From Blue Bay: Ile aux Cerfs Speedboat Excursion with BBQ

The best part of this excursion is its variety. In one day, you snorkel over coral in Blue Bay Marine Park, walk around an old lighthouse ruin, cruise up Grand River South East to a waterfall, and finish with a BBQ on Ile aux Cerfs. The route keeps moving, so you see far more than you would on a simple beach transfer.

I especially like the two snorkeling stops, which give you a better chance of seeing colorful fish, and the easy all-in-one price that covers the speedboat, lunch, drinks, equipment, and guiding. The main consideration is time: Ile aux Cerfs gets about 100 minutes, and that may feel short if your main goal is a long, lazy beach day. Music on the boat may also be louder than some people prefer.

Key points to know before booking

• Blue Bay Marine Park starts the day with 35 minutes of snorkeling, including coral and many kinds of fish.
• Ile aux Fouquets Lighthouse offers a brief island walk and a look at an old lighthouse ruin.
• Grand River South East waterfall is reached by boat, with cheeky monkeys in the area, so keep food and loose items secure.
• The BBQ includes fish, chicken, vegetarian food by request, and drinks, with lunch served near the entrance to Ile aux Cerfs.
• A second 45-minute swim and snorkeling break near Ile aux Aigrettes gives the return trip another useful stop.
• The tour runs from 9:30 a.m. to about 4 p.m., beginning and ending at Blue Bay Public Beach.

Why this seven-hour boat trip works

This is a full southeast Mauritius day, not just a ride to one famous island. The route links several sights that are spread around the coast and lagoon, saving you the trouble of arranging separate boat trips, snorkeling stops, and lunch.

I like the way the day alternates between active and easy moments. You start with snorkeling, spend short periods walking and looking around, then have a longer lunch and beach break. Later, you get another chance to swim before returning to Blue Bay. That rhythm suits you if you want plenty to do but do not want a demanding schedule.

The speedboat matters here. It lets you cover the coast between Blue Bay, Mahebourg, the lighthouse island, Grand River South East, and Ile aux Cerfs in one outing. You also get open-water views along the way, although a speedboat ride can feel bumpy when conditions are rough.

The boat is described in one recent account as comfortable and not overloaded, which is good news for a day when you will spend hours aboard. Conditions can change, though. The guides have adjusted the program when the weather turned uncertain, but no boat trip can guarantee perfectly calm water or identical snorkeling conditions every day.

Meeting the boat at Blue Bay

The tour begins at 9:30 a.m. from Blue Bay Public Beach. The meeting point is opposite the main parking area and Blue Bay Tuck Shop. Follow the path to the beach and look for the small stand with a dark grey parasol.

There is no hotel pickup or drop-off, so you need to make your own way to Blue Bay. Build in enough time to locate the stand without rushing. This is especially useful if you are carrying towels, swimwear, and water shoes, since the tour begins at the beach rather than from a formal marina office.

The return is scheduled for around 4 p.m. at the same Blue Bay location. That makes this outing easiest for you if you are already staying nearby or have arranged transport to and from the meeting point. The fixed start and end point also make it simpler to plan the rest of your day than a tour with several hotel pickups.

English and French guiding are available. The guides handle the boat, explain the stops, and help with the snorkeling equipment and life jackets. Specific guide names are not provided, so you should book this for the route and format rather than expecting a named guide.

Blue Bay Marine Park: the first snorkeling stop

The first stop is Blue Bay Marine Park, with about 35 minutes in the water. It is a strong opening because you get into the sea early, before a long stretch of sightseeing has passed.

This is Mauritius’s largest coral reserve, and the water is used for viewing coral and fish. A recent account describes seeing many different kinds of colorful fish, as well as a shipwreck during the snorkeling portions. That gives you a sense of what the stop can offer, but marine life is never guaranteed and visibility depends on the day.

The time limit keeps the whole program on schedule, but 35 minutes is not a long session. You can expect enough time for a proper look around, not an extended snorkel expedition. If you are an experienced snorkeler who wants to spend most of the day in the water, this tour may feel too busy.

Snorkeling equipment and a life jacket are included. The practical packing list also asks you to bring snorkeling gear, so bring your own mask and snorkel if you prefer a particular fit. You should also pack swimwear, a towel, and water shoes. Water shoes are useful for getting in and out of the boat and walking around shore areas.

Ile aux Fouquets Lighthouse and the old island ruin

After Blue Bay Marine Park, the boat follows the coast near Point d’Esny toward Mahebourg, the former capital of Mauritius. The route then reaches Ile aux Fouquets, also called Ile aux Phare in the tour description.

You get about 30 minutes here. The stop is not built around a long guided history talk. Instead, you have time to walk on the island and see the remains of the old lighthouse. That short pause adds a piece of Mauritius’s coastal past to a day otherwise focused on beaches and snorkeling.

The lighthouse ruin works best as a compact sightseeing stop. You can stretch your legs, take photographs, and see how different this small island feels from the resort beach later in the day. Do not expect a long exploration period. With only half an hour, the visit is a quick look rather than a full historical visit.

The ride along Point d’Esny and toward Mahebourg is part of the appeal. You are not simply being carried from one activity to the next. The boat route lets you see the southeast coast from the water, which gives the day a stronger sense of place.

Grand River South East and the waterfall

The next stop takes you into Grand River South East, where the boat visits the waterfall. You have roughly 25 minutes here.

The river entrance changes the mood of the trip. After open coastal water and a small lighthouse island, you move into a narrower setting with a waterfall and thick greenery around the river. The scenery is a useful contrast, and the boat ride into the river is part of the experience.

This area is also home to monkeys. They are entertaining to watch, but the warning is worth taking seriously. Keep food, bags, phones, and other loose items under control. The monkeys are described as cheeky for good reason, and feeding wildlife is not a sensible way to get a closer look.

Twenty-five minutes is enough for a boat-side visit and photographs, but it is not enough for a long walk or a slow nature stop. Think of this as a short scenic interlude between the lighthouse and lunch. If the waterfall is the main reason you are considering the excursion, you may want a tour built around more time at Grand River South East.

Ile aux Cerfs, BBQ, and beach time

The longest stop is Ile aux Cerfs, with about 100 minutes for lunch and a beach break. The BBQ includes fish and chicken. A vegetarian meal can be arranged if you state that preference when booking.

Drinks are included during the meal and the excursion, with alcoholic and soft drinks available. This is a useful part of the price because you do not need to plan a separate lunch or carry enough food for seven hours. Still, the exact selection and serving style are not specified, so you should not book this expecting a restaurant menu or a gourmet beach service.

Lunch is served on a beach near the entrance to the Ile aux Cerfs lagoon. That location gives you time to eat, sit by the water, and swim without having to rush straight back onto the boat. One recent account specifically praised the food, and another praised the overall care provided by the two skippers.

The tradeoff is time. One hour and 40 minutes sounds generous compared with the other stops, but it includes lunch, drinks, and a beach break. If you want to walk far across Ile aux Cerfs, spend a long time swimming, or simply sit in the sand without watching the clock, you may wish for more.

This is also the busiest-feeling part of the day in practical terms because the island is the main destination for many boat excursions. The tour gives you a good taste of it, rather than a full-day stay. I would choose this trip for variety and value, not if Ile aux Cerfs alone is your top priority.

Ile aux Aigrettes and the final swim

On the way back to Blue Bay, the boat stops around Ile aux Aigrettes for about 45 minutes. This is another chance to swim and snorkel, which is one of the strongest features of the route.

The second water stop helps balance the short first snorkeling session. If the morning water was choppy or you needed time to get comfortable, you have another opportunity later. If you already feel satisfied with snorkeling, you can treat this as a relaxed swim break.

The location also breaks up the return ride. Rather than spending the final part of the afternoon sitting on the boat, you get time in the water before heading back to Blue Bay. As with the first stop, water conditions affect what you see and how comfortable the swim feels.

Some people will appreciate this flexible feel. Others may prefer a longer stay at Ile aux Cerfs instead of another snorkeling stop. The schedule clearly favors several shorter experiences over one long beach visit.

What the price covers at $106

At $106 per person, the price is easiest to judge as a bundle. You receive a seven-hour speedboat trip, two snorkeling opportunities, the lighthouse and waterfall visits, a BBQ lunch, drinks, a guide, snorkeling equipment, and a life jacket.

That is solid value if you plan to do several of those activities anyway. Separate boat transport, lunch, drinks, and snorkeling can add up quickly, and this tour keeps the day in one package. The price also covers the work of connecting sites that are not all in the same place.

The value is weaker if you care mainly about lounging on Ile aux Cerfs. A large share of the day is spent moving between stops, and the island itself gets 100 minutes. You are paying for a broad southeast Mauritius route, not maximum beach time.

The included food and drinks also make budgeting easier. Vegetarian guests should make the request during booking, since the standard meal is fish and chicken. Hotel transport is not included, so add your own cost and travel time when comparing this with a hotel-based excursion.

Weather, boat comfort, and the small drawbacks

The tour runs in changing outdoor conditions, so flexibility matters. The program has been adapted when weather was uncertain, which is a good sign, but changes can mean that a stop feels shorter or happens in a different order.

A speedboat gives you a lively ride and lets you cover more coast. It can also be noisy and bumpy. Music has been described as a little too loud by one person, though it was not raised during the trip. If you prefer a quiet boat, simply ask the crew to lower the volume.

The strongest practical praise centers on the crew’s care, the comfortable boat, the sensible group size, the snorkeling spots, and the lunch. Those details matter more than a polished sales pitch. A boat that is not overloaded makes a long day easier, and helpful skippers can make a real difference when wind, rain, or water conditions change.

Bring sun protection, but use only what you can keep secure on the boat and near the monkeys. A towel, swimwear, water shoes, and a preferred mask and snorkel are sensible choices. Life jackets and basic snorkeling equipment are supplied.

Who should book this excursion

I would choose this trip if you want to pack several southeast Mauritius highlights into one day. It suits couples, families, and active sightseers who like switching between water time, short walks, scenery, and a shared lunch.

It is also a good fit if you want snorkeling but do not want to arrange equipment or find a separate lunch. The two water stops give you more than a single sample of the marine life, while the lighthouse and waterfall keep the day from feeling like one long swim.

I would hesitate if you want a quiet, slow beach day, a private boat, a long historical tour, or extended time at one site. The schedule is full, and Ile aux Cerfs is only one part of it. The music and boat motion may also bother you if you are sensitive to noise or rough water.

Should you book the Blue Bay to Ile aux Cerfs trip?

Book it if variety is your priority. For $106, you get a well-filled seven-hour route with strong snorkeling opportunities, a waterfall, a lighthouse ruin, BBQ food, drinks, and a beach stop. The helpful crew and comfortable, not-overloaded boat add real value.

Skip it if your perfect Mauritius day means staying on Ile aux Cerfs for hours. You will spend much of the day moving between places, and the island visit includes lunch rather than a long stretch of free time.

For most people staying near Blue Bay, this is a practical way to see the southeast by water. Just arrive ready to swim, accept that weather may shape the schedule, and remember that the beach at Ile aux Cerfs is one chapter of the day, not the whole book.

FAQ

What time does the excursion start and finish?

The tour starts at 9:30 a.m. from Blue Bay Public Beach and returns to the same area at about 4 p.m. The total duration is approximately seven hours.

Where is the meeting point?

Meet opposite the main parking area and Blue Bay Tuck Shop. Follow the path to the beach and look for the small stand with a dark grey parasol.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so you need to arrange your own transport to and from Blue Bay Public Beach.

What food is served at lunch?

The BBQ includes fish and chicken. A vegetarian meal is available if you request it when making your reservation.

Are drinks and snorkeling equipment included?

Yes. Drinks, a mask and snorkel, and a life jacket are included. You should also bring swimwear, a towel, and water shoes.

What languages are available?

The live tour guide service is available in English and French.