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A terraced Marian shrine on the slopes of Signal Mountain, built in wartime and visited by two popes — with gardens, 82 rock-cut steps and one of the calmest views over Port Louis.
The shrine was begun in May 1940 and inaugurated the following year, at the instigation of Monsignor James Leen, Bishop of Port Louis, who wanted a place where Mauritians could pray for the island to be spared the Second World War. It was designed by the Mauritian architect Max Boullé and set deliberately on the slope of Signal Mountain, so that the figure of Mary would look out over the whole capital. The statue itself is three metres of white Carrara marble and shows the Virgin holding a globe — Mary, Queen of Peace.
Reaching it means climbing seven landscaped terraces and 82 steps cut into the rock, past what are among the best-kept gardens in Port Louis: beds of colour on each level, benches, and the city opening up further with every flight. At the top is an open-air sanctuary and a modern chapel, with an altar carved by the Mauritian sculptor Clément Esther. The site is a working place of pilgrimage rather than a museum, busiest around the Feast of the Assumption in August, and it has twice hosted a pope — John Paul II celebrated mass on the hillside in October 1989, and Francis did the same before a vast crowd in September 2019. Most of the time, though, it is simply quiet, which is rare this close to the centre of town.
Open daily during daylight hours
Free entry, no ticket office
Busiest around the Feast of the Assumption (August)
Comfortable shoes for the steps, water and sun protection. Modest dress is appreciated — this is an active place of worship.
Access is on foot up seven terraces and 82 rock-cut steps, so the upper sanctuary is not wheelchair accessible; the lower terraces and gardens are easier. Keep voices low if a service is under way.
The other hilltop above the capital: a British fort of the 1830s with a wide view over the harbour and the racecourse.
Just below in the bowl of the city: the oldest racecourse in the southern hemisphere, running since 1812.
Ten minutes downhill on the harbour: shops, the craft market, lunch by the marina and the Blue Penny Museum.
Marie Reine de la Paix,
Monseigneur Leen Street, Signal Mountain,
Port Louis, Mauritius
~10 min from Caudan Waterfront
~40 min from Grand Baie
~50 min from the airport
On the lower slopes of Signal Mountain, a short drive up from the Champ de Mars side of Port Louis, with roadside parking at the foot of the terraces.
A Catholic shrine and open-air sanctuary on the slopes of Signal Mountain in Port Louis, dedicated to Mary, Queen of Peace. Its centrepiece is a three-metre Carrara marble statue of the Virgin holding a globe.
Construction began in May 1940 and the shrine was inaugurated the following year. Monsignor James Leen, then Bishop of Port Louis, had it built so Mauritians could pray for the island to be spared the Second World War; the architect was Max Boullé.
Twice. Pope John Paul II celebrated mass on the hillside in October 1989, and Pope Francis did the same in September 2019 before a crowd of around a hundred thousand.
On foot, up seven landscaped terraces and 82 rock-cut steps. The gardens on each terrace are among the best kept in the capital, and the view over Port Louis widens as you climb.
Entry is free and the grounds are open during daylight hours. Dress modestly and keep noise down — this is an active place of worship, particularly busy around the Feast of the Assumption in August.