Day Trip Guide to Benitiers Island in Mauritius: How to Get to Benitiers Island, Things to Do, & More
Benitiers Island, or Île aux Benitiers, is a 160-acre island off the Southwestern coast of Mauritius. It is a popular destination for boat tours departing from the coastal towns of Le Morne and La Gaulette. The little island can be seen from these villages' shores and may spark some exploratory interest. Luckily getting to Benitiers Island is easy, affordable, and worth booking a trip to! There is so much to do on and around the island so let’s talk about it.
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How Long Do You Need on Benitiers Island
Benitiers Island is small and doesn’t need much time to feel like you’ve had a fulfilled experience here. I recommend staying on Benitiers Island for 3-6 hours. Depending on the priorities of your visit, you may want to stay for longer or shorter. We stayed for about 3 hours and thought that was plenty of time to enjoy the island fully.
Some would be happy with a full day and there are plenty of tours that ensure just that (7+ hours). A good way to determine how long you may want can be based on knowing everything there is to do on the island. You can read about what to do on Benitiers Island here.
Where to Stay Near Benitiers Island
The most convenient villages to stay in with easy access to Benitiers Island are Le Morne and La Gaulette. There are no accommodations on Benitiers Island. We personally stayed in La Gaulette and were able to walk to the embarkation pier in town to meet our tour guide. Here are some recommended places to stay in each town:
Le Morne accommodations
Paradis Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa: Paradis is the only resort on the Le Morne peninsula with a golf course (and a beautifully located one at that) so if golfing is your thing, this is a great option! Albeit, pricey as are most options in Le Morne - averaging around $300/night.
Ma Vie La: A spectacular paradise apartment with views and a pool for cheaper than Paradis!
Kozy Le Morne: A modern villa with panoramic views and activities to book. Kozy offers island view, lagoon view, and sea view rooms - some even with private pools.
JW Marriott Mauritius Resort: One of those resort names we all know and love for the quality and comfort. If the price doesn’t scare you off, you are sure to have a great experience here with a beautiful beach and top-tier services.
La Gaulette accommodations
Tenexia - Holiday Rental: An affordable fully serviced apartment with views of the ocean and Le Morne from your room in a very quiet, developing part of town. The hosts are great, providing recommendations of things to do and see around this part of the island.
Fullmoon Apartment and Studio: A little slice of luxury located centrally in La Gaulette with incredible views from every room. Another favorite local accommodation of mine.
Happy Days Guest House: A bed and breakfast in a relaxed atmosphere with the benefit of a daily buffet-style breakfast and pool.
Surf House Villa d’Or: A very affordable option for travelers on a budget. This villa is a popular spot for surfers because of the courses they offer for those coming to Mauritius to surf/kitesurf/windsurf.
TIP: If you are on a budget you will have more luck finding affordable accommodations in La Gaulette. Le Morne is primarily luxury beachfront hotels, resorts, and Airbnb’s that come with a hefty price tag. La Gaulette is the best option for Southern Mauritius proximity to Benitiers Island for the price, access to restaurants, and a local community feel.
How to Get to Benitiers Island
The best and safest way to get to Benitiers Island is to book a boat tour with a local guide. There are a few ways to do this:
Book a tour through an excursion website or your hotel
It is very common for the hotel or serviced apartment you are staying at to have services to help arrange a day trip boat tour to Benitiers Island for you. This takes away all the work from your plate for planning so this is a very convenient option and one to take advantage of if you have it!
Excursion websites such as Klook, GetYourGuide, and Viator also offer these tours where you can book everything online and have arrangements set up to get you to the pier for departure.
It is important to note that these tours are most likely to be with a group of other strangers, less customizable, and be a full-day excursion.
Book a tour directly with a local tour agency
Alternatively, you can reach out to or visit local tour agencies that offer boat tours to Benitiers Island. This is a guaranteed way to support the local agencies of Mauritius directly and you will have a better chance of having a private experience for a good cost. Here are some tour agency options around the area:
boat iles aux benitiers marc (google this name and contact via the phone number provided)
Ask boat owners at the piers
Yes, you heard that right! It can’t get more “support local” than this. We heard from others that this is common to do. You will have the best shot at getting the best price with negotiations and a custom private experience going this route but this is also not the most certain option depending on the availability of boat drivers. There is also no way to read reviews on most of these individual drivers.
If you arrive at the La Gaulette Embarkation Point in the morning and ask around some of the boat owners at the pier if they offer any sort of tours to Benitiers Island, you could be on your way to the island that same day.
What to Do on Benitiers Island
There are a limited number of things you can do on Benitiers Island given its quaint size and lack of infrastructure but there’s certainly a distinct list of things to check off the list!
Sunbathe
An obvious island activity - sunbathing under the glorious tropical sun. Pick a soft sandy spot and layout for a bit.
Explore the island
Your boat driver will take you to the West facing side of Benitiers Island where there is the most stretch of beach and all vendors are stationed. If you walk in either direction (North or South) you can find an oasis for yourself. We walked to the very North of the island and spent most of our day there having it to ourselves.
Have a rum coconut (or 3)
There are little stalls perched on surfboards in the water serving rum coconuts (and strong rum coconuts at that).
Shop for souvenirs from local vendors
Scattered across the Western side of the island are local vendor booths selling jewelry, sarongs, seashells, trinkets, and more. I bought the pink sarong you see in the picture above from this amazing lady who taught me several different ways to tie it and the bracelets from another vendor.
Eat Mauritian cuisine with locals
There are few places on Benitiers Island to grab food so if you aren’t keen on Mauritian food, bring your own snacks. In particular, behind the lady selling sarongs, there was a hidden area where we were sold one of the most delicious Mauritian meals I had while in Mauritius. We got to eat with locals and talk about our travels. It was incredible. Alternatively, there are a couple of other shacks and if you book a tour with a BBQ included, you will eat with your group at the BBQ.
Things to Do Around Benitiers Island/Common Tour Add-Ons
There are some common tour add-ons that your boat guide may offer and I highly recommend doing them while you are already out on the water with someone who knows their way around safely!
Snorkeling at Le Morne Beach
The waters around Le Morne Beach are some of the most pristine, blue, and lively with wildlife areas for snorkeling in the area. This was a major highlight of our tour. We saw so many fish and corals. Highly recommend!
Crystal Rock
Crystal Rock is a natural rock formation jutting out of the middle of the Indian Ocean off the coast of Benitiers. There isn’t much to see of this and you won’t exit your boat, just simply drive by it. But it is cool nonetheless. Nature rocks.
Dolphin Watching/Swimming with Dolphins
Just a bit further out you can find pods of dolphins thriving in their natural habitat. Trekking out to see them is a common offer of most tour agencies and a unique natural experience. Some tours will also let you jump into the water with them. Do your research on the most sustainable and eco-friendly option if you wish to do this to ensure the travel agencies are making the safety and well-being of these magnificent creatures their priority.
BBQ cookout
On Benitiers Island, there is a section of shore dedicated to tour groups who visit the island and as part of their package get a freshly cooked BBQ meal. A perfect way to end a long day on the water and bond with those in your tour group over some delicious food.
Tips & Things to Know About Visiting Benitiers Island
This is a barefoot beach! Leave your shoes on the boat and enjoy feeling the sand between your toes as you explore the island.
The weather can change rapidly being on a small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The good news is if it does rain while you are in Benitiers, there are plenty of covered tables to take shelter.
Wear reef-safe sunscreen to protect the wildlife in the waters and be sure to reapply sunscreen for your own protection regularly.
Bring enough cash with you to do some shopping on Benitiers from the local vendors, be able to buy some drinks and food, and pay your boat driver if you haven’t already.
Tip your boat drivers!
Tours to Benitiers with a group (of strangers) will typically cost less than booking a private tour however if you can swing it, I highly recommend booking a private tour. You will have a much more enjoyable experience, be more comfortable on the boat, and have a more catered trip to your preferences.
Depending on the time of year and day you choose to visit Benitiers, the island can get pretty crowded with groups quickly. Peak travel season for Mauritius is October through April.
I recommend planning your visit to Benitiers Island in the morning to avoid the worst of the heat of the day, the common afternoon thunderstorms during the rainy season, and to make the most of your day.
Be sure to pick up all trash you produce and any you may see laying around and remove from the island to dispose of correctly on the mainland.
Map
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