Mahe Island Seychelles

The majority of Seychelles population can be found living on Mahé Island, mostly within the capital city of Victoria. The mountains filled with jungles and the sandy beaches turn this island into a fascinating destination that offers a large variety of activities.

There are more than sixty beaches for people to choose from on Mahé Island, and while people can be seen lying on the sand, even more are out in the water. Swimming is quite popular, but many people prefer to venture out to snorkel, dive, and go sea kayaking. Beau Vallon is the best beach for families with its calm shallow waters, while Grand Anse is worth a stop for surfers. One of the best snorkeling and diving spots on the island is the Port Launay Marine Reserve.

The Morne Seychellois National Park is a fantastic place to hike on the island as it contains numerous different types of landscapes. There are multiple walking trails to take inside the park including the one that leads to the top of the highest peak of Morne Seychellois at 905 meters.

Also, inside the park, visitors will find the SeyTé Tea Factory. The best time to visit is before noon, because the entire tea-making process can be seen from drying to packing. There are twenty-minute tours available and samples are provided inside the gift shop.

The outdoors does not get anymore beautiful than the botanical gardens, which is aten-minute walk from the center of Victoria. These gardens are full of streams and the main aisle is lined with the infamous coco de mer palms. While strolling through the gardens, people will also see a spice grove, part of a rainforest filled with fruit bats, and a pen with giant tortoises.

The oldest historic site on the island is the Bel Air Cemetery and some of the most famous people from the island are buried there. One of the graves holds Charles DorothéeSavy, who was poisoned by his neighbors when he was only fourteen years old. The reason they killed him was because they were afraid of his height, as he was already nine feet tall. Others that are buried there include corsair Jean-Francois Hodoul and Pierre-Louis Poiret.

Everyone visiting Mahé Island will think that they are in London for a brief moment when they spot the Clock Tower in Victoria. Sir Ernest Sweet-Escott, a governor of Seychelles, ordered this clock to be constructed exactly like Big Ben as he was fascinated with London’s clock.

There is much more to do on Mahé Island than the other two islands in Seychelles, and people will find that they have enough to keep them busy for two weeks or longer. They will definitely want to make sure that they keep enough free time though, so that they can spend quite a bit of time on the beaches enjoying the beautiful warm weather and the sunshine.