Vallee des Pretres – Port Louis – Straw House – 1930s

Found at the suburb of Port Louis and at the foot of the Port Louis/Moka Mountain Range, Vallée des Prêtres is a residential area which has evolved quite a lot. It is a well surrounded area and is englobed by the Pieter Both mountain, Le Pouce mountain, the Paul & Virginie mountain, and ‘la montagne des Pretres’, and the small hill of Montagne Longue. The mountainous aspect is what gives this place its natural charm, surrounded by a lot of greenery. However, an inevitable drawback will be during times of heavy rains where all these water from the mountains pours down towards the sea, and if unsupported, this can create certain havock.

It is said that the early priests of the time wanted a place to stay and they were given this part of the land, hence the name of ‘Priests Valley’ (Vallée des Prêtres). Early habitats were most of wood and straw based. The region was also occupied by many indian immigrants due to its proximity to the capital.

Another fact that makes this place quite famous is because the ‘Latanier River’ flows through it, and this famous old sega song also mentions about this river ‘Mo passé la riviere Taniers’…