The cascade in Mauritius is just that dramatic. Then, imagine viewing the torrential underwater falls from the riverbank. Imagine a giant hand pushing down Niagara Falls to just below the river’s surface. By all appearances, the water on the ocean’s surface is cascading into the depths. The underwater waterfall is at Le Morne, Mauritius’ southwestern beach. For one thing, the numerous shades of clear blue water take your breath away. There are just a handful of underwater waterfalls in the world, and this one is arguably the loveliest. Yes, there’s plenty to do on land in remote Mauritius, but the underwater waterfall, its real claim to fame, is best seen from the air. They share space with ornate geckos, brilliant butterflies and exotic flowering plants.

You missed the long-extinct dodo bird by 350 years, but almost 30 endemic bird species grace the island. The island boasts two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. For shoppers, there’s no shortage of boutiques and markets with one-of-a-kind goods.īest of all, though, Mauritius is the ideal place to lose all track of time in nature. Sports fans have their football, horse racing and golf. Sailing, scuba diving and kite surfing are popular pastimes. Ethnic festivals play up the multicultural vibe. “Local” cuisine is decidedly international, featuring Chinese, Indian, Creole and French influences. More than 1.3 million of the world’s most interesting people call Mauritius home. It lies off the southeast coast of Africa around 700 miles east of better-known Madagascar. Mauritius, a remote island in the Indian Ocean, is not exactly a household name. We’ll get to that gorgeous optical illusion, but here’s a bit about the setting.

This is a great place to let your eyes deceive you.

Thanks to its most famous attraction, Mauritius is one of them. Some places on Earth seem to have more than their fair share of natural beauty. Majestic mountains and lush rain forests are probably nothing new to you - but how many underwater waterfalls have you seen lately? If you’re working through a bucket list of exotic vacations, then you’ve seen vibrant coral reefs, pristine beaches and dreamy lagoons.

Undersea waterfall