1. Morne National Park
Mahe is the largest of all the islands of the Seychelles archipelago, on which the capital of the country, the city of Victoria, is located. It is also home to the largest Seychelles Morne National Park, which occupies the northwest of Mahe. It was created in 1979 and got its name in honor of Mount Morne, located in the center of the protected area, towering 900 meters above the district. The total territory of the reserve exceeds 3 thousand hectares, which is 1/5 of the total area of the capital island.
The purpose of the creation of the national park was the need to preserve the unique natural complexes of Mahe against the background of an ever-increasing tourist flow. Today, 12 hiking trails with a total length of 15 km are laid on the territory of the reserve. You can walk through them as part of an excursion group under the guidance of a guide. In the Seychelles Morne, travelers are offered two types of excursions – on a short route, or on a long way that takes the whole day.
2. Beaches
The main attraction of Seychelles, which attracts tourists from all over the world, is their magnificent beaches. Almost all of them are covered with snow-white sand and washed by the purest turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. There is no large-scale industry in the Seychelles, with the exception of small semi-artisanal industries, which allows you to maintain ecological cleanliness throughout the region. The fact that half of the country’s islands and atolls are included in protected areas also has a positive impact.
The most popular among fans of seaside holidays are the largest islands of the archipelago – Mahe, La Digue and Praslin. They are of volcanic origin, covered with lush tropical vegetation and are quite densely populated. They have large, by local standards, settlements that are ready to provide vacationers with a full range of tourist services. Here are the most popular beach areas equipped with all the necessary infrastructure. Fashionable hotel complexes are built right by the coastline, restaurants, bars and night disco clubs operate here. Lovers of a relaxing holiday in the bosom of wild nature will be able to go to one of the picturesque uninhabited islands. Among them, Desroches and Frigate, remote from the center of the archipelago, are very popular, as well as many secluded patches of land are especially popular with divers and surfers because of the picturesque underwater reefs and high waves.
3. Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clark Market
Selwyn-Clark was a British lord who served as Governor of the Seychelles from 1947 to 1951. He became famous for his active work to improve the social environment in the colony entrusted to him: he developed education, modernized the communal sphere and infrastructure, built public buildings. In memory of this governor, the central market, the oldest and largest in the entire archipelago, is named in the capital of the country. It was opened in 1869 in the very center of the old part of Victoria, in a specially built building in the traditional Chinese style. This ancient building itself is an important tourist attraction of the capital. In 1999 it has been restored, receiving a modern interior filling, and at the same time restoring its original appearance.
But even more important than admiring architectural forms for a traveler is the opportunity to get to know the mentality and cultural traditions of the Seychelles when visiting the market. Selwyn-Clark Market looks the busiest on a Saturday afternoon, when it resembles a large anthill or a buzzing hive from the influx of buyers and sellers. Here you can buy almost any products: fresh herbs, vegetables, fruits, spices. But the market is especially famous for its seafood, for which there is a separate row to the left of the entrance. Here you can buy freshly caught tuna, snapper, marlin, lobster, crab and dozens of other seafood delicacies.
4. Cousins Island
Kuzin is a small private protected island located in a group of Inland Islands. Since 1968, Kuzin has been included in the supervised objects of the local nature protection organization “Nature of the Seychelles”. The uniqueness of this tiny piece of land lies in the fact that it is a real “bird’s paradise”. Dozens of representatives of the local feathered fauna live here, among which there are several endemic species that are not found anywhere else on earth. Among them are seven species of terrestrial birds that have already disappeared on other islands of the archipelago. This is due to the fact that there are no rats on Queen, the eternal companions of all navigators who have settled all the other corners of the Seychelles. These rodents caused the disappearance of rare birds nesting on the ground on the other islands of the archipelago.
To study the unique representatives of birds, there is a scientific center on Kuzina, where ornithologists from around the world work. Also, sea turtles lay eggs on the cleanest beaches of this protected island, including a giant variety of turtles-aldabra. Tourists can visit the island as part of an excursion group under the guidance of a local guide.
5. The Valle de Me Nature Reserve
The Valle de Mae (“May Valley”) is a nature reserve located on Praslin, the second largest island of the Seychelles archipelago. It was founded in 1966 on an area of 19.5 hectares, and in 1983 it was included in the UNESCO protected sites. Most of the territory of the national park is covered with virgin tropical forests, in which the endemic of the Seychelles, the Coco de mer coconut palm, is found.
This plant, despite all the efforts of botanists, fails to acclimatize in other parts of the planet. In addition, there are five more varieties of endemic plants and several rare representatives of birds, such as the black parrot, in the Valle de Me. For tourists, excursions are regularly organized along the tourist trails laid along the reserve with a tour of the most colorful corners of the palm forests.
6. St. Anna National Marine Park
St. Anne’s National Marine Park is one of the most extensive protected areas of the Seychelles. It covers six islands at once, but its main part is located on the capital island of Mahe. It was created in 1973 to preserve the wildlife of the reef coastal zone, as well as adjacent land areas. Thousands of years ago, unique natural communities were formed on the territory of the reserve, including rare representatives of the plant and animal world. Large populations of sea and land turtles are found in the national park. Vast underwater fields of algae serve as real pastures for dozens of species of marine life – from huge biss turtles to small bright coral fish. Dolphins can often be seen frolicking in the coastal waters near the protected islands.
Tourists are offered guided tours of the St. Petersburg Park. Anna, which includes walks over coral reefs in a boat with a transparent panoramic bottom. Also, travelers will be able to dive under the water to take a closer look at the sea beauties and feed coral fish with their hands. The excursion program includes a visit to the private island of Moyen, where the graves of medieval pirates are located. A certain Sir Grimshaw lived here for 40 years, seeking to find the mythical treasures of filibusters allegedly buried here in the XVII-XVIII centuries. Moyen’s other attractions include giant land turtles, red sparrows and a restaurant with local Creole cuisine dominated by fresh seafood.
7. Anse Surce D’Argent beach
Anse Surce D’Argent is a picturesque beach located on the island of La Digue and is the main attraction of this small piece of land lost in the middle of the ocean. This beach coast bears the title of the most photographed place in the entire Seychelles archipelago. In fact, Anse Surce D’Argent consists of several small beaches separated from each other by piles of boulders of the most intricate shape. From the land side, beautiful groves of coconut palms approach the coast, colorfully standing out with their green crowns against the background of the bright azure of the tropical sky.
The coastal waters of Anse Surce D’Argent are distinguished by their extraordinary purity and shallow depths. This makes the beach a great place for snorkeling, diving and spearfishing. Near the shore, you can often meet stingrays, sea turtles and even giant whale sharks, attracted here by plankton drifting near the surface of the sea. This territory belongs to the nearby Union Estate Hotel, and for its guests, rest on the beach is free. Other tourists will be able to enjoy a holiday on Anse Surce D’Argent by paying 100 rupees.
8. Anse Lazio Beach
In the north of Praslin Island, on the shore of Chevalier Bay, there is one of the best beaches in all the Seychelles, and possibly in the whole world – Anse Lazio. It stretches along the coast in the form of a 400-meter crescent. It became famous among travelers for its picturesque nature: the snow-white sandy coast is sometimes interspersed with placers of boulders of volcanic origin. Beautiful palm groves here literally approach the very sea waters.
Chevalier Bay is well protected by the surrounding coast from ocean winds, so the water here is calm most of the time and is great for swimming and scuba diving. Anse Lazio is especially beautiful in the evening, when tourists can watch a real tropical sunset from the beach coast – a huge ball of the sun setting directly into the ocean waters.