From Blue Bay: Ile aux Cerfs Speedboat Excursion with BBQ

Mauritius looks best from a fast boat. I like how this trip links Blue Bay Marine Park snorkeling with Ile aux Fouquets, Grand River South East, and Ile aux Cerfs in one well-packed day. I also like that lunch includes a fish and chicken BBQ, vegetarian food by request, and drinks. The main trade-off is time: you see several places, but the schedule leaves only about 100 minutes at Ile aux Cerfs.

The 7-hour outing runs from 9:30 a.m. to about 4 p.m., starting and ending at Blue Bay Public Beach. At $106 per person, the price is fair if you want transport by speedboat, snorkeling equipment, lunch, drinks, and several coastal stops without arranging each part yourself.

The boat ride is part of the fun, but the sea can be changeable. Guides have adapted the order of stops when weather shifted, and the boat has been described as comfortable and not overcrowded. One minor concern is music on board, which may be louder than you prefer, so ask the skippers to turn it down if needed.

Key points to know before you book

• Blue Bay Marine Park comes first: You get about 35 minutes to snorkel in Mauritius’s largest coral reserve, a good early stop before the day gets hot.
• The lighthouse island is Ile aux Fouquets: You can walk around the old lighthouse ruins and see the coast from a quieter, more exposed island setting.
• Grand River South East includes cheeky monkeys: The waterfall visit lasts about 25 minutes, so bring a camera but keep food and loose items secure.
• The BBQ is served near Ile aux Cerfs: Fish and chicken are offered, with a vegetarian option available if requested during booking.
• A second snorkeling break comes near Ile aux Aigrettes: This 45-minute pause gives you another chance to swim after lunch.
• You need to reach Blue Bay yourself: Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so allow time to find the meeting stand by the beach.

Why this speedboat day works well

This is not a single-island beach trip. It is a compact tour of Mauritius’s southeast coast, with water time, small islands, a river excursion, lunch, and a famous beach destination all fitted into one day.

I like the route because each stop has a different purpose. Blue Bay offers coral and fish. Ile aux Fouquets gives you a lighthouse ruin. Grand River South East brings a short river ride and waterfall. Ile aux Cerfs supplies the beach break. Ile aux Aigrettes finishes the day with more swimming and snorkeling.

That variety matters. If you spend the whole day at one beach, you get more rest but less sense of the region. Here, you keep moving, and the boat cuts down the time between places. The price also covers the parts that can add up quickly on a self-planned outing: a boat, snorkeling equipment, lunch, drinks, and a guide speaking English or French.

The trade-off is a busy schedule. You will not have hours to wander each island at your own pace. If your ideal day means reading under a palm tree and barely moving, this tour may feel rushed. If you want to see several southeast highlights in one outing, the pace makes sense.

Starting at Blue Bay Public Beach

The meeting point is at Totof Tours Mauritius, opposite the main parking area and Blue Bay Tuck Shop. Look for the path to the beach and a small stand with a dark gray parasol.

There is no hotel transfer, so this detail matters. You need to arrange your own way to Blue Bay and arrive ready for a 9:30 a.m. departure. Bring swimwear, a towel, water shoes, and sunscreen. A hat can also be useful, although it is not listed as required.

A life jacket is included, along with a mask and snorkel. The tour information also advises bringing snorkeling gear, which suggests that you may want your own equipment if you prefer a particular fit. For most people, the supplied mask and snorkel should make the first swim simple.

The boat is a speedboat rather than a slow sightseeing vessel. You should expect wind, spray, and a more active ride along the coast. That is a strength for anyone who likes the journey as much as the stops, but it may be less comfortable for people who prefer calm, quiet transport.

Blue Bay Marine Park and the first 35 minutes

The first stop is Blue Bay Marine Park, where you get about 35 minutes to snorkel. The reserve is described as the largest coral reserve in Mauritius, and the trip begins here for a practical reason: you can get into the water before the day’s later stops and beach break.

The snorkeling is one of the most praised parts of the experience. Bright fish, coral, and even a shipwreck have been reported during the outing. You should keep expectations sensible because marine life and visibility change with weather and water conditions, but this is still a strong reason to choose the trip.

Thirty-five minutes is enough for a good swim, not a long reef session. I would use the time efficiently: listen to the guide’s instructions, adjust your mask before entering the water, and keep your attention on the area around you rather than expecting a private snorkeling expedition.

The tour supplies a life jacket and snorkeling equipment. Water shoes are worth bringing because they can make entry and walking on uneven areas easier. The boat later offers another snorkeling break, so you are not relying on this one stop alone.

Ile aux Fouquets and its old lighthouse

The boat then heads along the coast past Point d’Esny toward Mahébourg, the former capital of Mauritius, before stopping at Ile aux Fouquets. The island is also described as Ile aux Phare, or lighthouse island, so you may see both names used for this stop.

You have about 30 minutes to walk around and see the old lighthouse ruin. This is a short visit, but it adds a historic note to a day otherwise focused on swimming and beaches. The exposed island setting also gives you a different view of the southeast coast than you get from the boat.

Do not expect a long guided history tour. The supplied information centers on visiting the ruin and walking on the island. Treat it as a brief exploration and photo stop, not a museum visit.

A pair of strong walking shoes is probably unnecessary for most people, but water shoes and sensible footwear are useful. The island is one of the more open stops on the route, so sun protection matters.

Grand River South East and the waterfall

Next, the speedboat enters Grand River South East for a waterfall visit. The stop lasts about 25 minutes, making it another focused piece of the day rather than a long river journey.

The setting changes quickly from open sea to a river route framed by rock and greenery. The waterfall is a visual pause between the two snorkeling sessions, and the river ride gives you a chance to stay on the boat if you would rather not swim.

The monkeys are part of the appeal and part of the warning. They are known for being cheeky, so keep food, bags, and loose belongings under control. Do not assume that a friendly-looking monkey is harmless around a BBQ lunch or snacks.

Weather can affect the order or details of the route. The skippers have adjusted the program to suit changing conditions, which is useful on a sea-based outing. It also means your day may not follow the exact order described here. That is a sensible adjustment, not a problem, as long as you understand that the sea sets the timetable.

Ile aux Cerfs, BBQ, and about 100 minutes on the beach

Ile aux Cerfs is the main stop, with about 100 minutes for lunch and beach time. The boat enters the lagoon area, and the BBQ is served on a beach near the entrance to the island.

The meal includes fish and chicken, plus alcoholic and soft drinks during lunch and the excursion. If you want a vegetarian meal, request it when booking. That request is important because a last-minute change may not be possible once the boat has left.

I like that food is built into the day rather than treated as an extra purchase. You can eat, swim, and rest without leaving the route to search for a restaurant. The meal also gives you a proper pause after the morning’s snorkeling and island stops.

Still, 100 minutes is not a huge amount of time for both lunch and Ile aux Cerfs. You may need to choose between a long meal, a swim, and a walk. One piece of direct feedback praised the excursion but wished for more time on the island, and that is the clearest limitation of the schedule.

Ile aux Cerfs is famous, so it is the stop most likely to feel busy or organized around a standard beach visit. The advantage is easy access and a generous lunch break compared with the shorter stops. The disadvantage is that you do not get a slow, unplanned island afternoon.

The second swim near Ile aux Aigrettes

On the return journey, the boat pauses near Ile aux Aigrettes for about 45 minutes of free time and snorkeling. This is a useful part of the route because it gives you another chance to enter the water after lunch.

You can treat this stop as a calmer second attempt if the first snorkeling session felt too short, or simply swim and cool off. It also breaks up the journey back to Blue Bay instead of sending you directly from lunch to the beach.

The available information does not specify exactly what marine life you will see here, so I would not book the tour expecting a particular animal. The appeal is the extra water time and the setting around another island.

If you are tired by this point, you can use the pause to relax rather than force yourself into the water. The excursion includes life jackets and snorkeling equipment, but you should still bring a towel and comfortable swimwear for the entire day.

Guides, boat comfort, and the mood on board

The boat crew is a key part of this experience. Direct feedback describes two skippers who cared for the group, kept the boat comfortable, and avoided overcrowding. Guides also helped explain the sights and adjusted the program when weather conditions changed.

That flexibility is valuable in Mauritius. A perfect route on paper means little if wind or sea conditions make one stop unpleasant. The ability to adapt can preserve the day, even if it means visiting places in a different order.

The guides speak English and French. No guide names are provided, so you should not book expecting a particular person. The crew has also been praised for being helpful and attentive, which is especially useful when several people are swimming and moving on and off the boat.

Music may play during the ride, and one person found it a little too loud. I would treat that as a minor but practical issue. If you want to hear the guide or prefer a quieter ride, ask politely rather than sitting through a soundtrack you do not enjoy.

There is also the possibility of seeing dolphins, as one outing did. That is a lucky extra, not a promised part of the tour, so keep your expectations focused on the listed stops.

Is $106 a fair price?

At $106 per person, this is a reasonable package for a 7-hour boat excursion. You receive the speedboat trip, a BBQ, drinks, a mask and snorkel, and a life jacket. The route also covers several places that would be difficult to combine independently in one day without arranging separate boat trips.

The value is strongest if you want variety and convenience. A person who only wants a quiet beach day may pay for more movement than needed. A person who wants to snorkel twice, visit a waterfall, see a lighthouse ruin, and eat lunch on the coast is getting a lot in return.

Hotel transportation is not included, so factor your own journey to Blue Bay into the budget. The tour starts at a clear public beach meeting point, but you still need to organize that first and final stretch yourself.

The rating of 4.8 from 118 reviews supports the overall quality of the experience, especially the snorkeling, BBQ, helpful crew, and comfortable boat. The recurring cautions are more about personal preference: limited time at Ile aux Cerfs, possible loud music, and a schedule that keeps you moving.

Who should book this excursion?

I would recommend it to you if you want a busy southeast Mauritius day with swimming, sightseeing, and lunch included. It suits couples, families, and groups who would rather join one organized route than arrange several separate activities.

It is also a good fit if snorkeling is a priority. You get two planned water stops, equipment, and the chance to see fish and coral in Blue Bay Marine Park. The second stop gives the day useful flexibility.

You may want a different tour if your main goal is several quiet hours at Ile aux Cerfs. The island visit is substantial enough for lunch and a swim, but not long enough for a relaxed all-day stay.

Bring swimwear, a towel, water shoes, and sun protection. Request vegetarian food during booking, and ask the crew to lower the music if needed. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure, and reserve-now-pay-later booking is available if you want to keep your plans flexible.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want the southeast coast in one efficient day and value snorkeling, food, and variety more than long stretches of free time. The strongest parts are Blue Bay Marine Park, the second swim near Ile aux Aigrettes, the attentive skippers, and the easy BBQ lunch.

Skip it if you dislike speedboat rides, loud music, or a tight schedule. For most active visitors, though, $106 is a fair price for a well-filled day that combines sea life, island ruins, a waterfall, monkeys, and Ile aux Cerfs without making you plan every connection yourself.

FAQ

Where does the excursion start?

It starts at Totof Tours Mauritius at Blue Bay Public Beach. The meeting point is opposite the main parking area and Blue Bay Tuck Shop, along the beach path under a small stand with a dark gray parasol.

What time does the tour begin and end?

The excursion starts at 9:30 a.m. and returns to Blue Bay Public Beach at about 4 p.m. The total duration is approximately 7 hours.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so you need to make your own way to the Blue Bay meeting point.

What snorkeling equipment is provided?

The tour includes a mask and snorkel, as well as a life jacket. You are also advised to bring snorkeling gear, so you can bring your own equipment if you prefer.

Is lunch included?

Yes. Lunch is a BBQ with fish and chicken, and alcoholic and soft drinks are included during the meal and excursion. Request a vegetarian meal when you make your reservation.

How many snorkeling stops are there?

There are two planned snorkeling opportunities. The first is about 35 minutes at Blue Bay Marine Park, and the second is about 45 minutes near Ile aux Aigrettes.

Which places does the boat visit?

The route includes Blue Bay Marine Park, Ile aux Fouquets Lighthouse, Grand River South East and its waterfall, Ile aux Cerfs, and Ile aux Aigrettes.

Which languages are spoken on the tour?

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