Attractions in Seychelles
According to Equzhou, Mahe Island is the largest island (150 sq. km.), as well as the economic and political center of the country. 90% of the population lives here and the most modern Seychelles International Airport is located.
Victoria – one of the smallest capitals in the world, the only major port of the Seychelles and the only city in the country – any other settlement of the archipelago, no matter how it is called, is essentially a village. The capital of the island and the entire archipelago attracts tourists with its numerous Creole restaurants, souvenir shops and shops, traditional houses with awnings and openwork balconies, art galleries, colorful fruit and vegetable markets. The city is immersed in the greenery of coconut palms (although recently modern, almost devoid of greenery quarters have also been growing rapidly), it is surrounded by cinnamon plantations, and from the tops of the nearby hills of Signal, Crev-Ker, Niol and the Three Brothers Mountains (699 m.) offers a fantastic view of the other islands of the archipelago. Not far from Victoria is the Craftsmen’s Village. near the magnificent building of the Creole Institute (closed to visitors), “Tea Tavern” on the slopes of the foothills of Morne Blanc, halfway from Victoria to Port Glaud, Royal Garden “Le Jardin du Roi” in the Royal Bay, studio of the famous artist Michael Adams in the lush Blue Hens Bay, and the magnificent St. Anne National Marine Park between Mahe, Deer, Long, Middle and Round Islands. Silhouette Island, lying directly opposite Beau Vallon Beach, is considered the “owner” of the most beautiful equatorial forest in the entire Indian Ocean – the island is sparsely populated, but all conditions have been created for tourists (Silhouette is an experienced island of the “Island Development Company”) – a local “lodge” at least and small, but well equipped. There are sixty-eight beaches on Mahe!
The coastline is indented by many bays – from the smallest Kashe, Coral, Karana Beach, Solnechnaya, Major, Anse-Nord-Ost and Rice, to larger ones – Beau Vallon, Anse Royale, Anse-a-la-Moche, Grand -Anse, Anse Intendance (famous for the most beautiful beach on the island), Anse Takamaka, as well as the completely deserted beaches of Anse Souillac Bay. The beaches of Anse-à-la-Moche and Anse Forbans are distinguished by their calm waters and silence, and Beau Vallon, stretching from Fisherman Cove to Wacoa Village, Praslin is the second largest island in the archipelago, it is often called the “Garden of Eden” – it is home to such wonderful places as the unique Valley de May National Park (“May Valley”, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List), where more than 7 thousand palm trees “coco de mer” grow and such a rare bird as the black parrot lives, as well as the beautiful landscapes of the Côte d’Or, Volbert, Consolation, the Gulf of St. Anne, Cape St. Mary, the bays of Lazio, La Blague, Petit-Lance-Kerlan, etc. There is also a copra factory and vanilla plantations, as well as the beautiful beaches of Grand Anse, We will, Georgette, Ari -Matelo, Ari-Petit-Cours, etc. The island has 8 dive and 4 fishing centers, luxury hotels and gourmet restaurants, but just a stone’s throw from them you can see a mountain stream, covered with a green canopy of palm trees and breadfruit trees, and walks on this small island bring a lot of pleasure to many tourists. Nearby is the island-reserve Arid – the second most important natural reserve of the archipelago. More seabirds live here than on all other islands combined. Cousin Island (Cousin) is under the protection of the International Committee for the Protection of Birds – here, right on the paths, unique species of birds breed chicks, and on the beach of the island, the rarest sea turtles lay their eggs. Bird Island (Ile-o-Yours, private property) is home to approximately 1.5 million black terns that live here from May to November. A local celebrity, the giant tortoise Esmeralda, also lives here. Denis Island, the northernmost island of the archipelago, often referred to as the “empire of coconut trees”, is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the Seychelles.
The island is known for its fishing (5 world records for tuna fishing have been set in the vicinity of the island!) and a developed related service with the most modern equipment. La Digue Island is considered the most comfortable corner of the Seychelles, life here has not changed at all over the past 200 years – a completely clean seabed, clear water, lush vegetation. The only transport here is bullock carts. The best place in the archipelago for “landscape” photography is considered to be the “visiting card of the island” – the bay of Source d’Argent and Cape Turcy, and the area of the bays of Petit Ari, Grand Anse, Anse Coco, Reunion, Sever, Palat, Goulette, Gros Roche, Banana and Fourmy provide an excellent opportunity for both a relaxing holiday and for contemplating the majestic rocky landscapes. In La Passa, the capital of the island, a large number of old Creole wooden houses are concentrated, as well as the island’s only (but fairly modern) large hotel – La Digue Lodge, built with local flavor and even having its own dive center. 4 km. north of La Digue lies the island of Felicite (“bliss”) with luxurious vegetation. Aldabra – the world’s largest coral atoll (the inner lagoon occupies almost 200 sq. km., is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List), and narrow straits divide the atoll into four segments, providing a regular influx of clean ocean water. The bottom of the lagoon is almost completely exposed during low tides, revealing thickets of coral and marine life. Aldabra remains one of the few places in the world where you can see such a colony of giant land tortoises (more than 152 thousand individuals), as well as many birds. But it is very difficult for a tourist to get here – the island is managed by the Seychelles Foundation and is considered a scientific station. Many small islands (“siel elvannien”) are no less attractive to visit than large islands, which have long and firmly been chosen by tourists. Coetivy Islands made famous by cultivating shrimp. Desroches, the main one in the Amirante Islands group, is famous for the underwater sports center of the Deroche Island Lodge Hotel, which is considered the best dive center in the Indian Ocean, while the local underwater “walls” and coral “gardens” are indescribably beautiful. D’Arros has a magnificent lagoon and a large grove of coconut palms surrounded by magnificent coral sand. The Farquhar archipelago is a group of small islands stretching for 15 km. in length with a width of less than 1 km., and forming an atoll with an area of 720 hectares. Copra production and fishing are practiced here, but most tourists come here for diving and fishing in the waters of the 30-kilometer Providence Shoal.belongs to a private person, but is fully equipped for receiving guests, as many are attracted to this tiny piece of land not only by the opportunity to soak up the beach in silence and solitude, but also by the hope of finding pirate treasures allegedly left on this island – everyone is provided with all the opportunities for this. Fregate Island is the easternmost island of the Seychelles archipelago and an ancient pirate haven, which today is a paradise for “fat wallets” (one of the best fashionable holiday centers in the country is located here), old fruit trees, birds and turtles.
