Living in Vacoas-Phoenix, Mauritius: Climate, Metro, Schools and Prices

Vacoas-Phoenix is neither a beach nor a village. It is a town of more than 100,000 people on the central plateau, cooler and wetter than the coast, where a car stays useful even now that the metro runs. In return you get a residential setting midway between Quatre Bornes and Curepipe, a Metro Express station, and land priced below the coast.

A large residential town, not a dense centre

The 2022 census counts 105,666 residents in the town of Vacoas/Phoenix, spread over six wards. Curepipe has 70,008 and Quatre Bornes 66,884. The town was created in 1963 by merging Vacoas and Phoenix, and it has been a municipality since 1968. Since 1991 it has covered 54 km², up from 13.22 km², after outlying areas such as Highlands, Glen Park and Solferino were added.

On the ground, that means residential districts, commercial and industrial zones, and, according to the municipality, sugar cane and vegetable fields among the houses. The town also has the country’s only brewery and its first hypermarket, and the motorway links it to the airport and the harbour.

Climate: a cool plateau with frequent rain

Mauritius Meteorological Services records Vacoas as its station for the Centre region. The 1971–2000 averages give a mean maximum of 27.6°C in January and 21.8°C in July, a mean minimum of 15.1°C in August, and a lowest recorded temperature of 7.7°C in July. Humidity stays between 82% and 85% all year.

Rain is frequent: the station averages 18 days a year with more than 1 mm in February and August, against 10 in November. Expect cool evenings in the southern winter and a house that needs airing, since the air stays damp. Our page on flood-prone areas explains how to check a plot before you buy.

Getting around: the metro helps, but not for everything

The Metro Express line between Quatre Bornes and Curepipe (phase 2B) opened on 10 October 2022. Along the line, the official phase 2 stations are Phoenix, Palmerston and Vacoas Central, then Sadally and Floréal towards Curepipe, and Trianon, St Jean and Quatre Bornes Central towards Rose Hill. The official metro page says trains run from 6am to 7pm, every 10 minutes, subject to change.

The metro works well for Rose Hill, Quatre Bornes or Port Louis during working hours. For bulky shopping, evenings out and weekends at the coast you will still want a car: see our guide to getting around Mauritius.

Healthcare and schools: look to the neighbouring towns

The list of English-speaking doctors and facilities published by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office names no hospital in Vacoas or Phoenix. The nearest it lists are C-Care Darné in Floréal (Georges Guibert Street), the public Victoria Hospital in Candos (Quatre Bornes), C-Care Wellkin in Moka and Clinique du Bon Pasteur in Rose Hill. We give no journey times, because they depend on the district and the hour.

For schools, Dr. Maurice Curé State College, a public national secondary school, is on St Paul Road in Vacoas. Royal College, a well-known public secondary school, is in Curepipe. Our family and children guide compares private and international options by area; we have not checked any school ranking for the town itself.

Property: plateau land and houses

Our indicative land price grid gives Rs 35,000 to 70,000 per toise for Vacoas-Phoenix, against Rs 35,000 to 75,000 for Rose Hill–Quatre Bornes and Rs 40,000 to 60,000 for Curepipe. These are market guides, not official prices: see land prices in Mauritius for the method and the toise, and property prices for houses and apartments. If you would rather rent, read about long-term rentals. New developments are listed on our new programmes in Mauritius page.

Vacoas-Phoenix compared with its neighbours

Quatre Bornes and Rose Hill are denser and easier to do on foot. Curepipe is cooler and older, with a market and Royal College. Vacoas-Phoenix sits between them: more space and gardens, less of a town centre. For the area’s malls, see shopping centres in Mauritius.

Who it suits, and who it does not

It suits a professional working on the plateau or in Port Louis who wants a house with a garden, a cool climate and a metro station, or a family looking for a specific public secondary school. It does not suit anyone who wants the beach on foot, a lively town centre at night or a warm climate all year.

Sources and checks

• Statistics Mauritius, 2022 census, volume III, table G1
• Municipality of Vacoas-Phoenix, town overview
• Mauritius Meteorological Services, Vacoas station
• Metro Express Mauritius, phase 2 and “my journey” pages
• Wikipedia, Metro Express, phase 2B opening date
• UK government (FCDO), English-speaking doctors and facilities
• Wikipedia, Dr. Maurice Curé State College