Mahe Island

Mahe is the largest of all the islands of the Seychelle and also the main island where most of the population of the Seychelles live, mostly on the northern and eastern coasts.

Most visitors who come to Mahe are in transit to some of the other islands, but Mahe itself certainly deserves a second look if you have the inclination. There are the beaches of course, but to the interior of the island the topography changes to hills densely covered in rainforests shrouded in mist frequently.

Victoria, which is the capital of the Seychelles is situated on the east coast of Mahe. It is a natural harbor created by a string of six small islands that surround it. Sainte Anne is the largest of these islands. It is home to the five star resort Sainte Anne Resort and only guests of this hotel can visit the island. The remaining islands have some interesting piece of history or story of their own. The novelist Wilbur Smith used to live on Ile au Cerf. The island Ile Moyenne has a story about a pirate treasure and the ghost of an old woman and her dogs. Ile Longue which was once a quarantine station is now a prison. Ile Ronde’s famed restaurant, Chez Gaby, was once a leper’s camp!

On the west coast, is Beau Vallon the main tourist centre of Mahe. Beau Vallon has a good beach with facilities for various water sports like sailing, waterskiing, windsurfing, banana boat rides and par ascending.

Other interesting places on Mahe are Baie Lazare with its long expanse of beach, and the artists’ studios in Anse a la Mouche and Anse aux Poules Bleues.