Exploring the sugar history of Mauritius means uncovering a founding chapter of its identity. Introduced by the Dutch in the 17th century, sugarcane cultivation flourished under French, then British administration, quickly becoming the backbone of the Mauritian economy. At its peak, more than 250 sugar mills dotted the island. Today, fewer than ten remain in operation, modernised and often repurposed.
The Aventure du Sucre museum, housed in the former Beau Plan mill near Pamplemousses, traces this agricultural, industrial and human saga with both emotion and rigour: slavery, indentured workers from India, economic transformation… each stage is explained through documents, objects, photographs and interactive videos.
Beyond history, sugar remains alive in local tradition: tasting different grades of raw sugar, discovering the rum-making process, or walking through cane fields rippling in the wind. A sweet immersion, steeped in memory and Mauritian pride.