Colonial Residence
4/5
Château de Labourdonnais
Château de Labourdonnais in Mapou is one of Mauritius' grandest 19th-century colonial sugar plantation estates. Built in 1856 by Christian Wiehe, this magnificent Italianate-Victorian mansion features double-tiered wrap-around verandas, French neo-classical interior decor, and a famous avenue of majestic banyan trees. While celebrated today as a premier heritage site, rum distillery, and museum, the château holds a darker reputation among estate staff and nocturnal visitors. Whispers of grand colonial balls echoing through empty dining halls, phantom scents of vintage perfume, and the spectral figure of a Victorian lady walking the wrap-around balcony at dusk make it one of the most hauntingly romantic sites in northern Mauritius.