Aapravasi Ghat World Heritage Site
About This Museum
People come to the Aapravasi Ghat not just to see an old building, but to find a piece of their own story. This is the very spot where over half a million indentured labourers first stepped onto Mauritian soil after the long voyage from India, their arrival shaping the entire character of our island. You can almost feel the echoes of their hopes and hardships in the remaining stone steps and hospital blocks. It’s a quiet, powerful place that makes you think about the incredible journeys that built modern Mauritius.
Collection Highlights
The Interpretation Centre does a wonderful job of putting faces to the history, with personal items, ship manifests listing names and ages, and stories of those who passed through. Don't miss the scale model showing the original, much larger depot; it really drives home the sheer scale of this human endeavor.
Visitor Information
It's right in Port Louis, just off Quay Street, so it's easy to fit into a day of exploring. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable and often have their own family connections to the site, which makes for a truly personal visit.
Architecture & Building
What you see today are the weathered stone ruins of the immigration depot—a series of functional structures including steps leading from the sea, remnants of kitchens, and a hospital built for utility rather than show.
