Catamaran Day Cruises in Mauritius: East, North or West Coast — Which Boat for Which Holiday
6 min read
Mauritius sells catamaran days from three coasts, and the photographs all look alike. The decision is not which boat is nicest. It is which coast you are sleeping on, and what you want the day to be built around: an island beach, a string of islets with snorkelling, or dolphins and a lagoon.
For most people: the full-day cruise to the northern isles at €77 — 4.7 stars from 2,256 reviews, eight hours, from Grand Baie. The northern-isles cruise does not allow children under four and is not suitable for people with mobility impairments. Vegetarian and vegan meals must be requested after booking. On the east coast: the Île aux Cerfs lagoon cruise at €48.44, 4.6 stars from 1,134 reviews. On the west coast: the shared Île aux Bénitiers cruise at €59.40, 4.6 stars from 605 reviews.
The five boats side by side
| Cruise | Coast | Price | Duration | Rating · reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Île aux Cerfs lagoon experience with barbecue | east | €48.44 | 7 hours | 4.6 · 1,134 |
| Île aux Cerfs catamaran with lunch and transfer | east | €58.10 | 7 hours | 4.4 · 2,437 |
| Shared Île aux Bénitiers cruise with lunch | west | €59.40 | 6.5 hours | 4.6 · 605 |
| West-coast cruise with dolphin watching, barbecue and drinks | west | €77.77 | 6 hours | 4.7 · 363 |
| Full-day cruise to the northern isles | north | €77 | 8 hours | 4.7 · 2,256 |
The east: one island, a waterfall, and a lot of company
The east-coast boats leave from Trou d’Eau Douce for Île aux Cerfs. The day is a sail, a snorkelling stop, a barbecue, and a visit to the Grand River South East waterfall; the trip with lunch and transfer explicitly describes a speedboat change for the run upriver. Check the expected time ashore for your selected departure before booking. Île aux Cerfs Leisure Island publishes daily opening hours of 9am–6pm; your cruise’s scheduled return determines when you leave. Other boats land there too.
The lagoon cruise costs €48.44 and is rated 4.6/5 from 1,134 reviews. The lagoon cruise takes up to 45 guests and includes onboard music. Transfers are optional and available from the north to the east only. Request vegetarian meals in advance; island water sports cost extra. Bad weather or rough seas may cause rescheduling. The €58.10 trip with lunch and transfer has 2,437 reviews and a rating of 4.4/5. The trip with lunch and transfer takes up to 35 guests, requires at least two people per booking and is not suitable for wheelchair users. Children aged one to four travel free. Water sports are optional; check their charges before adding them. A crowd of reviews measures how many people went, not how good it was. Every east-coast option and what it leaves out is in our Île aux Cerfs comparison.
The north: three islets, and you land on two of them
The northern boats leave from Grand Baie for Île Plate, Îlot Gabriel and Coin de Mire. You land on two and sail past the third: setting foot on Coin de Mire is not done, and the day treats it as a snorkelling stop under the cliff.
The €77 cruise is the longest day of the five at eight hours. Its description includes tea, coffee and cake on arrival, followed by a barbecue lunch with drinks. Check the selected booking’s transfer arrangements before budgeting for transport to Grand Baie. The meeting point is Grand Baie Public Beach; use the reporting time on your booking confirmation. The details are in the northern isles cruise comparison.
The west: dolphins first, a lagoon afterwards
The shared Île aux Bénitiers cruise departs from L’Estuaire at La Balise Marina in Black River; the other west-coast cruise starts at Le Morne Anglers’ Club Jetty in Black River. Both head towards Tamarin Bay and Île aux Bénitiers. The shared cruise at €59.40 per person runs six and a half hours with a barbecue lunch and unlimited drinks. The west-coast cruise at €77.77 describes dolphin watching, a barbecue lunch and drinks, and has a 4.7/5 rating from 363 reviews. For the west-coast cruise from Le Morne Anglers’ Club, the description gives a 9am meeting time while the practical notes say 9:15am, with departure around 9:30am. Confirm your reporting time. Vegetarian, gluten-free and seafood/fish-free meals must be requested in advance.
These two west-coast cruises describe dolphin watching from the boat, with swimming and snorkelling at separate stops; sightings are not guaranteed. Under the Tourism Authority’s 2012 regulations, effective from 1 November 2012, paid dolphin-watching trips normally operate between 6am and noon, while trips that include swimming with dolphins are restricted to 6–9am unless the Authority gives written authorisation. If swimming with them is the point, compare the activities and participation conditions in the dolphin trips guide before choosing a booking. The west-coast boat comparison sets out the routes and booking options.
Choose by where you sleep first
The three coasts are a long way apart, and the pickup is what decides most of it. For the €58.10 east-coast trip, the description offers hotel pickup and return anywhere in Mauritius; select and confirm the transfer option for your accommodation. For the €77 northern cruise, plan around the Grand Baie Public Beach meeting point and verify any hotel transfer before booking. The shared Île aux Bénitiers cruise offers pickup options; check coverage for your accommodation. For the other west-coast cruise, confirm transport to Le Morne Anglers’ Club Jetty.
If you are driving yourself, compare car rental on your dates. Whether you need a car at all is answered in do you need a car in Mauritius. For a catamaran that goes out in the evening instead, see the sunset cruises.
When a catamaran is the wrong boat
If you get seasick easily, the west-coast cruise with dolphin watching, barbecue and drinks explicitly excludes people prone to seasickness. It also excludes people with mobility impairments. If you want to swim with dolphins, choose a booking that explicitly offers that activity and check its participation conditions and authorised operating times. If you want a quiet beach, an east-coast island day is not it: other boats land there too.
Which one to book
For most people: the full-day cruise to the northern isles at €77, provided everyone meets its participation conditions. It combines visits to Flat Island and Gabriel Island with a snorkelling stop at Coin de Mire, plus a barbecue lunch.
See availability and prices for the full-day cruise to the northern isles
If you are staying in the east: the Île aux Cerfs lagoon cruise at €48.44, if you are happy with onboard music and a group of up to 45. If you are staying in the west: the shared Île aux Bénitiers cruise at €59.40 per person.
