Bras d'Eau National Park

Bras d'Eau covers about 500 hectares of low forest behind the northeast coast, made a national park in 2011, and most of it is plantation rather than native woodland: eucalyptus, araucaria and other introduced trees planted over the last century. Within it are pockets of native vegetation being restored, and the park is one of the more reliable places to look for the Mauritius paradise flycatcher, along with the Mauritius grey white-eye and cuckooshrike. Marked walking and cycling trails run through the plantations, and Mare Sarcelle, a brackish coastal wetland, and a small crater lake sit within the boundaries. There are ruins of a nineteenth-century sugar operation in the forest. Visitors are few and the park is quiet on weekdays.

The landscape

• Paradise flycatcher - the endemic bird the park is best known for.
• Plantation forest - eucalyptus and araucaria stands with marked trails.
• Mare Sarcelle - the brackish coastal wetland on the park edge.
• Sugar ruins - the remains of the nineteenth-century works in the trees.

When to go

May to December for drier trails and easier walking. Early morning is best for birds. The park has little shade variation and can be hot in the summer months.

Before you go

Much of the forest is introduced plantation rather than native, which surprises visitors expecting endemic woodland. Bird sightings need patience and often a guide. Signage on the trails is limited. There are no visitor facilities.

Nearby

Poste Lafayette lies on the coast; Sagar Shiv Mandir is south.

Key facts