Below is a map of Mahé. The blue lines mark the roads you will need to drive to see all the sights and beaches. There is also a stretch of road marked with a blue line crossed out in red - that part of the island has nothing interesting "whatsoever". There is no ring road around the island. For more on road quality and car rental conditions, read the article "Seychelles on a Budget".
The map also shows the airport, the port and the island's main resort area - Beau Vallon Beach. You can take a taxi from the port or the airport if you need to, but it will always cost 30-50 euros or more.
Which Beach to Choose on Mahé?
This is the main question when you book your accommodation. If you are coming to Mahé for a couple of days and will visit each of the main beaches just once, it basically doesn't matter where you stay. But if you want to spend at least a few days at the same beach, it's worth picking a place to stay close to it. That's why choosing a beach is a top priority when planning your holiday in the Seychelles.
How to Choose a Beach?
First, decide on your priorities:
- do you like waves?
- are you travelling on your own or with kids?
- do you want to snorkel or just relax on the beach?
Where there are waves, the water is cooler - that's another factor to consider) Although it's a relative one, since the water is warm everywhere. Without waves, the ocean water can be like a hot bath - definitely over 30 degrees! None of the Seychelles islands is ringed by a coral reef atoll, but some individual beaches are partly or fully sheltered by a reef. If a beach is protected by a reef, there are no waves and you don't have to worry about rip currents. But such a beach depends on the tides... At low tide only kids can really swim comfortably there)) Whether there are waves depends not only on the reef, but also on the wind direction, which changes with the season! Depending on the time of year, beaches can also get clogged with seaweed, which makes them unusable...
The map below shows the main beaches of Mahé according to ratings and online reviews. I'll say right away that we were mostly interested in snorkeling spots.
Beau Vallon Beach ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Beau Vallon is one of the best-known beaches in the Seychelles. If you've been to Thailand, it's a copy of Karon and Patong beaches, only wilder) Beau Vallon suits a lazy family beach holiday with kids. There are no crowds anywhere in the Seychelles, but Beau Vallon probably has the biggest concentration of people on the islands. Locals love this beach, especially the kids. But don't confuse locals in India, for example on Colva or Vagator beach, with Seychellois) The Seychellois, or more precisely the Creoles, are no different from visitors, except maybe "slightly" darker-skinned)) Creoles are a mixed nation. People in the Seychelles speak English, French and Creole, but the culture is called Creole. The water at Beau Vallon is almost always slightly cloudy and never "glows" azure. The entry into the water is gentle and suitable for both kids and adults. There are no big waves, currents, corals, sea creatures and so on) The holiday here feels more like Thailand. As for sea creatures - of course, you shouldn't walk into the water barefoot before most people arrive (8-9 am), and you shouldn't swim after sunset at all. This beach is great for a sunset walk. On the right, where the rocks begin, is the best place to watch the sunset. The blue lines on the map below mark the streets where it's convenient to stay so you can walk to the beach. Anything slightly farther away means getting to the beach by car. That's because of the island's mountainous terrain. The map shows two free car parks; the one on the right is much bigger. But the one on the left marks the middle of the beach and is a cozier spot to relax. Parallel to the beach there is a small strip of stalls, but it's so tiny it isn't even worth mentioning. There are no fruits or anything interesting there anyway... So basically there is no evening promenade anywhere in the Seychelles. But at least at Beau Vallon the sand itself is good for walking, since it's not soft and the beach has no steep slope. All in all, the beach is sweet and cozy, but if you visit only this one, you may not understand what's so special about the Seychelles)
As for sights, there is a real celebrity here - the flying fox) It is always surrounded by crowds of paparazzi. The landmark is a fruit stall - coordinates 4° 36' 41.45" S, 55° 25' 47.74" E, near the Beau Vallon Street Shopping stores.
Anse Major
A beach you can reach on foot from Beau Vallon. Keep in mind that you'll be walking in the heat. Judging by photos online, it's an ordinary Seychelles beach, so we didn't go) People write that if you park at -4.619194, 55.396556, it's about a 30-minute walk one way. If you walk from Beau Vallon beach, it takes 1.5 hours, but you can come back by boat, which takes you straight to Beau Vallon beach.
Port Launay Beach ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Online they say the best snorkeling is by the rock with a cross at coordinates -4.653944, 55.397167. But you don't even need to swim that far: almost right by the shore, on both sides of the beach, a coral reef begins with a great variety of fish and living corals! There are no waves here because it's a bay. In our opinion, this is one of the best beaches in the Seychelles!!! Parking is free and is almost right on the beach, although there aren't many spaces. The water is a beautiful emerald color! On the beach, near the car park marked on the map below, you can rent glass-bottom boats, masks and fins for snorkeling. Low and high tides don't affect the amount of water much. The car park is right by the water, yet the road doesn't spoil the view, unlike at Anse Royale Beach.
Anse Royale Beach ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This beach is pretty and good for snorkeling, but at low tide... it turns into a warm puddle) The map below shows the free car park, which isn't very big, and the reef. Naturally, there are never any waves here. One more downside is that the road runs right next to the beach, which makes it less atmospheric than you'd like)
Anse Soleil Beach ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is a great beach, with no waves thanks to its sheltered bay. The snorkeling is quite good on the left side of the beach, at coordinates -4.745222, 55.464944. On the downside, there's the parking situation. Parking is free along the road. That would be fine, but the road slopes at almost 45 degrees. Walking down is easy, but climbing back up from the beach is quite a quest) The free spaces are mostly at the very top of the car park - coordinates 4°44'59.1"S 55°28'05.7"E. The color of the water is gorgeous - turquoise!
Baie Lazare Public Beach⭐
The water here is a beautiful color and there is a reef. But the currents are so unpleasant that you can only go in deeper than waist level wearing fins! What's more, at low tide the corals are exposed and you can see that they are already fossilized. Parking is free, in chaotic little pockets along the whole beach. In the photo below you can see the bare reef at low tide on the sides of the beach. And you shouldn't swim out past the white line - that's where the waves are...
Anse Intendance ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The color and clarity of the water at this beach are off the charts! But the waves here are not small... Snorkeling is out of the question, but you can jump in the waves right at the shore) The car park is free and small, near coordinates 4°47'05.9"S 55°30'07.8"E. The beach is 2 minutes from the car park.
Anse Petite Marie-Louise
You have to walk to this beach. According to online reviews, the snorkeling here is good - at coordinates -4.787444, 55.529333. But people also write that there are waves...
Sights of Mahé
Besides its beaches, Mahé has one real attraction - the road through Morne Seychelles National Park. The especially hardy and energetic can hike up to the Morne Blanc View Point. It's a 1.5-hour walk there and back. The landmark is Morne Blanc Trail / Tea Factory Anse Royale Beach. If you have visited a tea factory in Sri Lanka, you can skip this one. And judging by the reviews, the hike to the viewpoint goes along a steep road... Whether it's easy to handle is a big question. We walked around Curieuse Island on Praslin in the blazing sun and didn't enjoy it. And there the path was almost straight, while here it's a steep climb... It's up to you) But the drive along the road that leads to Port Launay beach, through the locations described above, is well worth it) It's the most beautiful road on Mahé. Though Praslin has even prettier ones))
Mahé is perfectly suited for a holiday, but you shouldn't stop there. To get the full picture of the Seychelles, you must visit Praslin Island and the sights around it. But don't go to Praslin on a day trip - consider it for a proper stay of several days.
From Mahé you can also take a tour to Sainte Anne Island or visit the National Botanical Garden and the Jardin du Roi Spice Garden. But these places have low ratings online - we didn't visit them.
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