Mahe is usually the point of arrival for travellers landing in Seychelles owning the only international airport in south of Victoria. Mahe is also the place of departure to explore Seychelles further, either via plane with Air Seychelles or via one of the high-speed ferries.
Mahe is a tropical paradise with a variety of landscapes for all types of travellers. Here you can enjoy stunning white sand beaches, lush forests, colourful healthy corals and impressive mountains to hike. It’s so much to see on do on this island that you could easily spend your entire stay chilling on the island’s gorgeous beaches. So in this blog post I will share all the best things to do in Mahe.
BEST BEACHES IN MAHE
If you dream of experiencing postcard beaches with blue water and soft white sand, framed by palm trees and dark granite rocks, then Mahe is a great choice. In Mahe I’ve also enjoyed some the best snorkelling in the world, with colourful healthy corals, tropical fish and turtles. Just amazing!
In our 3 days in Mahe we spent some time exploring a few stunning beaches. We watched sunset, played with cute kittens, had picnic with doggies at the beach and took lots of pics. So here are some of our favourite beaches:
- Anse Soleil
- Beau Vallon
- Anse Intendance
- Anse Royale
ANSE SOLEIL
Anse Soleil is a pretty beach with plenty of small stores and restaurants around. We got here because we were looking for a place to eat and we spent only a few hours because of lack of time, but I can’t complain, better to be there then see it in photos.
The 3 km long stretch of pristine soft white sand, turquoise waters and beautiful corals are an absolute dream. Behind the beach, you’ll find a stack of small granite boulders leading on from the palm lined shores and incredible mountain backdrop. The untouched nature makes it so special and you can still find yourself here with no one else around!
BEAU VALLON
This is one of the most famous beaches on Mahe Island. This beautiful beach is well protected by beautiful coral reefs, so this means the waters are calm and perfect for swimming and snorkelling. Here you can try cool water sports like kitesurfing, windsurfing, jet ski riding and scuba diving. And it also has some of the best views on the island.
When we visited this beach for the first time a few years ago we were a little bit more lucky with the weather and we rented a paddle board, but this time the water had a lot of seaweed and also big waves. But we had a nice evening and enjoyed a beautiful sunset thought.
ANSE INTENDANCE
This is one of the most remote beaches on Mahe and easily amongst the most beautiful. But, in order to get here, you’ll have to do a short, yet scenic hike through endemic jungle. Which is absolutely amazing!
It has a special vibe with the mountain backdrop, huge palms and the best thing that is happening here is the turtles who come to nest. This means that when is nesting season you may be lucky and see the little turtles making their way to the sea. Due to its secluded nature, this beach is also usually very quiet, with very few people around.
If you dream of swimming at this beach, maybe you should be mindful that you can experience strong currents and large waves, so make sure you are prepared.
ANSE ROYALE
Anse Royale is a pretty beach, with turquoise shallow waters and stunning coral reef, being also the reason why many travellers come here. You’ll find it’s quite easy to get here, because the road is right by the seaside, also easy to park the car, the parking lot is in front of the beach entry.
It is hard not to enjoy this dazzling beach as it is definitely one of the best beaches on the island! We had a lovely time in the company of 3 super cute doggies, taking photos and snorkelling.
This was our first time in the Seychelles when we see a crowded beach, we are used to visit remote and solitary beaches, so this was a little different for us. But it wasn’t bad, we had a good time.
THE NATIONAL BOTANICAL GARDEN
What would be visiting to Mahe without going to the the National Botanical Garden houses. We’ve been here at our first visit in the Seychelles and we wanted to repeat. This is a wide collection of exotic and endemic plants, flowers, fruit trees and Seychelles’s native orchids. But of course, the coolest attraction in the garden is definitely the giant turtles. You can feed and pet them.
the Aldabra turtles
The turtles here are the main attraction of course. Last time we’ve been here they had food at the entrance so the visitors could feed them, but this time there was no food, for whatever reason. Which I´m pretty sure the workers feed them, just the visitors couldn´t do it. The encounter with the turtles is such a magical experience, they’re so cute and gentle, longing their neck to be petted, enjoying the attention. I just loved the time spent with them.
entrance fee & opening hours
The Garden is opened daily from 8 AM to 5 PM and the ticket fee is 11$ (150 SCR).
The 3 days we spent in Mahe were the perfect ending for our trip in Seychelles. We had the best time exploring stunning beaches, visiting the turtles and playing with doggies.
If you enjoyed this blog just leave your thoughts in the comment area and if you are interested in exploring more islands in the Seychelles, then maybe you should read my blog ¨Best things to do in La Digue¨ here. or for even more islands check ¨Epic Praslin itinerary¨ blog here and ¨A day trip to Curieuse Island¨ here.
Happy travels ♡
Madeleine 𓇼 