When is the cruising season in Mauritius?

From May to December, outside the main cyclone months. The south-east trades blow hardest in July and August, when the west and north coasts are the sheltered side, and September to November bring dry, settled weather. January to April is hotter and wetter, and the cyclone season, from November to April, is most active between late December and March.

Where do charters depart from?

Most charters start from Grand Baie, the north-coast anchorage, or from Port Louis, the capital and port of entry, where the Caudan Waterfront marina lies. Berths for large yachts are few, so the embarkation point is confirmed for each yacht. Day charters and short trips of a few nights are the most common formats on the island.

How long is a typical charter from Mauritius?

Many clients combine a stay on land with day charters or three to five nights aboard, enough for the northern islets, the east coast lagoon and Le Morne. A full week works well with a yacht suited to the season. Rodrigues, about 560 km to the east, and Réunion are separate passages, planned as part of a longer voyage.

Can charters extend to Réunion or Madagascar?

Yes, as passages rather than day trips. Réunion, a French overseas department, lies about 175 km to the south-west, a long day at sea for a motor yacht, with clearance out of Mauritius and into France. Madagascar is a much longer crossing with its own entry formalities. Both are planned well ahead, with a yacht and crew suited to open-ocean passages.

How much does a yacht charter in Mauritius cost?

Each charter is quoted individually, according to the yacht, the season and the length of the trip. The base rate, by the day or by the week, is the starting point. On top come the Advance Provisioning Allowance for fuel, food and berths, the applicable tax, set out before anything is signed, and a gratuity at your discretion. A delivery fee may apply if the yacht comes from elsewhere.

How do you get to Mauritius for a yacht charter?

Fly into Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, in the south-east of the island, 48 km from Port Louis. Direct flights connect it with Paris, London, Frankfurt, Zurich, Istanbul, the Gulf, Johannesburg and India. There are no direct flights from the United States, so American travellers usually connect through Europe, the Gulf or Johannesburg, then continue by road to Grand Baie or Port Louis.

What are the winds like in Mauritius?

The south-east trade winds dominate, and blow hardest in July and August. They make the east and south coasts windy and choppy, while the west and north stay drier and more sheltered, so winter routes favour those sides of the island. From January to April the lagoons are often calmer, but the air is hotter and wetter, and cyclones are possible, most often between late December and March.

Can I charter a yacht in Mauritius for a day?

Yes, and it is one of the most popular ways to enjoy the island from the water. Most local yachts are available by the day, for the northern islets of Coin de Mire and Flat Island, the lagoon around Île aux Cerfs on the east coast, or the waters off Le Morne in the south-west. A day aboard fits easily around a stay at a hotel or villa.

What size of yacht suits a Mauritius charter?

Catamarans and motor yachts of moderate size suit the island best: they reach the shallow lagoon anchorages and need no large berth. Mauritius has only a few superyachts of its own and limited berths for large yachts, so a bigger yacht is usually arranged for the dates, sometimes as part of a wider Indian Ocean voyage. For groups staying ashore, a day yacht is often the better choice.

What is there to do ashore in Mauritius?

Several of the island's best-known sites lie close to the anchorages. Le Morne Brabant, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, rises over the south-west lagoon; the Black River Gorges National Park has some 60 km of trails and all of the island's endemic birds; and in Port Louis, Aapravasi Ghat tells the story of indentured labour. Off Mahébourg, Île aux Aigrettes shelters pink pigeons and giant tortoises.

Indian Ocean · yacht charter

Mauritius.

Mauritius yacht charter from Grand Baie and Port Louis: the islets off the north coast, the lagoons around the island and the Le Morne peninsula in the south-west.

Speak to a yacht advisor

Overview

What to expect.

Mauritius sits at the western edge of the Indian Ocean charter map and runs as a winter programme, from October through April. The cruising is lagoon-based and short-range: the reef holds the western and northern coasts in protected water, and the anchorages are a matter of an hour or two apart rather than a day’s passage. Grand Baie in the north and Port Louis on the west coast are the working harbours.

A week here reads as calm-water cruising rather than a long island circuit. Grand Baie is the northern base, with the day anchorages of the north coast and the islets off it, Coin de Mire and the Gabriel and Flat islands, within easy reach. Le Morne, under its mountain on the south-west corner, anchors the other end of the coast, and the lagoon between them carries the swimming, the reef and the settled days at anchor that define the destination.

A yacht charter in Mauritius often sits inside a wider Indian Ocean season. The same winter window runs the Maldives and the Seychelles, and yachts repositioning between them pass through, so a Mauritius week can open or close a longer programme across the region. Boats wintering out of the Gulf reposition down for the season, and charters that extend toward Rodrigues or Madagascar are arranged on owner request through the same operational team.

The advisor holds the Grand Baie and Port Louis arrangements and fixes the embarkation and the timing against the weather. The cyclone months of January through March tighten the routing, and the advisor weights a brief toward the settled ends of the window where the dates allow. Seven to ten nights is the natural length for the coast and the surrounding islets.

Private yacht charter in Mauritius

Mauritius is a volcanic island 65 km long and 45 km wide, ringed by a coral reef that encloses calm lagoons along most of its coast. A yacht charter in Mauritius is lived at the island's own scale: a few nights aboard alongside a stay on land, or a week that works around the coast and its islets, timed against the trade winds.

From the water, each coast has its own character: the anchorage of Grand Baie and the islets to the north, the windward lagoon of the east, the marine park at Blue Bay, and the mountain of Le Morne rising over the south-west lagoon.

The coast from the water

Grand Baie and the northern islets. Grand Baie, on the north coast, is the island's best-known anchorage. Offshore lie Coin de Mire, Flat Island and the bare Îlot Gabriel, and Round Island, 22.5 km north, a nature reserve since 1957 that shelters rare endemic reptiles and seabirds such as tropicbirds and petrels.

Port Louis. The capital is also the port of entry, where visiting yachts complete their formalities. The Caudan Waterfront marina lies in the harbour, close to Aapravasi Ghat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that received indentured labourers arriving on the island.

The east coast. Off Trou d'Eau Douce, Île aux Cerfs sits in the lagoon, with its beaches and a golf course. This is the windward coast, best enjoyed when the trades are light.

Blue Bay and Mahébourg. In the south-east, Blue Bay Marine Park covers 353 hectares and has been a Ramsar wetland of international importance since 2008. Close by, Île aux Aigrettes, a nature reserve since 1965 lying 850 metres offshore, shelters pink pigeons and Aldabra giant tortoises.

Le Morne and the west coast. At the south-west tip, Le Morne Brabant rises 556 metres above its lagoon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its association with escaped slaves. North of it runs the west coast, the island's driest and most sheltered side when the south-east trades blow, with the Black River Gorges National Park rising inland.

Further afield. Réunion lies about 175 km to the south-west, Rodrigues about 560 km to the east, and the shoals of St Brandon far to the north-east. Each is a passage in its own right, planned as part of a longer voyage.

When to go

Mauritius has two seasons. Winter, from May to October, is cooler and drier. The south-east trades blow hardest in July and August, when the east and south coasts are windy and the west and north are the sheltered side, so the route keeps to them. Summer, from November to April, is hot and humid, with most rain falling on the east and the centre of the island and February the wettest month. The cyclone season runs from November to April, with most cyclones between late December and March; direct hits are rare, but a passing system can unsettle the weather for several days.

The most comfortable months for a charter run from May to December. September to November combine dry weather with easing trades, and October is, on average, the driest month of the year.

Marinas and arrival

Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport lies at Plaine Magnien in the south-east, 48 km from Port Louis. Direct flights connect it with Paris, London, Frankfurt, Zurich, Istanbul, the Gulf, Johannesburg and several Indian cities. There are no direct flights from the United States, so American travellers connect through Europe, the Gulf or Johannesburg. Air Mauritius flies on to Rodrigues, and Air Seychelles to Mahé.

Charters usually embark at Grand Baie or Port Louis. Berths for large yachts are few, and La Balise Marina at Black River suits only shallow-draught boats, so the embarkation point is confirmed for each yacht.

Yachts and what a week costs

The local fleet is small: catamarans and motor yachts, with only a few superyachts, most of them available by the day as well as by the week. For a longer programme or a larger yacht, the right boat may come from elsewhere in the Indian Ocean, and a delivery fee may then apply. Pleasure craft and skippers working in Mauritius are licensed by the Tourism Authority.

A week is quoted as a base rate, to which are added the Advance Provisioning Allowance for fuel, food and berths, the applicable tax for the cruising area, set out before anything is signed, and a gratuity for the crew at your discretion. Our guide to what a yacht charter costs sets out the benchmarks, and our note on APA and gratuities explains how the extras work. For a single day on the lagoon, a day charter is the simplest format.

How a Mauritius charter is arranged

We shortlist the yachts that suit your group, the season and the coast you want to see, and fit the charter around a stay on land if you wish. Mauritius also combines with the Seychelles, a direct flight away, and with the rest of the Indian Ocean.

Tell us your dates, the size of your group and what you have in mind, and we will come back with a shortlist. Start the conversation.

Fleet

Yachts available in Mauritius.

Available on request

The current selection for Mauritius is shared privately on request. Speak to a yacht advisor for a curated shortlist.

Request the selection

Season

When to cruise.

Best months: May to December
Prevailing winds: Monsoon-driven
Typical base ports: Grand Baie · Port Louis (Caudan Waterfront)

Boats anchored in a turquoise lagoon near a white sand beach in Mauritius

October through April, the western Indian Ocean winter. The western and northern lagoons stay sheltered through the window, with calm water and consistent conditions for swimming and the reef. The cyclone months of January through March tighten the routing, so the settled ends of the season are the strongest weeks, and the advisor weights a brief toward them where the dates allow.

Ports

Marinas and anchorages.

Grand Baie
The northern bay and the principal base. Day anchorages along the north coast and the islets off it, Coin de Mire and the Gabriel and Flat islands, within easy reach.
Port Louis (Caudan Waterfront)

Frequently asked

Practical questions.

When is the cruising season in Mauritius?: From May to December, outside the main cyclone months. The south-east trades blow hardest in July and August, when the west and north coasts are the sheltered side, and September to November bring dry, settled weather. January to April is hotter and wetter, and the cyclone season, from November to April, is most active between late December and March.
Where do charters depart from?: Most charters start from Grand Baie, the north-coast anchorage, or from Port Louis, the capital and port of entry, where the Caudan Waterfront marina lies. Berths for large yachts are few, so the embarkation point is confirmed for each yacht. Day charters and short trips of a few nights are the most common formats on the island.
How long is a typical charter from Mauritius?: Many clients combine a stay on land with day charters or three to five nights aboard, enough for the northern islets, the east coast lagoon and Le Morne. A full week works well with a yacht suited to the season. Rodrigues, about 560 km to the east, and Réunion are separate passages, planned as part of a longer voyage.
Can charters extend to Réunion or Madagascar?: Yes, as passages rather than day trips. Réunion, a French overseas department, lies about 175 km to the south-west, a long day at sea for a motor yacht, with clearance out of Mauritius and into France. Madagascar is a much longer crossing with its own entry formalities. Both are planned well ahead, with a yacht and crew suited to open-ocean passages.
How much does a yacht charter in Mauritius cost?: Each charter is quoted individually, according to the yacht, the season and the length of the trip. The base rate, by the day or by the week, is the starting point. On top come the Advance Provisioning Allowance for fuel, food and berths, the applicable tax, set out before anything is signed, and a gratuity at your discretion. A delivery fee may apply if the yacht comes from elsewhere.
How do you get to Mauritius for a yacht charter?: Fly into Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, in the south-east of the island, 48 km from Port Louis. Direct flights connect it with Paris, London, Frankfurt, Zurich, Istanbul, the Gulf, Johannesburg and India. There are no direct flights from the United States, so American travellers usually connect through Europe, the Gulf or Johannesburg, then continue by road to Grand Baie or Port Louis.
What are the winds like in Mauritius?: The south-east trade winds dominate, and blow hardest in July and August. They make the east and south coasts windy and choppy, while the west and north stay drier and more sheltered, so winter routes favour those sides of the island. From January to April the lagoons are often calmer, but the air is hotter and wetter, and cyclones are possible, most often between late December and March.
Can I charter a yacht in Mauritius for a day?: Yes, and it is one of the most popular ways to enjoy the island from the water. Most local yachts are available by the day, for the northern islets of Coin de Mire and Flat Island, the lagoon around Île aux Cerfs on the east coast, or the waters off Le Morne in the south-west. A day aboard fits easily around a stay at a hotel or villa.
What size of yacht suits a Mauritius charter?: Catamarans and motor yachts of moderate size suit the island best: they reach the shallow lagoon anchorages and need no large berth. Mauritius has only a few superyachts of its own and limited berths for large yachts, so a bigger yacht is usually arranged for the dates, sometimes as part of a wider Indian Ocean voyage. For groups staying ashore, a day yacht is often the better choice.
What is there to do ashore in Mauritius?: Several of the island's best-known sites lie close to the anchorages. Le Morne Brabant, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, rises over the south-west lagoon; the Black River Gorges National Park has some 60 km of trails and all of the island's endemic birds; and in Port Louis, Aapravasi Ghat tells the story of indentured labour. Off Mahébourg, Île aux Aigrettes shelters pink pigeons and giant tortoises.