Excursions › Five Islands Speedboat Trip
A full day speedboat trip to five islands off the east coast, with a lighthouse island, historic fortifications, a river waterfall and a beach BBQ on Île aux Cerfs.
Beach BBQ with grilled fish, meat and vegetables, unlimited alcoholic and soft drinks, and live music. Halal and vegetarian options provided. Time to swim, explore and relax.
The speedboat navigates up the Grand River South East to reach a stunning waterfall. One of the most unexpected and impressive sights on the east coast.
A working lighthouse over 200 years old. Excellent snorkelling in calm, clear water with abundant marine life.
The 1810 Battle of Grand Port was fought here, the only French naval victory inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Ruined 18th-century fortifications still visible on shore.
Coral island nature reserve restored to its pre-human condition by the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. Giant Aldabra tortoises and rare endemic birds.
A protected marine park with one of the finest coral reef systems in the Indian Ocean. Crystal-clear water, outstanding snorkelling and underwater visibility.
The Five Islands speedboat trip is the longest and most active excursion on the east coast of Mauritius. Where the standard catamaran runs to a single island, this trip uses a group speedboat to cover five: Île aux Cerfs, Île aux Mariannes, Île aux Phares, Île de la Passe and Île aux Aigrettes. You are collected from your hotel anywhere on the island at 07:00 and driven to Trou d’Eau Douce, where the skipper and crew take over for the day. The boat docks again at around 15:00 and you are back at your hotel by roughly 15:30.
The morning of the Five Islands trip is spent working south along the coast. Île de la Passe once guarded the entrance to Grand Port bay and its ruined fortifications are still visible from the water. The bay was the site of the 1810 Battle of Grand Port, the only French naval victory inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. You go ashore at Île aux Phares, also known as Île aux Fouquets, where a disused lighthouse stands above the reef and the snorkelling in the calm water around it is among the best on this stretch of coast.
The boat then runs up the Grand River South East estuary to a waterfall, a short freshwater stop away from the lagoon and one of the more unexpected sights on the east coast. Lunch is a beach barbecue on Île aux Cerfs, with grilled fish, meat and vegetables, unlimited alcoholic and soft drinks and live music. Halal and vegetarian options are provided if you mention them when booking. Arriving by private speedboat means you land on your own schedule rather than with the catamaran crowds.
The afternoon covers Blue Bay Marine Park, a protected reef where the water is clear enough to see the coral from the surface, and finishes with a stop in the shallow water off the coast of Île aux Aigrettes. That last stop is for swimming and relaxing in the sheltered shallows, not a landing on the reserve itself, which is a protected conservation site with separate guided access. Snorkelling equipment and life jackets are provided throughout the Five Islands trip, and spinner dolphins are regularly seen in the channel along the way.
Transport to the departure point is priced per vehicle rather than per person, so a couple and a family of seven pay the same fixed rate for the car. A sedan or SUV carries up to four passengers, a minivan up to seven and a minibus up to fourteen. Speedboat tickets are added at €70 per adult and €50 per child aged 3 to 11, with infants under 3 travelling free. The speedboat is considerably faster than a catamaran and some swell is normal, so bring sea sickness tablets if you are sensitive. Book the Five Islands trip at least 24 hours ahead.
Early start, your driver collects you for the drive to the east coast departure point at Trou d’Eau Douce.
Meet the crew, receive your safety briefing and life jackets, and set off along the east coast.
Visit the historic fortifications of Île de la Passe, site of the 1810 Battle of Grand Port. Continue to Île aux Phares for snorkelling around the lighthouse.
The speedboat navigates up the Grand River South East to reach a stunning waterfall. One of the most unexpected and impressive sights on the east coast.
Beach BBQ with grilled fish, meat and vegetables, unlimited alcoholic and soft drinks, and live music. Halal and vegetarian options provided. Time to swim, explore and relax.
Snorkelling at Blue Bay, one of the finest marine parks in the Indian Ocean. Brief stop at Île aux Aigrettes, giant tortoises, endemic birds and restored coral island habitat.
Speedboat docks at approximately 15:00. Driver transfers you back to your hotel, arriving around 15:30.
Your driver collects you from your hotel entrance at 07:00. Early pickup is necessary to reach Trou d’Eau Douce before the speedboat departs. Exact time confirmed in your booking email.
The five islands are: Île aux Cerfs (white sand beaches, water sports and BBQ lunch), Île aux Phares (historic lighthouse, excellent snorkelling), Île de la Passe (site of the 1810 Battle of Grand Port, the only French naval victory inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe), Île aux Aigrettes (coral island nature reserve with giant tortoises) and Blue Bay Marine Park (one of the finest coral reef systems in the Indian Ocean). See all our island tours.
The trip includes private hotel pickup and drop-off, speedboat transport between all five islands, snorkelling equipment, a dolphin watching stop, BBQ lunch on Île aux Cerfs with unlimited alcoholic and soft drinks, and live music entertainment. Life jackets are provided on board.
Select your vehicle type and travel date using the booking form on this page. Your private driver will collect you at 07:00. Instant email confirmation. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the trip. Also need an airport transfer?
Instant email confirmation · Free cancellation