Visiting Mauritius in December

December sits firmly in the Mauritian summer, which runs roughly from November to April (winter is the cooler, drier May to October stretch). Expect daytime highs around 29 to 31C on the coast, with humidity that climbs as the month goes on. Sea temperatures are wonderfully warm, often 27 to 28C, so swimming and snorkelling are a pleasure with no wetsuit needed. Nights stay mild, usually in the low-to-mid 20s, which means light clothing day and night.

The honest caveat is rain. December is part of the warmer, wetter half of the year, and short tropical downpours are common, especially over the central plateau around Curepipe and on the higher inland routes. These showers are usually brief and heavy rather than all-day grey, and the coasts, particularly the drier west and north around Grand Baie and Flic en Flac, tend to stay sunnier than the interior. Cyclone season technically opens in November and runs into April; a direct hit in December is uncommon but not impossible, so it is worth keeping an eye on the Mauritius Meteorological Services forecasts during your trip.

December is one of the liveliest months on the island. Mauritius is genuinely multicultural, so Christmas is widely celebrated across Christian, and increasingly secular, communities, with decorations in Port Louis, lights along the Caudan Waterfront, and hotels staging gala dinners on the 24th and 31st. The mood is relaxed and warm rather than cold-weather cosy, picture a Christmas lunch followed by an afternoon on the beach.

New Year is the real highlight. Locals take the festive period seriously, and beaches such as Belle Mare, Mont Choisy and Flic en Flac fill with families camping out, barbecuing and celebrating well into the night on 31 December. Sega music, the island's signature rhythm, is everywhere. If you want to join a hotel New Year's Eve dinner, book early, because the best venues sell out weeks in advance and many add a compulsory festive supplement to room rates.

December is high season, and it shows. Two crowds overlap: international visitors escaping the northern-hemisphere winter, and the large number of Mauritian families and returning diaspora who travel domestically over the holidays. The result is full hotels, busier beaches and longer waits at popular attractions, with the squeeze most intense from roughly 20 December through the first week of January.

That does not mean it is unpleasant, the island absorbs visitors well, but it does reward planning. Popular day trips and boat excursions can sell out, and signature spots like Ile aux Cerfs lagoon get genuinely crowded by late morning. Going early, midweek where possible, and pre-booking anything time-sensitive makes a real difference. You can browse the island's headline sights and natural parks on our things to do in Mauritius page to decide what is worth an early start.

December is the most expensive time to visit, alongside the European summer. Flights and hotels peak around the Christmas-to-New-Year window, and many resorts apply a mandatory festive gala supplement for the 24th and 31st. If your dates are flexible, the first half of December is noticeably cheaper and quieter than the last ten days, so shifting a trip earlier can save a meaningful amount without losing the summer weather.

Tours and excursions, by contrast, hold fairly steady year-round, which is one reason they offer good value in peak season. As a rough guide, a guided full-day sightseeing tour such as the south circuit or the north tour starts from around 60 to 70 EUR for a small group, while a catamaran cruise or speedboat trip to Ile aux Cerfs starts from around 40 EUR per person. You can compare current options and what each includes on our tours & activities page before you arrive, which helps you lock in the popular festive-week slots early.

Warm seas make December ideal for the water. A catamaran or speedboat day to Ile aux Cerfs in the east, snorkelling over the coral, and dolphin-watching off Tamarin Bay in the calmer west are all at their best. For families, Casela Nature Parks near Cascavelle combines safaris, zip lines and animal encounters and works well even if an afternoon shower passes through.

On land, the south of the island is the classic full-day route: the Black River Gorges viewpoints, the Seven Coloured Earth at Chamarel, the Chamarel waterfall, and the sacred crater lake of Grand Bassin (Ganga Talao), which is especially atmospheric. The north tour pairs Port Louis and its central market with the botanical gardens at Pamplemousses, home to the famous giant water lilies. Because December showers favour the coasts, it is smart to keep beach and lagoon plans loosely scheduled and save inland sightseeing for clearer mornings. If you would rather have a day-by-day itinerary built around the weather and your interests, our AI trip planner can sketch a route in minutes, and you can explore regions first on our /destinations pages.

Sir Seewoosagar Ramgoolam International Airport sits in the southeast near Plaisance, and most resorts are 45 minutes to over an hour away by road, with the far north around Grand Baie closer to 75 minutes. December arrivals are heavy, and taxi queues at peak times can be long, so a pre-arranged transfer that meets you in arrivals takes the stress out of a late-night or holiday landing. You can pre-book a fixed-price pickup through our airport transfers service so the price is agreed before you travel.

For getting around once you are settled, a private driver-guide is the easiest way to handle the south and north day tours, especially in December when sudden showers make self-driving on unfamiliar plateau roads less appealing. Roads are good but signage can be patchy, and driving is on the left. Whatever you choose, build in a little buffer over the festive week, when traffic around Port Louis, Grand Baie and the coastal beach spots is at its annual heaviest.

Pack light, breathable clothing, strong reef-safe sunscreen, a hat and a compact rain jacket or umbrella for the inland showers. Stay hydrated, the combination of heat and humidity is more tiring than the temperature alone suggests. Book your accommodation, any New Year's Eve dinner and your most-wanted excursions as early as you can, ideally well before December begins.

Finally, lean into the season rather than fighting it. December in Mauritius is festive, warm and social, with locals out celebrating and the lagoons at their warmest. Plan the headline activities in advance, keep beach days flexible around the weather, and you get the best of the island's summer at its most joyful time of year.