Welcome to our guide to Mahe Seychelles – with the best Beaches in Mahe and the top things to do in Mahe Seychelles.
The Seychelles Islands are a tropical paradise located in the western Indian Ocean, just off the eastern coast of Africa. The Seychelles archipelago consists of 115 islands, renowned for their pristine beaches with turquoise waters, white sand, and unique granite boulders. The Seychelles offers the perfect tropical scenery for a dream holiday or honeymoon.
Mahe Island is the largest island in the Seychelles archipelago and home to the capital, Victoria. It is also the most populated island in the Seychelles, with 90% of the population of the Seychelles living there. Seychelles International Airport is located on Mahe Island and flight is the best way to get to the Seychelles. For more information about the Seychelles, how to travel between the islands in the Seychelles? When to visit? And much more, check out our Seychelles Travel Guide.
For more islands to visit in the Seychelles, check out our Island Hopping Seychelles Itinerary.
Note that all photography on this guide (and throughout our website) was shot by me (Alina) and if you wish to purchase any, it is available at my Etsy shop.
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Map of Mahe Seychelles
We will begin our guide to Mahe Seychelles with the best beaches on the island, after, we will cover all the things to do in Mahe and we will finish will recommended hotel in Mahe, car rental, and our favorite restaurants.
Beaches in Mahe Seychelles
Let’s start with our favorite beach in Mahe Seychelles:
Petite Anse Beach
This is our favorite beach in Mahe and it is featured in our guide to the Top 10 Seychelles Beaches. So beautiful and tranquil. The fact is that in Seychelles there are no private beaches, and every beach is open to the public. But this beach is set on the Four Seasons Resort. Because of this rule, you can access the beach, but you need to walk on foot (about 1 Km). You can park your car on Anse Soleil Road, turning right near the entrance. You sign at the guard at the entrance and walk down the road until you reach the beach. It took us about 20 minutes, but the road back is steep uphill (100m elevation) so you should take that into consideration. Note the descent to the beach in the picture below.
Bring your water and food because the restaurants are serving guests only. But you can ask for a favor from one of the waiters and actually, we managed to buy some coconuts. The fact that you are not allowed to be served and the fact that we needed to sit somewhere aside so nobody would see that we had coconuts just gave us an intruder vibe. Besides that, the beach is absolutely stunning with the clearest waters and not that many people, as you can see in the video and photos below.
Anse Royale Beach
A Stunning beach! The northern part of the Anse Royale beach is called Fairyland Beach. You can see a nice view of the Ile Souris. And it’s not for nothing that this is the main photo of this Mahe Travel Guide.
Anse Parnel Beach
Absolutely beautiful beach! Quiet without lots of crowds, easily accessible beach right near the road. There is a restaurant with its own parking. The beach itself is amazing, with lots of coconuts, the iconic leaning palm trees, and even a swing and a hammock.
Beau Vallon Beach
The most popular beach in Mahe! Although it is quite long, 1.7 km, is it still the busiest beach we’ve visited in the Seychelles. The beach itself is nice with relatively calm waters and it is a great place for water sports activities. Beau Vallon Beach is also a great place to take in the stunning Seychellois sunsets. But it is not as beautiful as other beaches in Mahe in our opinion.
Anse Takamaka Beach
It was filled with seaweed when we visited in September, but a nice beach beside that. Check out our guide to the Seychelles for more information on seaweed.
Anse à la Mouche
A nice beach with calm and shallow waters, without many crowds. We had lunch at Anchor Cafe & Restaurant, just in front of the beach.
Port Launay Beach
A great spot for snorkeling lovers as there are plenty of fish. But just for swimming and admiring its beauty – it is not the best option. The water is not clear at all and there is a lot of seaweed. That makes the color of the water greener and not that beautiful turquoise.
Things to do in Mahe Seychelles
We will continue our guide to Mahe Seychelles with the best things to do in Mahe.
Mirante la Misere
The BEST viewpoint in Mahe, just go there. There is a small parking right at the viewpoint. We recommend visiting at sunset as well to get the best romantic scenery (see the last picture below).
Sainte Anne Marine National Park
It is simply the most beautiful area in all the Seychelles, in our opinion, and is a total MUST! Sainte Anne Marine National Park is situated about 5 km from Mahe and it comprises 8 islands: Sainte Anne Island, Cerf Island, Moyenne Island, Round Island, Long Island, Cachée Island, Séche Island, and Harrison Rock. It was created in 1973 for the preservation of wildlife, so fishing has been prohibited since.
The park can be reached by taking a full-day/half-day boat trip or by staying in a hotel on one of the islands. The boat trips will take you to those picturesque beaches and it’s up to you how to enjoy the colorful reef, by scuba-diving, glass-bottom boat, Semi Submarine or just snorkeling among the fish and the coral reefs:
Once we found this gem, we decided to spend 2 Days on Round Island as part of our Island Hopping Seychelles Itinerary to enjoy this paradise even more.
Eden Island
An artificial island that was created in the 2000s. It was built on a damaged coral reef that could not be restored. The island is very close to the capital Victoria, 3.5 km from it and they are connected by a road that crosses over the ocean. The island is very prestigious with luxury resorts and residences, a marina, and some secluded beaches. Also, it is home to Eden Plaza, a small shopping complex with boutique shops and restaurants. You can admire the beauty of Mahe from Eden Island.
Takamaka Rum Distillery
Sadly we did not have the chance to visit, but we have tasted Takamaka Rum on the Island and totally loved the rum and even bought some to take home! So, if you have time, it’s worth a visit as they are offering rum tastings 😊 Every time we traveled since, we searched for Takamaka Rum in the Duty-Free shops, it is delicious! We especially like the Dark Spiced.
Victoria Clock Tower
The iconic Clock Tower is situated in the busy vibrant streets of the capital Victoria, dating back to 1903. It is a nice scaled-down version of the Big Ben.
Arul Mihu Navasakthi Vinayagar Temple
In the center of Victoria stands a Hindu temple named after Lord Vinayagar, the remover of obstacles and the god of new beginnings. Constructed in 1992 and it is the only Hindu temple in the Seychelles.
Hiking Trails in Mahe
There are several hiking trails in Mahe that we have planned but did not have the chance to do.
- Copolia Trail – The most popular trail in Mahe, it’s a moderate difficulty 1.9 km trail. This is an out-and-back trail until you reach Copolia Peak, which gives you a panoramic view of the North East coast of Mahe. It should take you about an hour to complete.
- Morne Blanc Trail – It is a moderate difficulty as well, a 2.1 km trail, also an out-and-back trail until you reach the Morne Blanc viewing platform from where you can admire views of the West coast of Mahe. That should take about 1-2 hours.
- Anse Major Trail – A longer trail, it is a 6 km trail that might take about 2 hours to complete. Also a moderate difficulty trail, an out-and-back trail until you reach Anse Major Beach. The trail itself is picturesque with great views along the way up to the beach. There is no other way to get to the beach so you might just get it all to yourself.
Not sure about hiking alone in the jungle? Consider taking a guided hike:
Exploring Mahe by car
The unique lash vegetation and the rock formations around the island are absolutely magnificent. Just take your rental car and drive around the island. Here are some photos from our trip around the island.
Day Trip to Praslin & La Digue Islands
If Praslin and La Digue Islands aren’t included in your Seychelles Itinerary for some reason, and you are staying only in Mahe, at least consider visiting them as a day trip. You can visit them by taking a ferry (For full information on how to travel between the islands and much more, check out our Seychelles Travel Guide.) or by taking an organized boat trip from Mahe:
Note that Praslin and La Digue Islands are not close to Mahe Island, and the voyage takes time. Furthermore, It takes place in an open sea that sometimes gets rough and you might be seasick.We recommend taking a trip that includes taking a ferry (the ones we suggest below), rather than smaller boats that will be more affected by the waves.
Praslin Island
Praslin Island (pronounced with a silent ‘S’) is the second-largest island in the Seychelles archipelago, which consists of 115 islands. It is known for its stunning beaches, lush forests, and vibrant coral reefs. Praslin Island is also the best place to get to know the famous Coco de Mer, which is the pride and joy of the Seychellois people.
La Digue Island
La Digue Island is incredibly beautiful, and its beaches are truly stunning. One of them is famous for being the most photographed beach in the world – Anse Source d’Argent. What makes La Digue even more special is that bicycles are the main means of transportation there. It adds a unique charm to the island, as both locals and tourists use bicycles to get around. We enjoyed the unique tranquil vibe of La Digue. Also, it is a great place to encounter the Aldabra Giant Tortoise.
Now that we have covered the best beaches in Mahe, the top things to do in Mahe Seychelles, and the day trips from Mahe, next, we will review our chosen hotel in Mahe, the car rental we chose, and our recommended restaurants in Mahe Seychelles.
Hotel in Mahe Seychelles
We chose Savoy Seychelles Resort & Spa and loved it! It is a 5-star hotel, located on the beautiful Beau Vallon Beach. It is a big hotel and it has a huge pool so it doesn’t feel crowded. We booked Savoy Standard Garden or Mountain View Room and it was spacious (51m2) and luxurious, with a huge bathtub and a separate shower. Our balcony overlooked a lush green jungle, which was beautiful. We celebrated our 10th anniversary, and they surprised us with a pleasant greeting.
Car rental in Mahe Seychelles
We booked our car rental in Mahe through Kreol Cars and the service was great. The car itself was not the newest but being on an island there is not much variety of cars. They greeted us on time and even helped us to pay a parking fee (quite often in Victoria so mind where you park). As usual, we always add a 0€ excess waiver for peace of mind and recommend the same. Check out our guide to the Seychelles before deciding on renting a car.
If you decide not to rent a car, you can visit the island with a private driver:
Best restaurants in Mahe Seychelles
Seyshima Restaurant at STORY Seychelles Hotel – We had a wonderful dinner! It is a Japanese restaurant with sushi and teppanyaki, beautifully located floating over a lagoon. We enjoyed Japanese Gyoza and Prawns Tempura along with a few sushi rolls.
Eden Restaurant at STORY Seychelles Hotel – We enjoyed an amazing romantic dinner in a lovely setting on the beach. We had Yellow Fin Tuna and Beef Tenderloin, both delicious! Both restaurants were booked through STORY via email about a month in advance.
La Perle Noire – This restaurant serves Italian and Creole cuisine and has stunning views of mangroves. We had a delicious dinner, Lobster Spaghetti and a Fillet of Red Snapper Meuniere. We booked by phone a few weeks in advance.
Anchor Cafe & Restaurant – We had a nice lunch along our road trip around Mahe Island. A nice surprise stop, we had tasty crispy fries and a nice coffee with a delicious apple cake.
Well, that’s it. That was our guide to Mahe Seychelles – with the best Beaches in Mahe and the top things to do in Mahe Seychelles. Don’t miss our Island hopping Seychelles Itinerary to help you plan 12 days in Paradise.
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