Ile Aux Cerfs, A Quaint Island in the East Mauritius

Mauritius harbours scores of gorgeous islands and beaches, one more pristine than the other. While, it is not possible to visit all of them in a week’s trip, one cannot give a miss to the Treasure Island situated in its East Coast. This island goes by the name ’Ile Aux Cerfs’, and we had attributed one whole day to explore the hidden secret of this Mauritian Jewel.

The Beautiful ‘Ile-Aux-Cerfs’ Island in the East of Mauritius!

Due to windy weather conditions, our trip was shifted from the scheduled date to the next day. We had a hearty breakfast at our resort by 7:30 am, and were ready with our outing basket waiting for our pickup. Out pickup van arrived at 8:00 am.

Since, Ile Aux Cerfs was on our must-see places, we had already selected our attire to go with the ambience of the scenic place. I had worn a deep blue, tight fitted crop top, a bohemian floral printed shrug, a light blue pair of denim shorts. I had teamed the entire look with a beachy blue hat and a pair of blue shades. My partner went for a white printed Tee giving a beachy vibe, with a monochrome pair of shorts and a cowboy hat.

We drove for around an hour and a half till we reached the Trou-De-Deuce harbor. This was the point from where all cruise started. After a half an hour wait, we were provided with a speed boat to reach a certain point in the ocean where we would board our ‘CATAMARAN’.

The Catamaran Cruise to Ile Aux Cerfs

I would not lie, I was simply fascinated by the white beauty. We shifted our day’s baggage into the deck which also had a sitting area for the passengers. But we dropped our luggage and sandals inside the deck and climbed onto the open Monkey Island part of the sail.

We were totally in Love with our ‘White Catamaran’ that cruised us to the ‘Ile-Aux-Cerfs’ Island

Skies above us, gorgeous waters around us and happiness within us!

We were greeted by a fresh gush of breeze, as we settled near the edge. Our co-passengers included a middle aged couple from Australia celebrating their 25^th wedding anniversary, a young student couple from Holland and a newly wedded couple just like us.

Oh How we Loved the Cruise! Could never get enough of the Experience. . .

Hairs Scattered, Hardly Mattered! Loved the Wind, loved Sailing to Bits!!!

We, thus cruised along, sailing through the crystal clear water with a hint of bluish reflection from the skies, whilst enjoying the breath taking scenaries and relaxing on the white edge, trying to soak the tranquility beyond the water and skies.

Food and Activities in the Cruise

After a while, we were served with onboard welcome drinks. We had a variety of options to choose from; I chose to have a glass of red wine while my partner (tee totaler that he is) settled for a glass of coke.

Time for some ‘Wine’ n ‘Dine’. The Catamaran spoiled us rotten!!!

By 12:00 pm, we had reached a lagoon where we were taken down for snorkeling and parasailing. The gears were provided by the cruise themselves. I opted out of the snorkeling as we had already done a much intense scuba dive a few days prior. However, Maddy was eager to take the plunge for the second time. I think he just couldn’t resist the emerald blue waters!

Maddy, all set to go for the Snorkelling. . .I think he just couldn’t resist the enticing emerald blue waters!

Half an hour later, we were provided with the most exotic onboard barbeque lunch. It was a buffet and we filled our plates with grilled chicken, chicken nuggets, grilled fish, a combo salad sautéed chicken and corn. We were offered another round of drinks to go with the lunch.  

After the Dip, the Crew served us with Exotic Barbeque Lunch!

As we inched nearer to our destination, we were shifted to a small boat which would take us to Ile Aux Cerfs. Apparently, the Catamaran cannot sail in shallow waters.

Boat Ride in the Shallow Waters. . .

The Waterfall on the Way. . .

We encountered a deep waterfall during our boat ride and clicked a few pictures with the waterfall background. Finally we stepped into the much-awaited spot – ‘The Ile Aux Cerfs’.

Exploring Ile Aux Cerfs – Our Destination Island

Ile Aux Cerfs had a different freshness altogether, a different pristine touch that I couldn’t fathom earlier. If the sand of the Sugar Beach back in Flic en Flac was like powdered sugar, the sands of this beach was as spotlessly white as crushed pearls.

The Aerial View of the Gorgeous Ile-Aux-Cerfs Island!

The island was an undulating terrain of luxuriant natural vegetation. It is dotted with outcrops of volcanic rocks, little lakes and a magnificent white pearly beach.

That’s Maddy Chilling in the Island!!!

Deers grazing in the natural vegetation are a rare sight now. We spotted a few restaurants a little further from the beach and proceeded to grab a cup of coffee before our exploration. The restaurants, arrayed in a linear fashion catered to almost every palate but we could not eat another morsel owing to the heavy doze of food and drinks at the Catamaran.

My Island Moment at Ile-Aux-Cerfs!

As we proceeded to explore, we found several large kiosks of watersports. We straightaway headed to the ocean to feel the blue waters. The waters were so clear that we could easily spot the beautiful coral reefs and the throbbing marine life that the ocean nested in its cozy bosom.

Just Wondering – How did I find myself in this ‘slice of heaven’?

As we gazed further into the ocean, we noticed something different. Never in our lives had we seen so many shades of blue in so many different layers.

The Peace & Tranquility in the ‘Deer Island’

As we walked along the coast we came across a water bed with protruding large black rocks. We decided to sit there for some time and gaze into oblivion.

I’ve longed for time – unscheduled time, dream time, quiet time – Time to go, just go!

Today, when I look at the picture we had clicked with me sitting on the black rocks, I can clearly resonate with the phrase, ”I’ve longed for time – unscheduled time, dream time, quiet time – Time to go, just go.” Francis Mayes could well be talking about the Ile Aux Cerfs when she fawns at the seductiveness of quiet time.

We made our way inside the beach forest. The forest speckled with beautiful palm trees and mulberry trees in full blossom. We posed for some pictures. And finally, it was time to return.

Parting Thoughts

Ile Aux Cerfs was definitely a slice of heaven. Its unadulterated pristinity stays with you like a perfectly encapsulated morsel of a good past and it keeps on staying with you till the end of time!

If you missed out on Part-I, Part-II and Part-III of our Mauritius Blog click on the links below to read our experience:

Flic-en-Flac, Our Ultimate Base To Explore The Beautiful Island Of Mauritius!

Experience an Amazing Road Trip to the North of Mauritius

Unveiling the Amazing History and the Gorgeous Geography of South Mauritius