The best time to visit Mauritius from South Africa

When is the best time to visit Mauritius?

We suggest late September to November, on the west coast. October is the driest month on the island and November the sunniest on the coast, with days of 27°C to 29°C on the west.

The right month for you depends on who's travelling:

• Best weather: late September to November. Warm, dry and sunny, before the summer rains start.
• Families tied to school holidays: the spring holiday (23 September to 4 October 2027) has the best weather of the four. The June/July holiday works well if you stay on the west coast. December is hot, wetter and the busiest.
• Families with teenagers: choose by the weather and the school calendar, not by a teen offer. Beachcomber has no general free stay for teenagers, and its one current special for under-18s (1 to 20 June 2027) falls in term time.
• Couples who want it quiet: May, early June, the first three weeks of September, or November. All four fall outside the public school holidays.
• Least suited: February and March, the wettest months, in the middle of the cyclone season.

Mauritius weather month by month

Mauritius is warm all year: on the coast, daytime highs run from about 24°C in July to 31°C in January. What changes is the rain, and it depends on the coast. In July the west gets about 15 mm, the east and south-east about 100 mm.

Average daytime high / night-time low, and rainfall for the month:

Long-term averages (1971-2000) from the Mauritius Meteorological Services' regional weather stations: Medine (west), Pamplemousses (north), Fuel (east) and Plaisance, at the airport in the south-east.

• January: the hottest month, with February: 30°C to 31°C by day and 22°C to 23°C at night. Wet in the east and south-east, with rain on 16 or 17 days. Cyclone season. Schools reopen on 13 January 2027.
• February: the wettest month on the island, with March. The east coast averages 334 mm. If you go, choose the west.
• March: the west dries out first: 86 mm, against more than 200 mm in the east and south-east. Still hot. The Easter school holiday starts on 20 March 2027.
• April: about 30°C on the west, and rain there under 90 mm. The Easter holiday runs to 5 April 2027. Still officially cyclone season.
• May: a transition month. About 28°C on the west and only 43 mm of rain.
• June: winter begins. On the west, 26°C by day, 18°C at night, 29 mm of rain. The school holiday starts on 26 June 2027.
• July: the coolest month, with August: 24°C to 26°C by day, 16°C to 18°C at night. The west averages 15 mm of rain over 3 days, with about 7.6 hours of sun a day. The south-east averages 100 mm over 16 days and 5.5 hours of sun, its least sunny month. The school holiday runs to 19 July 2027.
• August: much like July. Women's Day falls on Monday 9 August 2027, a long weekend.
• September: the west's driest month: 13 mm, rain on about 2 days, and warming to 27°C. The spring school holiday starts on 23 September 2027.
• October: the driest month on the island as a whole. About 28°C on the west. The school holiday runs to 4 October 2027. Our pick, with November.
• November: the sunniest month on the coast: 8 hours a day on the west, 8.8 at Plaisance in the south-east. 29°C to 30°C. Cyclone season officially starts on 1 November, and the summer rains come late in the month: for 2026 the weather service expected them in the last week of November.
• December: hot (28°C to 31°C) and wetter as the month goes on: 116 mm on the west, up to 200 mm in the east. Big-game fishing is at its best from November to April. School holidays start on 10 December 2026 and 9 December 2027. Christmas and New Year are Beachcomber's peak period.

Mauritius in winter vs summer

Summer (November to April) is hot and humid, and brings two-thirds of the year's rain. Winter (June to September) is cooler and drier; May and October sit in between. Both are beach weather on the coast. The difference is about 4°C on average, and a lot of rain on the east side.

Summer, November to April

• On the coast: 27°C to 31°C by day, 19°C to 23°C at night.
• Rain: 67% of the island's rain falls in summer. February and March are the wettest months.
• Storms: it's the cyclone season (see below).
• This summer: the weather service's outlook for 2026-2027 is for a hotter summer than normal, with some days reaching about 36°C on the western coasts. From December to March it expects long humid spells with little wind, and summer rain about 20% below normal.

Winter, June to September

• On the coast: 24°C to 27°C by day, 16°C to 19°C at night.
• Rain: dry and sunny on the west. The east and south get showers on about half the days.
• Wind: the trade winds blow from the east and south-east, so the east and south coasts are breezier.
• Evenings: cool enough for a light jersey or jacket.
• Pools: the pools at Paradis and Royal Palm are heated in winter, and some at Trou aux Biches and Dinarobin.

Our verdict

• Winter on the west coast suits families with small children and anyone who doesn't love heat.
• Summer suits heat-seekers and the December school holiday, if you accept some rain and the cyclone risk.

Which coast in which season

In winter, stay on the west or north-west coast. The trade winds blow from the east and south-east, which leaves the west in their shelter: drier, sunnier and a degree or two warmer. In July the west averages 26°C, 15 mm of rain and 7.6 hours of sun a day. The south-east has 24°C, 100 mm and 5.5 hours.

That's why seven of Beachcomber's eight resorts are on the west side of the island:

• North-west, near Grand Baie: Mauricia, Canonnier, Royal Palm, Trou aux Biches and Victoria.
• South-west, on the Le Morne peninsula: Paradis and Dinarobin.
• The west also has the sunsets.

The eighth, Shandrani, is on the south-east coast, ten minutes from the airport. It's still our first choice for families with toddlers, in any month. In winter, expect a breezier, showery holiday there: good for water sports, less so for lazy pool days.

In summer, every coast is warm:

• The west gets the least rain, and the west and north are the hottest.
• The east and south-east are wetter, and a little breezier.

Cyclone season: what it means for your holiday

The official cyclone season in Mauritius runs from 1 November to 15 May. It doesn't mean storms every week. For summer 2026-2027, the weather service expects five to seven named storms across the whole south-west Indian Ocean, and points out that named storms don't necessarily affect Mauritius. The strongest gusts in its long-term records were all measured between December and March.

What we suggest:

• If the weather matters most, go between May and early November.
• If you're set on December to April, choose the west coast, which gets the least rain.
• Take travel insurance that covers delays. Under Beachcomber's booking terms, the cost of delays caused by weather, such as extra nights, meals and flights, is for your account.

South African school holidays 2026-2027 and the Mauritius weather

In 2026 and 2027 all public schools follow one national calendar, published by the Department of Basic Education. Here are the holidays, and what Mauritius is like in each.

Two more points:

• A short break: schools close on Monday 26 April 2027 (a special school holiday) and Tuesday 27 April (Freedom Day), which makes a four-day weekend from 24 to 27 April. That's enough for Mauritius from Johannesburg: the flight is about four hours.
• Private schools set their own dates. Check yours before you book.

The full calendars are on the Department of Basic Education's website. For what each season does to the price, see our guide to what a Mauritius holiday costs.

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