Mauritius 2 Day Itinerary

Two days on Mauritius means picking one coast per day and accepting you’ll miss the other three. The island looks small on a map, but the roads loop around a mountainous interior, and trying to squeeze the north, east, and south into 48 hours turns half your trip into a car seat. Pick north and east, since that’s where the beaches, the boat trips, and the direct routes actually line up.

Day 1: North coast

If you’re arriving that morning, budget the transfer honestly. SSR International Airport to Grand Baie is about 70 kilometers and takes 60 to 75 minutes by road, and a private taxi runs somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 Mauritian rupees depending on the operator, more if you book a fixed-rate transfer service in advance rather than negotiate curbside. Mauritian taxis almost never run their meters even when they have them, so agree a price before you get in, not after.

Grand Baie itself is the north’s tourist hub, dense with restaurants, dive shops, and craft markets, and it’s also home to Blue Safari, which runs a genuine submarine, not a walk-in “underwater walk” gimmick, diving to 35 meters past the Star Hope wreck. The full experience with shuttle boat and briefing runs about two hours and isn’t cheap, but it’s one of the only places on earth you can do this without a diving certification. Book the earlier slot if you can, since afternoon winds can cancel trips.

From Grand Baie, head northwest to Cap Malheureux to see the small red-roofed church that shows up in every wedding photo taken on this island, then continue along the coast to Trou aux Biches, which has better sand and calmer water for swimming than Grand Baie’s more built-up bay. Snorkeling gear rents cheaply right on the beach. End the day back in Grand Baie for dinner, where Creole seafood curry is the thing to order rather than the imported steaks some menus push at inflated prices.

Day 2: East coast and Ile aux Cerfs

Ile aux Cerfs is the single best day trip on the island and worth the early start. Boats leave from Trou d’Eau Douce, and your options split cleanly: a bare-bones return ferry runs around 1,000 rupees per person for a 10 to 15 minute crossing with no frills, while a full-day catamaran or speedboat tour with lunch, snorkeling stops, and an open bar runs from roughly 100 to 150 US dollars per person. For a two-day trip, pay for the full tour. You’re not coming back to this island, and the difference between a bare ferry and a proper day out is the entire point of visiting.

The island itself has a genuinely excellent stretch of white sand, a golf course if that’s your thing, and shallow lagoon water good for standup paddleboarding. Afterward, if time allows before your tour’s return slot, Belle Mare Plage a bit further north on the same coast is a quieter alternative beach with fewer boat operators hawking rides.

Skip trying to also fit in Le Morne on this same day. It sits on the opposite end of the island, the drive alone eats two plus hours each way, and rushing a UNESCO World Heritage site dedicated to escaped slaves who died rather than be recaptured does the place a disservice. If Le Morne matters to you, swap it in for the north coast day instead and do Grand Baie another trip.

Practical notes

Most nationalities, including the US, UK, EU, and most Commonwealth countries, get visa-free entry for tourism, generally up to 60 or 90 days depending on nationality, but check the current rule for your passport before booking since these change. The currency is the Mauritian rupee, and while big hotels take cards everywhere, small vendors and boat operators often want cash. Renting a car is genuinely the most efficient way to move between coasts if you’re comfortable with left-hand drive and the occasional narrow mountain road; otherwise, book a private driver for the day rather than hopping between bus routes that weren’t built with tourist timetables in mind.