The Five-Island Day in the South-East: Two Hours of It Are Lunch on Île aux Cerfs

Five islands in a day sounds like a lot of islands. This version of the trip publishes its own itinerary stop by stop, with minutes attached, and once you add the minutes up the day turns out to have a very different shape from the one the number five suggests.

That is not a complaint. It is a good day — 4.7 stars from 1,451 reviews. But you should know what you are buying.

The timings, as the operator publishes them

The 5-island adventure from Trou d’Eau Douce — €85, six to seven hours, by speedboat, operated by Societe Fernand Lacour & Fils — lists the following:

These are the operator's reference timings, not guaranteed stop lengths; the itinerary is subject to change.

So: the published itinerary takes you to Île aux Cerfs twice, with two hours set aside for the second visit. The barbecue is the anchor of the afternoon, which is why the boat comes back. Île de la Passe is a pass-by, while Île aux Aigrettes is a swimming stop; the Grand Port district is not an island.

Dolphin watching at Fouquets Island appears on the itinerary marked optional; check how it fits your selected departure. Treat it as a possibility, not a line item you have paid for.

The reserve you will not walk on

Île aux Aigrettes is on the list, and 45 minutes are allotted to it. What the itinerary says happens there is an aperitif and swimming — not a landing.

That distinction matters, because Île aux Aigrettes is a nature reserve and has been since 1965. The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation offers guided ecotours of the reserve, lasting approximately 1.5–2 hours with a short boat crossing; arrange that visit separately and check available departures. See our wildlife parks and tortoises guide. So read this stop as a swim in beautiful water beside a famous island. If seeing the restored forest and its birds is what you actually want, arrange a separate guided reserve visit.

But “five islands including Île aux Aigrettes” is a sentence a reader can easily finish in their own head.

The history is real, and it is the reason for the lighthouse

Île aux Fouquets — also called Île aux Phares in the operator’s description — carries a lighthouse listed as national heritage. The surrounding bay was the setting of the naval battle of Grand Port in 1810, between the French and the British; the French victory is commemorated on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

The operator allocates twenty minutes to the lighthouse visit, walk and photo stop. Treat it as a short introduction to the site rather than an extended history tour. If that is your reason for coming, read about the battle before you get on the boat.

What the booking covers, and what to check

The programme includes a barbecue lunch, the visits to Île aux Cerfs, the Grand River South East waterfall and Île aux Fouquets, and the swimming stop at Île aux Aigrettes. Check the selected option’s inclusions for drinks, snacks and snorkelling equipment. Hotel pickup and drop-off apply only if you select the transfer option; confirm the pickup area and return address before booking.

Not allowed on board: luggage or large bags. That matters if you have just checked out of a hotel and need somewhere to leave your bags. What to bring, by contrast, is a short list: sunglasses, a sun hat, sunscreen, a towel.

Not suitable for pregnant women, per the operator.

The itinerary lists Blue Alizé Catamaran Ile aux cerfs, Port Louis District and Grand Baie as possible drop-off locations, depending on the option; the description says the boat returns to Trou d’Eau Douce. Confirm your selected transfer and final drop-off rather than treating these as freely interchangeable endpoints.

Five versions of the island day

The east and south-east coasts sell this itinerary from several different harbours, and the differences that matter are the boat, the hours and the starting point.

The catamaran costs €70, with 4.8 stars from 251 reviews. Confirm its duration before choosing it for a shorter day: the header says five hours, but the itinerary assigns 6.5 hours to Île aux Cerfs alone, plus other stops. BBQ lunch and drinks are included on the shared cruise; they cost extra for private bookings and the sunset dinner cruise. The speedboat lagoon experience visits up to three islands depending on tides, with some protected islands viewed from the boat; vegetarian lunch is available on advance request, and hotel or villa transfers are optional. The Blue Bay trip leaves the public beach at 09:30 and returns around 16:00–16:30; its first snorkelling site depends on tides, vegetarian BBQ must be requested when booking, and lobster is an extra option. The nine-hour trip starts and ends at Trou d’Eau Douce, takes up to eight in its small group, and offers hotel or Airbnb transfers across Mauritius at an additional cost. The nine-hour version is for people who like boats a great deal.

Who should not book this

Anyone who wanted one beach. Six or seven hours with several stops is a travelling day. If the point of the holiday is a lounger under a filao tree, consider a single-island visit instead — compare the Île aux Cerfs boat options for the departure, return time and beach time you want. Île aux Cerfs Leisure Island publishes daily opening hours of 09:00–18:00. Follow your excursion’s own return instructions rather than treating the island’s closing time as your boat departure.

Anyone prone to seasickness. This is a speedboat itinerary with several open-water legs. Ask a pharmacist before the trip rather than a skipper during it.

Families with very small children should check suitability before booking. Check the booking page and confirm the child’s age, suitable life jackets and boarding arrangements with the operator; a two-hour lunch stop does not settle whether a six- to seven-hour speedboat day will suit them. Use our family activity guide to compare ideas, then check the participation rules on the booking page for the exact tour you choose.

Our island boat trips hold 90 offers from €30. This trip starts at €85; compare the route, transfer option and included meals before choosing.