Mahé

A British colony until the 1970s, Mahé is the largest island in the Seychelles and contains the nation’s capital, Victoria. Despite its size and relative popularity with tourists, Mahé retains a gratifyingly natural feel. Although it is home to almost 90% of the Seychelles’ population, most reside in the capital city and surrounding suburbs, the rest of the island then is open to exploration and provides for the largest range of excursions available anywhere in the Seychelles. The towns that do exist offer a quaint, colonial charm as well as palpable Créole culture, well worth visiting as part of an excursion.

Mahé is defined by its variety, Over 60 bays (anses) and beaches pepper the 70 mile coastline, while verdant jungles and granitic mountains ridge the island’s interior. Over 20% of the island is occupied by the Morne Seychellois National Park, which sprawls from coastal coves to the teetering peak of the Morne Seychellois Mountain. The park is also home to some of the most vibrant flora and fauna in the archipelago, including the endemic Seychelles scops owl. Port Launay Marine National Park is also famed for whale shark sightings; presenting some of the best snorkelling grounds in the Indian Ocean.