The thumb
A distinctive shape.
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Le Pouce, French for the Thumb, is the third-highest mountain in Mauritius at 812 metres, in the Moka Range near the village of La Laura-Malenga, about 4 km southeast of the capital, Port Louis, in a straight line. It is named for its thumb-shaped peak. The Moka Range formed about ten million years ago from volcanic eruptions and is an inactive basalt lava dome. Charles Darwin climbed the mountain on 2 May 1836. A rare endemic plant, the Le Pouce mountain screwpine, grows here, with only two plants left. The pointed summit rises like a raised thumb above green slopes overgrown with guava and acacia, clearly visible from Port Louis. From the top the view takes in the capital, Moka, Beau-Bassin Rose-Hill and many other parts of the island. Visitors hike up from Moka or Port Louis on a fairly easy walk, though the climb is very steep near the thumb, and no climbing gear is needed. Set off in the morning and bring water, as the sun is strong on the open trail.
A distinctive shape.
Over the capital.
Fairly easy.
Moka Range, near Port Louis, Mauritius
No.
From Moka or Port Louis.