La Vanille Nature Park (Crocodile Park)
Around 2,000 Nile crocodiles, the world's largest captive herd of giant tortoises, and a lush valley full of wildlife.
Set in a shady, spring-fed valley behind the village of Rivière des Anguilles, La Vanille Nature Park opened in 1985 to help protect species from extinction, and it is one of the most family-friendly stops on the island. It is best known for its Nile crocodiles, around 2,000 of them at every stage of growth, but the real stars are the giant Aldabra tortoises, kept here in one of the largest captive breeding groups anywhere in the world, which you can walk right in among.
Beyond that there are iguanas, monkeys, deer, wild boar and bats, plus an insectarium holding a collection of more than 20,000 specimens from around the world, all set among towering bamboo, palms and little streams. Crocodile feeding is a highlight and usually happens around 11:30am, so it is worth arriving before then.
It sits close to Gris Gris and the tea and rum estates, so it slots neatly into a full day exploring the south.
South Tours
Chamarel: 7 Coloured Earth & Waterfall
Dunes of red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple and yellow sand, plus the tallest single-drop waterfall on the island.
Vallée des Couleurs Nature Park
A 450-acre adventure park with 23-coloured earth, the longest zipline in Mauritius and a 350m Nepalese bridge.
Gris Gris & La Roche qui Pleure
The wild southernmost point of Mauritius, where open ocean crashes against black cliffs with no reef to stop it.