A pioneer of the concept of integrated shopping malls in Mauritius and one of Maurice (Mico) Giraud's architectural masterpieces, Le Caudan Waterfront was inaugurated in 1996. With a focus on Mauritian heritage, the project was to preserve the ruins of the old docks and integrate them into this beautiful modern environment. Today, Le Caudan Waterfront is a destination in itself, an extension of the city of Port Louis.
This exceptional site, with its panoramic views over the harbor, was once nothing more than a peninsula, a coral island that over the years has housed a gunpowder depot, a meteorological and astronomical observatory, docks and shipyards, warehouses and various small businesses.
But where does the name come from?
Caudan owes its name to the French explorer Jean Dominique de Caudan.
He was a salt maker by profession and in 1726 he built a saltworks southwest of Port Louis in the Jan area, now known as the Robert Edward Hart Garden, on the approach to Caudan.