Home / Experience Mauritius / Adventure & Nature Parks / Casela Nature Park
Hundreds of hectares of hillside above Cascavelle, with safari drives past giraffe and rhino, big-cat enclosures, the island’s longest zip line and enough for a full family day out.
Casela opened in 1979 as a bird park and has grown into the largest attraction of its kind on the island, spread across several hundred hectares of hillside and the neighbouring Yemen nature reserve at Cascavelle, inland from Flic-en-Flac. The land does a lot of the work: dry savannah-like slopes, deep valleys and long views down to the west coast, which is what makes the safari sections feel less like a zoo circuit than they would on flat ground.
The park is organised into zones. Safari sections take you through the reserve by bus, 4×4, quad or Segway past giraffe, zebra, rhino, ostrich and antelope; the predator area holds lions, tigers and cheetahs viewed under supervision. There are walk-through aviaries, giant tortoises, a petting farm and a children’s zone with rides. On the adventure side, Thrill Mountain has a set of zip lines — the longest running around 400 metres across a valley — plus a Nepalese bridge, canyon swing, via ferrata and treetop circuits. Animal interactions such as feeding giraffes and camels are supervised and booked separately. Standard admission covers the park, the safari bus and some rides; the adventure activities and interactions are add-ons, so decide what you want before you buy. Two restaurants operate inside. Go early: the hillside is exposed, there is limited shade, and the animals are far more active in the cool of the morning.
Open daily, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Closed 25 December and 1 January
Last activity bookings earlier in the day
Closed shoes, a hat, sunscreen and water. The hillside is exposed and the walking distances between zones add up. Book adventure activities and animal interactions in advance in high season.
Main paths and the safari bus are manageable for most visitors, but the site is hilly and spread out, so allow for slopes and distance. Adventure activities carry age, height and weight limits — check before booking. Hours and prices change seasonally; confirm on the park’s own site.
Around fifteen minutes down to the coast: the longest beach on the west side, with calm lagoon water and shade under the casuarinas.
Fifteen minutes south-west: the last working salt pans in Mauritius, still raked by hand beneath La Tourelle.
Climb inland from the same coast for the widest view over the island’s largest national park and its native forest.
Casela Nature Parks,
Royal Road, Cascavelle,
Rivière Noire District, Mauritius
Around 10–15 minutes from Flic-en-Flac
Approximately 40–45 minutes from Port Louis
Around 1 hour from Grand Baie
Signposted on the main road at Cascavelle, inland from Flic-en-Flac, with a large car park at the entrance. Many hotels and operators run transfers.
Entry to the park, the safari bus through the reserve, the aviaries, petting farm, big-cat viewing and some rides. Adventure activities such as the zip lines and quad safaris, and animal interactions such as feeding giraffes, are priced separately.
Half a day covers the wildlife side comfortably. If you want the safari plus zip lines or a lion walk, plan a full day — the park is hilly and spread out, and moving between zones takes time.
Open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, closed on 25 December and 1 January. Admission is priced by season and package, and adventure activities are booked separately — check the current rates on the park’s own website before you go.
Yes. There is a dedicated children’s zone with rides, a petting farm and gentle animal encounters. Adventure activities carry age, height and weight limits, so check those in advance if older children want the zip lines.
At opening. The animals are most active in the cool of the morning, the hillside offers little shade by midday, and the queues for safaris and activities build through the day — weekends most of all.
