500 Feet Waterfall (cascade 500 Pieds)

Cascade 500 Pieds, or 500 Feet Waterfall, is a dramatic waterfall in the Black River Gorges area of Mauritius. The upper trail starts near Alexandra Falls and leads through highland forest to expansive gorge views. It suits active travellers and photographers; allow roughly 1–2 hours.

Cascade 500 Pieds is one of those places where the walk, landscape and waterfall all matter equally.

Also called 500 Feet Waterfall or Cascade des Galets, it lies in the highlands of the Black River Gorges area, close to Alexandra Falls. Rather than viewing it directly from a roadside platform, visitors following the shorter route leave the Alexandra Falls area and walk through the cooler forest landscape of Plaine Champagne.

The name refers to the waterfall's approximate drop of around 500 feet, or roughly 150 metres. From the upper section, the water disappears dramatically over the edge of the plateau into the deep green valley below.

Part of the attraction is the setting. Forest, streams, exposed rock and distant views towards southern Mauritius make the route feel very different from the island's coastal attractions. On a clear day, the scale of the gorge is as memorable as the waterfall itself.

For the commonly described upper hike, allow roughly 1–2 hours. Do not confuse this with longer guided hikes that descend much farther towards the lower sections of the waterfall; those are a separate, more demanding outing.

Cascade 500 Pieds suits hikers, photographers, couples and travellers who want a short nature adventure in the highlands. It may not suit visitors looking for a simple roadside viewpoint, a paved attraction or an outing requiring almost no walking.

The easiest way to build it into a day is to combine it with Alexandra Falls, Black River Gorges viewpoints and Plaine Champagne. Chamarel can also fit into a wider southwest itinerary.