Soaring up from the swath of stunning surf-dominated turquoise lagoons, the incongruously dramatic Le Morne Mountain climbs 556m. Located on the very southwestern tip of the island, the monolith sticks out as if the tail-end rudder to the whole tropical island of Mauritius itself.

Originally named after the ship-wrecked Dutch boat ‘The Brabant’ (in 1783), the mountain is surrounded by steep jungle landscape. Enjoying its own local micro-climate, the surrounding coastal area allow some of our favourite nearby coastal hotels to enjoy not only stunning white-sand beach locations, but also more favourable year-round weather patterns.

Le Morne also has significant historical importance. Since 2008 the Peninsula and mountain, with a summit covering an area of over 12 hectares, was granted UNESCO World Heritage status. The swath of hidden jungle outcrops, caves and steep mountain hideouts provided a perfect landscape for 18^th and 19th-century slaves to escape. Forming pockets of isolated settlements across the peninsular, the mountain was one of the most significant maroon locations.

To this day the Creole people of Mauritius highly revere Le Morne as one of the most outstanding sites of slavery resistance. Notorious too for the sad ending of so many escaped slaves; when the local police came to announce the abolition of slavery on 1^st February 1835, they thought they were about to be re-captured and chose to leap from the summit rather than return to slavery.

Creating such a dramatic peninsular landscape, visitors today can not only enjoy the stunning mountain views from the beaches, surf-dominated Ocean and inland rural areas but also benefit from a hugely rewarding climb up to the famous cross-point near the top.

I found the hike to be spectacular and I highly recommend it. Easily arranged with a local guide, the climb takes approximately 3 hours, offering jaw-droppingly stunning views along the way.

As my photos show, the climb starts at the inland lagoon’s water edge, slowly climbing up through the jungle to the more open outcrops above 300 metres. As the surrounding distant seascape views unfold, the final ascent follows a scrambling path up to a dramatically positioned, cross-dominated, rocky point. You can see miles in either direction up the island’s west and southern-facing coasts.

Equally, dropping to the sandy beaches and coral surf breaks below, the immediate coastal views give an out-of-body feeling, high up with the Gods. On calm days you can hear the surf as well as see small seaplanes flying above the coral lagoons below.

So, get your hiking boots on, take loads of water, sunglasses, suncream and a hat. Once at the top, you’ll feel as if you’re staring down from a magic carpet ride: a truly rewarding sky-high summit experience, offering the most dramatic of coastal view experiences.

So, get your hiking boots on, take loads of water, sunglasses, suncream and a hat. As, once at the top, you’ll feel as if you’re staring down from a magic carpet ride. A truly rewarding sky-high summit experience, offering the most dramatic of coastal view experiences.

Photos in ascending order of climb.