Ile Aux Cerfs: Day Trip to a Tropical Paradise
Ile Aux Cerfs is arguably Mauritius' most popular day trip, and it's easy to see why. Amazing white sand beaches, turquoise waters, and plenty of water activities to do, Ile Aux Cerfs has for sure a lot to offer. This blog post includes tips on how to get to the island, tips on activities and things to do, and what to expect from the visit.
Ile Aux Cerfs is Mauritius' top attraction, and one of those places you must visit while exploring this tropical piece of land, otherwise, your trip to this island calmly sitting in the Indian Ocean wouldn't be complete.
If you just started to plan your vacation to Mauritius and looking for the best places to visit, you have probably already noticed beautiful pictures of Ile Aux Cerfs, which show up frequently.
With its turquoise lagoons, white-sand beaches, jet black rocks, and the famous shallow channel between the islands, Ile Aux Cerfs is for sure one the top places in Mauritius.
Also known as Deer Island, Ile Aux Cerfs offers a wide range of water activities, a golf course, and superb beaches.
We spent a lovely half-day on the island, and in this blog post, we will share our experience of visiting Ile Aux Cerfs with you.
ILE AUX CERFS
When our vacation in Mauritius was nearing the end, we knew there was still one place we hadn't visited yet.
Ile Aux Cerfs.
Arguably one of the most beautiful places that Mauritius has to offer, Ile Aux Cerfs is a place not to be missed.
By simply looking at the aerial photos, it's easy to understand why this small island became one of the most sought-after places in this small African country. And by reading about the island, your expectations will go through the roof. And then there is the reality, which often doesn't meet the expectations.
So what to expect from Ile Aux Cerfs?
The first thing you should know is that the island is privately owned, and there is a pretty big golf course that basically covers the whole inland area. That's great for golfers, less for the rest of the visitors.
Being one of the top attractions in Mauritius, Ile Aux Cerfs attracts great numbers of visitors every day, and you can't expect to have the island just for yourself. It's not some well-hidden, off the beaten path destination that's waiting to be explored.
This is a top natural attraction in Mauritius, and every visitor to Mauritius wants to see it.
What else?
Crowds, white-sand beaches, heavy boat traffic, turquoise shallow waters, some rubbish, secluded beaches, and so on.
As you can clearly see, Ile Aux Cerfs is kind of a mixed bag of everything that's typical for popular travel destinations. And spending the whole day on the most crowded beach near the narrow channel won't probably deliver the best experience you've hoped for.
One last thing, Ile Aux Cerfs is actually two islands connected by a narrow and very shallow passage, which you can cross on foot.
So the first thing we did after our arrival was that we grabbed our bag and started walking around the island.
We left the crowded beach with umbrellas and loungers behind, and in only a few minutes, there were considerably fewer people around, so we kept walking and spent roughly two hours exploring this beautiful island almost alone.
When we got back, we could quite easily walk across the knee-deep channel to the other island and walked around this part too. The northern island (Ilot Mangenie) doesn't have a golf course, is about half the size of Ile Aux Cerfs, and also has very fine beaches.
Ile Aux Cerfs also offers many activities to do such as parasailing, kitesurfing, snorkeling, or water skiing.
Many of those activities are not very cheap, and you should be prepared to pay extra for everything.
After several hours of walking around the island, having fun in the sea, and sunbathing on the beaches, we slowly started to go back towards the departure point.
Later in the afternoon, we caught our boat back to Trou d'Eau Douce, and then drove back to our hotel in Flic en Flac.
It was definitely a memorable day, and we still think Ile Aux Cerfs is worth a visit.
One thing we would consider to do differently the next time is that we would take the catamaran tour, just because there are not that many things to do unless you want to spend a fortune on water activities and sailing is always fun.
Of course, only if the sea is calm.
HOW TO GET TO ILE AUX CERFS
The only way to get to Ile Aux Cerfs is by boat.
First, you need to drive by yourself to the nearest embarkation point, which is either at Trou d'Eau Douce or Pointe d'Esny. Trou d'Eau Douce is about an hour drive from Grand Baie in the North Mauritius, add another fifteen minutes to your travel time from Flic en Flac or any other town on the West Coast.
It will take you almost two hours to get there from Le Morne and about forty-five minutes from Mahebourg, which are popular destinations on the South Coast.
We drove to Trou d'Eau Douce from Flic en Flac by our rental car, where we bought simply the return tickets to Ile Aux Cerfs.
You can choose from many variations, such as transport and lunch, transport and waterfalls, etc. Side note: the waterfall is not on the island, but on the Grand River South East which is on the mainland.
We didn't want to go on an organized tour on that day and arranged everything by ourselves, but we know, that some of you prefer to plan your vacation more thoroughly, so you can arrange the tour in advance.
Here you can book the Catamaran Tour from Pointe Jerome Embarkation Point, which is at Pointe d'Esny.
Of course, they offer the tour from Trou d'Eau Douce as well, but it's a shorter ride on a catamaran, and we would suggest you sailing to Ile Aux Cerfs from Pointe d'Esny.
WHAT TO PACK
First and foremost, bring strong sunscreen with high SPF. The sun is pretty strong on Mauritius, and you don't want to end up with a sunburn. Straw hat, sunglasses, beach towel, and swimsuit are also a must.
All of these things will come really handy, especially covering your head is very important on a clear day out on the sea.
For having fun in the sea or getting around the island, wear water shoes. The shallow and warm waters are full of urchins and pieces of corals, so protect your feet.
We would also bring water bottle (bigger is better) as the prices on the island for water are very high.
We can't fail to mention a travel camera, although mobile phone may be more than enough for you. Regardless of your choice, you want to keep all your valuables safe and dry, so something like this waterproof dry bag will do the job.
You might want to add to your bag an extra t-shirt or shorts if you need to change into something more comfortable (or dry).
Travel Insurance
We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip.
Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more.
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.
SafetyWing is affordable travel insurance for backpackers, long-term travelers, and digital nomads.
Travel smarter and safer!
WHERE TO EAT
Depending on the ticket or tour you've purchased, your lunch might or might not be included.
The catamaran cruises usually include lunch or even breakfast in their package, but it vastly depends on the company you've booked the tour with. Always check first what's included and what's not before you set off.
There are a few restaurants (places to eat would be more accurate) on the island, but they are pretty expensive, so we brought our own snack (bananas for the win) to save some money.
WHERE TO STAY
There are no hotels or lodging options on Ile Aux Cerfs, so you need to look somewhere else.
We drove to Ile Aux Cerfs from Flic en Flac, a small tourist town on the West Coast, that offers plenty of accommodation options.
Grand Baie in the northwest is also very popular with visitors who like to base themselves in the town for a week or two and explore the island on day trips.
East coast is more relaxed than the rest of the island, and you may find some nice resorts away from the crowds.
We've rounded up a list of the best hotels in each category on the east coast near Ile Aux Cerfs.
Budget | SM Lodge - A basic guesthouse features private parking, terrace with sea views, shared kitchen, and cozy and clean rooms. A great choice for budget travelers who want to spend few days on the east coast.
Mid-range | Tropical Attitude - This is a nice and modern hotel sheltered by palm trees that has a great outdoor swimming pool, excellent location with superb views of the Indian Ocean and tropical garden, air-conditioned rooms, and very helpful and friendly staff. The hotel offers free boat trip to Ile Aux Cerfs island and all-inclusive rates for guests who want to have everything included in the total price.
Luxury | Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita - Located near Ile Aux Cerfs on the east coast of Mauritius, Four Seasons Resort is one of the best hotels in Mauritius. With open views of a beautiful lagoon, infinity pool, well-kept gardens, and exquisite location, this is a luxury accommodation that will exceed your expectations. Treat yourself and go!
Luxury | Shangri-La's Le Touessrok Resort & Spa - Our list of hotel recommendations wouldn't be complete without Shangri-La's Le Touessrok Resort & Spa, one the best hotels in Mauritius. Set in a tropical garden, this luxury resort features a spa, wellness center, five restaurants, exquisite rooms and stunning views of the ocean. On top of that, you get also access to a private island Ilot Mangenie (north of Ile Aux Cerfs) and Ile Aux Cerfs golf course.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
