Curepipe - pros and cons of living as an expat / retiree there?

Hello mike102,

You should ensure you find a place close enough to the metro station, otherwise, it will be quite a walk, and you might need to rely on a car or bus to get around Curepipe.

Regarding the weather, Curepipe, located on the central plateau of Mauritius, has a cooler and rainier climate compared to the coastal regions, which typically enjoy warmer temperatures and less rainfall. Curepipe's climate is cooler and wetter, similar to the weather conditions in England.

You should check out our Living in Mauritius guide for expats.

Cheers,

Cheryl

Expat.com team

@mikhe102

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@CherylThanks Cheryl, appreciated. The climate data I've checked out e.g. https://weatherspark.com/y/105679/Avera … Year-Round suggest Curepipe is somewhat warmer than England, and while rainfall higher in the summer, over the year less rain than in my (fairly dry) town of Bedford. Do you think the data is suspect? I think I'd melt in the summer close to the coast in the West and North! Maybe I'll rent sooms for 12 months before making a longer term commitment to Curepipe.I've downloaded the guide, thanks, very helpful.

@emamdeebibizohraa

Thanks Zora, but I want somewhere on the Metro line.

@mike102

you may be right about the weather. I would suggest that you rent for short periods in different parts of the island before deciding long-term. You do have the option of renting anyway, rather than purchasing a property.

@Tookays

Thanks Tookays. I'll start off in Curepipe and see how I get on, I think.

Hello Mike,

I checked the link and this part " the dry season is comfortable and mostly clear" doesn't seem accurate. I am in Curepipe everyday and though temperatures will never be as low as in England, Curepipe has one of the coldest and damp/wet/rainy weather of Mauritius. I believe that they are referring to the dry season as winter... it rains everyday, is grey and cold. This photo was taken last week, as soon as I got off the metro :

I think the advice of Tookays is sound, once here, feel free to try out different regions. Let us know what you think about Curepipe once here.

All the best

Bhavna

@Bhavna

Thanks Bhavna, appreciated. I may have been lucky when I visited Curepipe the other day, it was lovely and very warm, no rain. To be honest, rain doesn't bother me in the least, I'm more concerned about temperature. Would it at least be accurate to say year-round, average temperatures would be higher than England? That's what the link I sent seems to suggest.

@mike102

Yes definitely, temperatures are higher than in the UK.

Have a look at the following page : http://metservice.intnet.mu/climate-ser … ritius.php

...the coolest months are July and August when average night minimum temperatures drops down to 16.4 degrees Celsius.

I think the record for winter (as we are in nearly in winter) was 13 degrees celsius in 2020  (on the central plateau - in the centre of the island).

If the rain isn't a problem, you may consider Curepipe, Floréal, even Moka .. (mold can be a con though)

Have a nice day

Bhavna

@Bhavna

Thanks Bhavna, great advice and a great link. I'm getting to love this website and the helpfulness of the people who reply to questions.

From the PDF linked on your link, average min temp (for Vacoas) from 15.1C (August) to 20.7C (February), average minimum temperatures from 21.8C (August), maximum to 27.6C (January). To this Brit, that sounds great! A couple of questions, if I'm not taking up too much of your time already:

• I assume Curepipe will be a little cooler and a little wetter?
• in the details for accommodation in Curepipe I can recall no mentions of heating. I assume people use electric heaters of one sort or another when required, maybe heaters with a thermostat at night for bedrooms?

@mike102

Hello again. A blanket at night in winter is fine. Daytime temperatures in winter are fine for Brits, perhaps a light jumper or cardie. In fact, on the beach in the evening, that would be comfortable.

@Tookays

Thanks Tookaps, very helpful. Just starting a week in Trou aux Biches which I think will be warmer.

We live in Floreal very close to Curepipe and it is definitely more wet than in the rest of the island. However, having lived in Brittany and the UK, it is nowhere near it in terms of temperature. We love the temperature here. It is cooler than the coastal parts that are far too hot for us. I'd think you'd enjoy it better. We generally don't mind wet either - in many ways, it is sunnier than the UK and Brittany too. And definitely not as cold as the UK or Brittany. It's better to try for a bit maybe and then make up your mind.

@BretonneMaurice

Thanks BM, very helpful. I'm starting to check out apartments in Curepipe next week.

Does Floreal have any advantages over Curepipe, do you think?

@BretonneMaurice

BM, do you manage without aircon? I ask because most apartment contracts are 12 months, and I'd hate to discover in the summer that I couldn't live without aircon, particularly at night. Though maybe a good fan would be enough (as it is in the UK when it's over maybe 24C at night).

Don't forget to check whether area is prone to flooding - there are flood maps you can download. During cyclone season, this would be a major concern.

@AussieInMauritius

Many thanks, that inclines me to an apartment, not on the ground floor!

@mike102 You still need to get in & out of there lol

@mike102

To find something of acceptable, to my humble opinion,  not that easy. But worth trying.