storms are tracked days ahead, so you will usually have warning; travel insurance that covers weather disruption is worth having if you book in that window.

Pack for wind as well as sun in June to September on the east coast, and for rain at any time on the plateau. Sea temperatures stay swimmable all year, coolest in July to September. If you are still choosing dates, the month picker compares weather, crowds and prices side by side.