The
museum
Our sustainability chart
L’Aventure du Sucre has been committed to the promotion of ecologically responsible tourism since it opened in 2002. Through our actions and the very nature of our activities – from the museum to the Village Boutik, via the restaurant Le Fangourin – our historic site promotes Mauritian culture, supports the local economy, and reinforces its commitment to responsible practices year upon year. Our team has embraced this ethos and is trained to implement this approach on a day-to-day basis. Join us in making a positive impact for our island and its inhabitants!
Our three pledges of engagement:
#1. Preserving our heritage
L’Aventure du Sucre preserves an architectural, industrial, and natural heritage that has been linked to human activity for five centuries. The museum pays homage to those who established a multifaceted culture in this region, recognising the value of its precious sugar cane and ensuring the sector has evolved at the forefront of the agro-technological and energy transitions. The site is also committed to raising public awareness of sustainable development through temporary exhibitions and workshops. At last, more than 300 Mauritian and regional products are offered as souvenir gifts at the Village Boutik, giving visitors the opportunity to support local producers and perpetuate their know-how.
#2. Sharing our culinary and gastronomic heritage
Gastronomy is an integral part of Mauritian heritage and is celebrated at L’Aventure du Sucre. Our Village Boutik offers tastings of some thirty local gourmet products that form part of the island’s identity. Continuing the sensory experience, the team at restaurant Le Fangourin offers healthy and delicious Mauritian cuisine, 100% home-made, with dishes that look just as good as they taste. Short supply chains, our organic vegetable garden, and the recycling of our food waste underpin our commitment to a sustainable reduction of our environmental impact.
#3. Support for art and culture
Our mission is to make culture accessible to as many people as possible. Initiatives are designed to include those for whom culture is difficult to access for economic, social or disability reasons. L’Aventure du Sucre is also committed to offering spaces that promote meeting, sharing and self-expression, and to supporting Mauritian artists – key players in a vibrant and dynamic culture. Events such as workshops, concerts, festivals, film screenings, exhibitions, and debates are offered regularly.
Exploring the museum
L’Aventure du Sucre is a former sugar factory that has been carefully restored following its closure in 1999, after 200 years in operation. This heritage site is a trailblazer for cultural tourism in Mauritius; the eco-museum offers a 5,000 m² educational trail and ten themed interactive areas that invite visitors to discover the history of an island shaped by sugar and the secrets of sugar cane. This exceptional plant provides the raw material for sugar production, as well as numerous direct or indirect by-products, including rum, bagasse for electricity, and natural fertilisers.
With more than 100,000 visitors a year, L’Aventure du Sucre ranks among the unmissable attractions on the island.
- Accessible to all
- Guided tours
- Audioguide in 7 languages
- Trails for children and toddlers
- Temporary exhibitions
- Cane cutting and mixology experience
Our heritage site is referenced in international travel guides such as Lonely Planet.
Prepare for your visit by downloading our various resources !
Mauritius’ history comes to life before your eyes
Before your visit even begins, a soundscape that evokes jungle life and the murmuring of the sea draws you towards a mysterious entrance… Beyond, a huge factory, with superbly preserved old machinery: gigantic cane crushing mills, evaporators resembling giant pipe organs, a 20th century boiler with a huge exhaust vent in which you can hear the echo of your own voice, or an 19th century steam engine rising imposingly from the ground. An authentic cast iron barge floats at the quayside, and a 1922 locomotive, ready to transport a load of cane, suddenly starts whistling… embark on a journey that will take you to the heart of Mauritius!
L’Aventure du Sucre explores the extraordinary saga of the men and women from different continents who built a country through hard work and made Mauritius what it is today: a harmonious, smiling, multicultural island. Discover the ingenuity of a people who knew how to make the most of their precious sugar cane – and how to develop a sugar industry at the forefront of ago-technological progress and the energy transition… A modern pedagogical approach ensures that the atmosphere of this place full of history is palpable.
The guided tour
There is so much to see and learn at L’Aventure du Sucre! Listen carefully: our expert guides will tell you the island’s history and the secrets of the emblematic sugar cane. This guided tour offers a chance to share and discover the soul of our country…
Temporary exhibitions
Cane cutting and mixology experience
Get your billhooks and cocktail glasses! Every Wednesday at 10:30 am (public holidays excepted), head to the fields to meet our cane cutters for a captivating and moving experience centred around a trade central to the history of Mauritius. After cutting your canes, you will be shown how to press the tenacious stem “that bends and does not break” and taste the nectar. Our mixologist will then take over to advise as you make a delicious cocktail (with or without alcohol). An unusual and authentic experience.
The Village Boutik
Local product tastings
Your visit to the L’Aventure du Sucre museum ends in style at the Village Boutik with a tasting that explores thirty gourmet Mauritian products key to the island’s identity: eleven exceptional unrefined sugars with natural vanilla, honey, or liquorice aromas, fifteen 5-star rums from the oldest distillery on the island – New Grove House – with distinctively round and smooth flavours, tropical jams and honeys, vanilla…
These products are the purest expression of the Mauritian land and are available for purchase at the Village Boutik. Discover them at L’Aventure du Sucre and pack your favourites in your suitcases to be enjoyed year-round!
Our partner artisans
In addition to sugar and rum, the Village Boutik stocks a wide range of gourmet gifts (tropical jams and honeys, coconut delights, peanut brittle, vanilla, etc.), and handcrafted souvenirs (artworks by local artists, fashion accessories, natural cosmetics, home fragrances, tableware, etc.). 99% of the products sold at the Village Boutik are locally produced while the remaining 1% comes from the Mascarenes. L’Aventure du Sucre is proud of the ecosystem it has created, including companies, craftsmen, artists and associations; every visitor has the opportunity to support Mauritians, preserving local expertise, jobs, and the culture of our island.
Personalised gifts
Make a lasting impression on your guests or colleagues and partners by offering them an original and genuine present. A great idea for a training course but also for a birthday, a thank you present, a wedding present or any other special occasion!
Created with our artisan partners, our selection of presents reflects L’Aventure du Sucre: original, thoughtful, and delicious! These associations of local products are presented in elegant customizable gift boxes.
Have a look at our gift catalogue and contact us on [email protected] to order your personalised gifts. Our dedicated team will work within your budget and your wishes.
Le Fangourin restaurant
After visiting the museum, you are warmly invited to continue your immersion in Mauritian gastronomy with lunch or refreshments at Le Fangourin. The restaurant and tearoom – named for the first juice pressed from the sugar cane – offers an enchanting and peaceful tropical setting, with a breathtaking view of the Pieter Both mountains. The kitchen team offers a healthy, flavourful menu, inspired by fresh Mauritian products and the classics of Creole and French cuisine.
Under its veranda, taste delicately flavoured preparations. A delicious interlude crowned by a sophisticated selection of home-made desserts which use whole cane sugars as a base: the fabulous dark chocolate fondant with molasses sugar, and the delicious crème brûlée enlivened with fresh vanilla pod.
The dishes, as beautiful to look at as they are to eat, can boast of being prepared 100% on-site. The emphasis is on local ingredients, some of which come directly from the site’s organic vegetable garden: papaya, lettuce, rocket, leek, saffron, ginger, lemongrass, ayapana, pink berries, mint, chives, basil, and other herbs. Visitors are also encouraged to try the flavourful vegetarian dishes made from unusual local vegetables such as jackfruit, also known as vegan meat. A family address, with children’s menus at very reasonable prices.
Quench your thirst with one of Le Fangourin’s signature drinks – iced lemongrass from the garden, perhaps, or a cocktail made with tropical fruit and 5-star rums.
They recommend the experience!
