As the gateway to the Seychelles paradise, Mahe is a wonderful island to experience the Creole culture, turquoise beaches and mountainous hiking trails. Before you start island-hopping this incredible archipelago, don’t miss out on all Mahe has to offer. I spent 2 days on a Mahe Seychelles Island Tour. So, read on to learn more about this tropical destination.
About Mahe Island, Seychelles
Seychelles is an archipelago, consisting of 115 islands about 1,500 km east of mainland Africa in the Indian Ocean. It is the smallest country in Africa, yet has the highest per capita GDP of any African nation. The Seychelles comprises of French, British and African influences. Likewise, its official languages are French, British and Seychellois Creole. After years of being occupied by the French and British, Seychelles became an independent republic in 1976.
Mahe is the largest island in the Seychelles with the capital city, Victoria and the Seychelles International Airport. About 90% of the Seychelles’ population lives on Mahe. The island’s interior is mountainous and densely forested, including the Morne Seychellois National Park. The Mahe coastline is adorned by numerous pristine beaches with crystal clear waters.
The Seychelles climate is tropical and hot all year round. The rainy season is November to March with the northwest monsoons. From June to September the southeast trade winds bring a dry and slightly cooler season. Sometimes, this creates strong waves on the beaches. Tropical rains usually occur in downpours in the afternoon and at night in the dry season.
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My 2-Day
Mahe Seychelles Island Tour
Beach-hopping, Tortoises & Shopping
As an Acupuncturist on a cruise ship, my ship docked in Victoria for 2 days. I spent the first day exploring Victoria. Check out my blogpost on Victoria.
Related: Victoria, Seychelles Top Ten Attractions and Walking Tour
Then, the second day I joined a tour with a group in a van for an island tour. This worked out great because we drove around most of the coastline, enjoying Mahe beach-hopping, tortoises and the mountains in Morne Seychellois National Park. Here is an overview of all the stops we made on the beautiful Mahe Island.
From Victoria we headed south along the coastal highway making our first stop at the craft village.
Domaine de Val Des Pres Craft Village
This craft village is a shopping haven celebrates the traditional Creole culture through handicrafts, architecture and food. Twelve artisan workshops sell their handicrafts. Unique building include the ‘Gran Kaz’ plantation house and the ‘Maison de Coco,’ a house built with coconut products and selling souvenirs.
Anse Royale Beach
Located on Mahe’s southeast coast, Anse Royale is one of the island’s most popular, alongside a town of the same name. It’s highly accessible with a parking lot and bus station nearby. The first thing I noticed at this breathtaking beach is the massive granite boulders on the beach. Also, it offers numerous restaurants and is known for windsurfing, especially when the trade winds blow June to September. Stores here rent fishing, snorkeling or diving equipment.
Heading north up the east coast, we stopped at the following beaches!
Anse Intendance Beach
On the southwest coast is Anse Intendance, another accessible beach near a bus stop with incredible granite boulders. However, there is only a couple beach bars selling food here, such as, the Summer Bar. Don’t get me wrong, this beach is gorgeous. But, you do need to be aware that there’s no coral reef protecting from the waves and ocean floor drops deeply. Also, bear in mind the strong southeast trade winds from May to September.
Anse Takamaka Beach – Giant Aldabra Tortoises!
There’s numerous reasons to visit Anse Takamaka Beach near a bus stop. Next to the beach live Aladabra-Seychelles giant tortoises. These are some of the largest tortoises on Earth, and they are native to Seychelles. However, the ones here are enclosed, but you can get super close and say hi. The beach is beautiful and shallow. So, it’s safe for swimming and snorkeling. Additionally, the beach is great for foodies with the popular Takamaka Beach Restaurant.
Baie Lazare Beach
With a swashbuckling history of treasures found on the shores, this is popular beach for swimming, snorkeling or windsurfing in its shallow waters. Also, it has reputable resorts, such as, Valmer Resort and Kempinski Seychelles.
Grand Anse
The Grand Anse is one of the biggest Mahe beaches and beautiful with the backdrop of the mountains. This beach is conveniently located near a parking lot and bus stop. However, the waters are deeper than most of the Mahe beaches. So, be aware with caution of the potential undercurrents that can be strong while swimming or surfing.
Port Glaud – Great Beach for Snorkeling!
Port Glaud is another beautiful beach on the west coast of Mahe at the end of the cross-island Sans Coucis Road. With its coral reef patches, this beach is great for snorkeling especially around L’ islette Island. Nearby sites include Sauzier Waterfall or the Port Launay National Park.
Morne Seychellois National Park
Next, we took the cross-island Sans Coucis Road up and down the interior mountains toward Victoria. Driving through the Morne Seychellois National Park, we took in some amazing views on both the east and west coast of Mahe. Driving near the tea plantations, we stopped at The Tea House at the Tea Factory for amazing views. This venue connects you with the views of Morne Blanc and the azure west coast below with a cup of tea. Continuing on we experienced panoramic views of Victoria on the east coast and drove by the Copolia Trailhead.
Beau Vallon Beach
We made our last stop at Beau Vallon, the most popular and commercialized beach on Mahe. Just a 15-minute drive from Victoria, it’s a convenient location with breathtaking waters. Along the beachfront are numerous restaurants, bars, hotels and water activities. This is a family-friendly beach offering lots to do, including parasailing, jet-skiing, paddleboarding, volleyball and snorkeling. Overall, it’s an incredible beach but expect crowds.
Highlights We Didn’t Do
Mahe Seychelles Island Tour
Even though our tour covered much of the coastline seeing many of the best beaches in Mahe, we missed out on the northern cape. With more time, I would explore the Sunset Beach and the North Pointe of the island. Also, I didn’t spend anytime underwater, which is a shame. Another must-see destination with more time would be snorkeling at the Sainte Anne Marine Park off the northeast coast of Mahe. Many boat tours from Victoria go to this park for snorkeling and exploring the islands.
With more time in this archipelago, most tourists venture off for some Seychelles island-hopping. Praslin, La Digue, St. Pierre or Silhouette Islands are some of the most beautiful islands in the Seychelles. Also, Curieuse Island is known for the giant tortoises and red earth.
Enjoy Mahe, Seychelles!
Mahe is more than a gateway to the Seychelles and takes 1-2 days to see its highlights. Overall, it’s a wonderful island to experience the Creole culture, pristine beaches and mountainous hiking trails. Please comment below with any tips or suggestions on how best to enjoy the amazing Seychelles!
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