La Cave Madame

Women's Cave - Grande Cave

Useful Information

Location:	Bras D'Eau Road, Roches Noires, Mauritius (-20.111305, 57.718467)
Open:	no restrictions. [2022]
Fee:	free. [2022]
Classification:	lava tube
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:	VR=7m
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	La Cave Madame, Bras D'Eau Road, Roches Noires, Mauritius.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

29-SEP-2003

reopened after renovation.

Description

The La Cave Madame (Cave Madame) is also knows as Women's Cave or as Grande Cave. It is well known by the locals, probably because it is located in the middle of the village Roches Noires. It got its name, because there is a cave lake inside, and the women from the village were coming here to wash their clothes in the clear water. A sinkhole leads to the cave entrance. The underground water flows towards the sea, and only 500 m to the east and northeast is a series of springs where it reappears.

The cave is also said to have been a shelter for fugitive slaves.

But like always with holes in the ground, lazy people tend to throw garbage in. And after it has started, its a spiral, people use it as a waste dumping site, because it looks like a waste dumping site. That's what happened to this cave. But in 2003 this cave has been cleared of all waste and has been converted into a leisure park by the government. They tried to create a major tourist attraction. We are not sure if this last hope was fulfilled, as far as we know it is a rather hidden gem. Nevertheless, there is now a safe path and stairs with wooden railing into the sinkhole and down into the cave. Since the restoration it has been well-kept.