Monvert Nature Walk

What sets it apart

Two trails start from the main entrance and end at the elevated platform: the Bois de Natte trail, 2.8 kilometres, and the Bois d’Ébène trail, 2.5 kilometres. The platform, built at the highest point, looks out over the forest canopy and the surrounding country. Boardwalks cross the marshy ground. A fernery displays living indigenous and endemic ferns and orchids, and an arboretum gathers more than 150 indigenous or endemic plant species.

The mood

The original forest, dominated by bois de natte, manglier vert and bois manioc, was logged in the early twentieth century, then replanted with pine and eucalyptus. Two hundred acres still carry their native plants.

Highlights

• The Bois de Natte trail, 2.8 kilometres
• The Bois d’Ébène trail, 2.5 kilometres
• An elevated platform at the highest point, above the canopy
• A fernery of indigenous ferns and orchids
• An arboretum of more than 150 indigenous or endemic species
• 73 hectares of state forest, three kilometres from the centre of Curepipe

Good to know

• Both trails start from the same place and both end at the platform.
• Guided tours are led by officers of the Forestry Service.
• The ground includes marshy stretches, crossed on boardwalks.

Getting there

The entrance is in the Forest Side area, about two kilometres from the Curepipe to Nouvelle France main road. A visitors’ interpretation centre sets the scene: displays on Mauritian flora, on forests and their extent, and on the main catchment areas.