Where is the underwater waterfall?

Off the south-west tip of Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean. It sits just off the Le Morne peninsula beneath Le Morne Brabant, in the Black River district, at roughly 20.47° S, 57.32° E. Mauritius itself is about 2,000 km off the south-east coast of Africa, east of Madagascar. You see the illusion from the air, not from any point on the ground.

CountryMauritius

OceanIndian Ocean

DistrictBlack River (Rivière Noire)

CoordinatesAbout 20.47° S, 57.32° E

From the airport45–50 km, 60–75 min

From Port LouisAbout 50 km, 1 h+

Mauritius is a volcanic island roughly 65 km by 45 km, formed about 8 million years ago, sitting on a shallow submarine shelf. Le Morne Brabant is the 556 m basalt block on its south-west corner, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2008. The sandfall is off the tip of the peninsula the mountain stands on, where the shelf ends and the seabed drops from about 150 m to more than 4,000 m. The gateway villages are Le Morne at the foot of the mountain and La Gaulette 3 km north, where I live; Chamarel is up the hill behind, and Black River and Tamarin are 15 km up the coast.

Distances by road: from Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam airport at Plaine Magnien on the south-east coast it is 45 to 50 km and 60 to 75 minutes by taxi, either along the south coast or up the motorway to Phoenix and down the west. From Port Louis about 50 km and an hour or more. From Grand Baie and the north coast about 75 km and an hour and a half to an hour and three-quarters. The seaplane base at Grand Gaube on the north-east coast is roughly 80 km away, which is one reason that seaplane does not fly here. Getting to the coast is on how to get to Le Morne.

Knowing where it is does not get you a view of it. The helicopters that show it lift from the airport on the opposite corner of the island and cross to Le Morne in the air; the ways of seeing it are ranked on how to see the underwater waterfall.

Check dates on the underwater waterfall helicopter flight

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure on most tours — book now, decide later.

Frequently asked questions

Which country is the underwater waterfall in?

Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean about 2,000 km off south-east Africa. The illusion is off Le Morne on the south-west tip.

Which ocean has the underwater waterfall?

The Indian Ocean, off Mauritius. The other famous “underwater waterfall”, the Denmark Strait cataract, is in the North Atlantic and is a different thing entirely; see the world’s largest.

Can you see the underwater waterfall from Le Morne beach?

No. It needs height. The public beach and the kite lagoon are on the north side of the peninsula and the sandfall is off the tip, visible only from the air or, roughly, from the summit; see the summit page.