Souillac: Coast and Local History

You can explore Souillac for your trip through two distinct themes: the coast and the town’s history. A coastal path winds through tropical vegetation to a wild sandy beach; nearby, Gris Gris and La Roche Qui Pleure each offer a different perspective. The Robert Edward Hart Memorial Museum, the village post office, the marine cemetery and the former harbour reveal further aspects of the area. This allows you to consider nature and local history as distinct focuses for your stay.

Coastal landscape: path, beach and surf

In Souillac, a coastal path leads through a garden with tropical vegetation to a wild sandy beach. The route brings together two distinct landscape impressions: the leafy garden and the coast at the end of the path. This gives you a specific nature-focused experience in the area, separate from the nearby cliffs at Gris Gris.

At Gris Gris beach, near Souillac, you can go for a walk, take in the cliffs and listen to the sound of the ocean. Strong currents and large waves make swimming and snorkelling impossible there; conditions can vary. So plan Gris Gris for walks, cliffs and surf, rather than as a swimming or snorkelling stop.

La Roche Qui Pleure can be reached from Gris Gris. There, you can watch waves break against the rocks. It offers a distinct perspective: rather than focusing on a walk along the beach, the attention is drawn to the movement of the waves against the rocks.

Museum and historic sites in Souillac

The Robert Edward Hart Memorial Museum is housed in a renovated coral-stone bungalow called La Nef, by the sea in Souillac. The interior of Robert Edward Hart’s home has been recreated and preserved in the museum. It offers a glimpse of the Mauritian poet’s era and way of life. Those interested in literature and domestic life in an earlier period will find a different focus here from the coast.

Following a complete renovation, the museum reopened on 17 August 2003, Robert Edward Hart’s birthday. If a museum visit is part of your plans, check visiting arrangements in advance.

Other sites also help put Souillac’s history into context. The village post office is considered one of the oldest in Mauritius. The marine cemetery was established at the end of the 18th century on a dune near the mouth of the Savanne River. Many notable people are buried there, including Robert Edward Hart, who died in 1954. Le Batelage was Souillac’s former harbour. Together, the post office, cemetery and harbour point to different aspects of local history: postal services, burial history and the area’s former role as a port. Hart connects the museum and the cemetery: the furnishings of his home have been recreated in the museum, while he is buried in the marine cemetery.

More highlights in the wider Savanne destination

In the wider Savanne destination, Domaine de Bois Chéri and Ganga Talao offer different experiences from the sites in Souillac. At Domaine de Bois Chéri, visitors can learn about the history of tea and the production stages, from picking to processing in the factory; the estate also has a dedicated museum. This differs from the Robert Edward Hart Memorial Museum in Souillac: here the focus is on tea and production, while there it is on the preserved furnishings of the poet’s home. Check current visiting arrangements at Domaine de Bois Chéri before your trip.

A 33-metre-high statue of Shiva stands at the entrance to the crater lake of Ganga Talao. Visitors can walk along the shore, and people from Mauritius and abroad make the pilgrimage there on foot. Grand Bassin (Ganga Talao) is one of the main attractions in the Savanne District. The lakeshore and its significance as a pilgrimage site offer another regional highlight, distinct from Souillac’s coastal landscape and local history.

Discover more destinations: Riambel, Bel Ombre, Surinam, Chemin Grenier, Bois Cheri.

Back to the main travel guide: Savanne.