Seychelles Inner Islands

Seychelles

Seychelles

A scatter of 4-degrees-south granite and coral islands in the western Indian Ocean, outside the main cyclone belt, where giant pink-grey granite boulders frame some of the world's most photographed beaches. Cruising centres on the Inner Islands on the shallow Seychelles Bank: Mahé (capital Victoria, the only port of entry, and the charter marina at Eden Island), the Ste Anne Marine National Park on Victoria's doorstep, then roughly 25 nm northeast to Praslin, Curieuse, St Pierre, La Digue and the satellite islets (Félicité, Marianne, the Sisters, Ile Cocos), plus the bird reserves of Cousin and Aride and the steep national-park island of Silhouette. Day hops are short (3-12 nm) once in the Praslin group, but most anchorages are open to one of the two monsoons, so the season decides the route: the southeast trades (May to October) blow 15-25 knots and favour northwest-facing bays, the northwest monsoon (December to March) is lighter and wetter and flips the sheltered side. Marine parks charge per person and per yacht, several islands are private or reserve-only with weekday landing windows, night sailing is banned on charter boats, and the Amirantes and outer atolls beyond about 60 nm need written permission from the Islands Development Company and a capable, crewed yacht.

Top of the list

1. 1Anse LazioPraslin's postcard bay: powder sand between granite boulders, turtles at the rocky ends, a good daytime anchorage in the southeast trades.
2. 2Curieuse Marine National Park (Baie Laraie)Free-roaming Aldabra giant tortoises meet the dinghy; mangrove boardwalk to Anse José, leper-colony ruins and the Doctor's House museum.
3. 3Ile Cocos Marine National ParkFour tiny granite islets with what The Moorings calls the best snorkelling in the area; day stop only, no overnight.
4. 4St Pierre IsletThe palm-and-boulder islet on every Seychelles brochure, ringed by reef snorkelling just off Anse Volbert.
5. 5Anse Source d'ArgentLa Digue's sculpted-boulder beach, reached by bicycle through L'Union Estate from La Passe.
6. 6La Passe Harbour (La Digue)La Digue's tiny harbour and village; the base for bike-and-ox-cart island life, the best all-weather anchorage on La Digue.
7. 7Vallée de MaiUNESCO World Heritage palm forest of wild coco de mer and the black parrot, a short ride from Baie Ste Anne.
8. 8Ste Anne Marine National ParkTurtle snorkelling and island restaurants 2.5 nm from Eden Island; the classic first and last night of every charter.
9. 9Cousin Island Special ReserveNature Seychelles bird reserve: Seychelles warbler, magpie robin-era conservation success, hawksbill turtles; guided weekday morning visits by reserve boat only.
10. 10Grande SoeurPrivate island beaches, Creole barbecue and the Reef Bar, open to visiting boats on weekday daytime hours for a landing fee.
11. 11Aride Island Special ReserveMore than a million breeding seabirds and the only home of Wright's gardenia; landing by reserve boat, hard in strong southeast trades.
12. 12Baie Ternay Marine National ParkMahé's best southeast-season refuge: a deep green bay between two hills with turtle nesting and fine snorkelling.
13. 13Port Launay Marine National ParkHorseshoe beach and calm natural harbour on Mahé's northwest coast, sheltered in nearly any wind.
14. 14Anse Volbert (Côte d'Or)Praslin's long north-coast bay with restaurants, dive centres and shops; anchor north of the Pointe Zanguilles-Chauve Souris line.
15. 15Baie Ste Anne (Praslin)Praslin's harbour town: Dream Yacht base, fuel, water, ice, rental moorings and the road to Vallée de Mai.
16. 16Eden Island MarinaThe country's main yacht marina and The Moorings charter base, between the airport and Victoria, with fuel dock and supermarket.
17. 17Port Victoria Quarantine AnchorageThe only port of entry and exit for yachts; Port Control VHF 12.
18. 18Anse Mondon (Silhouette)A quiet anchorage under the rainforest peaks of Silhouette National Park; landing needs a permit.
19. 19Beau Vallon BayMahé's lively northwest-coast beach anchorage, with the Wednesday-night Bazaar Labrine street-food market.
20. 20Félicité West AnchorageSteep granite island 2 nm east of La Digue with a sand-and-seagrass lunch anchorage on its west side (sheltered in the southeast trades) and some of the best snorkelling in the inner islands off its southern point.
21. 21South Marianne dive siteThe remote granite island east of La Digue, a destination for the deeper reef dives run by La Digue and Praslin dive centres.
22. 22Bird IslandNorthern coral island where roughly 700,000 pairs of sooty terns nest from about May to October; a special-authorisation trip off the Bank's edge.
23. 23Anse GeorgetteA secluded Praslin beach next to Lemuria/Constance resort, one of the finest in the islands.
24. 24Anse Cocos (La Digue)The wild east-coast beach of La Digue, also named by The Moorings as the La Digue anchorage protected in northwesterlies.

When to go

Year-round, with two monsoons and two calm transition periods. Southeast trades from about May to November (The Moorings eGuide) are drier and steadier, 15-25 knots with gusts over 30 knots, peaking July-August; swell up to about 2.5 m on the Mahé-Praslin crossing in peak trades (koek.sc). Northwest monsoon from about December to April is lighter (10-15 knots, peaking January) but brings rain squalls and stronger winds December-March and makes southeast-facing anchorages comfortable while exposing northwest-facing bays such as Beau Vallon, Anse Major and La Passe. April and November are the transition months with calm, sometimes windless days, flat seas and the clearest water: the favourite cruising windows. Plan the route by monsoon: in the SE trades use Baie Ternay, Port Launay, Anse Lazio, Baie Ste Anne, Anse Volbert; in the NW monsoon use Anse Royale, Curieuse Baie Laraie and Anse Cocos (La Digue).

Weather and hazards

Granite-boulder coasts with fringing reefs and isolated rocks; navigate by eye in good light and never at night (charter companies forbid night sailing and require boats to be anchored at least one hour before sunset). The St Anne sand bank lies just outside the Eden Island channel and is hard to see; keep the green buoy to port. At Anse Volbert the south of the bay is too shallow, anchor north of the line between Pointe Zanguilles and Chauve Souris. Hazards are charted on the northwest side of St Pierre marine park. Holding is mostly sand at 5-12 m but patchy over granite in places (dive the anchor). Shore break makes dinghy landings tricky at Anse Lazio and Beau Vallon. Strong tidal currents run in channels leading into lagoons. Jellyfish stings have sent charter guests to hospital; stinging corals, stonefish, stingrays and sea urchins are present. Swimming off Mahé's southern-tip beaches is not recommended at any time; rip currents are strong. Fish pots are common. Yacht break-ins have been reported at anchor and at Eden Island (Noonsite user reports 2018 and 2021). Somali piracy reached the outer Seychelles waters in roughly 2009-2012; check current advisories before any passage beyond the Bank.

Hurricane season

The Inner Islands lie at about 4-5 degrees south, outside the main South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; during Tropical Cyclone Fantala (April 2016) Mahé, Praslin and La Digue saw only overcast skies and showers. The southern Outer Islands are exposed during the South Indian Ocean cyclone season (roughly November to April): Fantala made landfall twice on Farquhar Atoll in April 2016, destroying almost all infrastructure, and Farquhar was also hit by Cyclone Bondo in 2006. Treat Farquhar, Providence and the Aldabra group as cyclone-exposed in the northwest monsoon.

Entry and clearance

Port Victoria on Mahé is the only port of entry and exit (Noonsite). Call Victoria Port Control on VHF 12 at least two hours before arrival and fly the Q flag; Port Control assigns a position in the quarantine anchorage inside the harbour and officials (health, customs, immigration, security) come out by launch. Noonsite's March 2024 fee schedule lists a compulsory arrival launch service of SCR 4,125 and a clearance fee of SCR 175 for vessels up to 150 GT, plus daily port dues (verify locally). Office hours are 8am-12pm and 1pm-3pm Monday to Friday, so avoid arriving late Friday. Visitor permits are issued on arrival (Noonsite 2018 user comment: 30 days, renewable). Noonsite pages conflict on whether boat arrivals need the Seychelles Travel Authorisation; check ics.gov.sc before arrival. Yachts staying longer must arrange a Temporary Import Permit through the Finance Trade Division and Customs (2025 user report: about SCR 590 in fees without an agent, several weeks' processing). On departure, obtain the Bill of Export, SMSA departure documents at Trinity House and clearance from Immigration, the Harbour Master and Customs, which issues the zarpe. Charter yachts: the charter company handles clearance and the skipper must call Port Control on VHF 12 when leaving and entering the Victoria channel; the port authority issues a certificate of competence from the skipper's licence (ICC or RYA Day Skipper minimum).

Permits and fees

Marine National Parks (SPGA: Ste Anne, Baie Ternay & Port Launay, Curieuse, Ile Cocos; open 8am-5pm daily): non-resident entry per person Rs200 at Ste Anne, Baie Ternay/Port Launay and Ile Cocos, Rs300 at Curieuse; overnight mooring Rs250 per yacht; anchor or moor only in designated areas; motorised water sports and water-skiing prohibited (spga.gov.sc, undated page; verify locally). Rangers come to the boat to collect and issue tickets; keep them. Ile Cocos allows no overnight stay. Land reserves: Veuve Reserve (La Digue) Rs150 unguided/Rs200 guided; trails Rs100-250. Private and reserve islands (The Moorings eGuide 2024): Grande Soeur Rs500 per person, Mon-Fri 10:30am-3pm, closed Sundays and public holidays, no overnight anchoring; Cousin Island Rs500 per person, guided tours weekday mornings only, landing 9am-10am by reserve boat, dinghy landing prohibited. The Moorings estimates landing and park fees at roughly EUR 120 per person per week. Environmental levy SCR 100 per person per day applies to charter bookings from 1 August 2023. Rental moorings at Baie Ste Anne about Rs250 per day; water at the main piers about Rs60 (Moorings eGuide). Outer islands: landing on Alphonse, Desroches, Poivre, Platte, Coëtivy, Farquhar, Providence, Silhouette, Rémire and others managed by the Islands Development Company requires written IDC permission; Aldabra needs Seychelles Islands Foundation permission obtained in Mahé. Charter boats may not go beyond about 60 nm from Mahé (Platte, African Banks, Amirantes, Desroches, Coëtivy) and Denis and Bird need special Port Authority authorisation. Foreign yachts over 24 m chartering locally need a temporary cruising permit via a local agent (2020 Yacht Charter Policy).

Tides and currents

Semi-diurnal, asymmetric tides, about six hours between high and low; range up to about 2 m at springs and 0.9 m at neaps in the Inner Islands (Moorings eGuide). Currents run strongly in channels to lagoons, which can drain almost completely at low tide. Reference tide station: Pointe La Rue, Mahé (GLOSS 339, UHSLC 121), at the international airport, maintained by the Seychelles Meteorological Authority; a second gauge operates on Denis Island since 2008-2009.

Money

Seychelles rupee (SCR, Rs). Carry rupees for park rangers, landing fees and small shops; major cards (not usually Amex) at most restaurants and supermarkets, foreign currency accepted at poor rates. ATMs at Eden Island, Victoria, Beau Vallon, Baie Ste Anne and Grand Anse Praslin. Alcohol sales hours (Moorings eGuide): Mon-Thu 11:30am-8pm, Fri 11:30am-11pm, Sat 8:30am-11pm, Sun 8:30am-9pm; no shops open after 8pm. Tipping 10-15 percent.

Radio and phones

VHF 12: Victoria Port Control (pre-arrival call, and departing/entering the Victoria channel). VHF 16: distress, monitored by Seychelles Radio and the Coast Guard. VHF 26: Seychelles Radio, also used for weather and to patch phone calls. VHF 14: The Moorings base in working hours. Emergency phone 999 (police), 151 (ambulance); Coast Guard +248 422 5812. Hospitals or clinics at Victoria, Anse Royale, Baie Ste Anne and Grand Anse (Praslin), and La Passe (La Digue). Time zone UTC+4 (no daylight saving). Mobile data is good in the Inner Islands; weather from windy.com, windfinder or windguru.

Charter bases

• Eden Island MarinaEden Island, east coast of Mahé between the airport and VictoriaThe Moorings
• Baie Ste AnneEast coast of Praslin, 16 km from Praslin Island AirportDream Yacht Charter

Getting there

• Seychelles International Airport (Pointe Larue, Mahé) — SEZThe international gateway, 10-15 minutes by car from Eden Island Marina; taxis and pre-booked transfers.
• Praslin Island Airport (Amitié, Praslin) — PRIShort domestic hop from Mahé; about 25 minutes by road from the Dream Yacht base at Baie Ste Anne. Inter-island ferries also run Mahé-Praslin (about 90 minutes) and Praslin-La Digue several times a day.
• Bird Island and Denis Island airstripsPrivate resort airstrips with charter flights from Mahé; no public services.

Charts and guides

• The Moorings Seychelles eGuide (PDF, 2024 edition) - anchorages, fees, red zones, emergency contacts
• Noonsite Seychelles country pages - clearance, fees and cruiser reports
• Rod Heikell, Indian Ocean Cruising Guide (Imray)
• Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority visitor information - park fees and hours
• Official Admiralty / national charts of the Seychelles Bank and Inner Islands (carry paper and electronic; navigate by eye near granite and reef)

Sample routes

• One week, southeast trades (May-October): Mahé to Praslin and La DigueDay 1 · Eden Island Marina → Ste Anne Marine National Park · 2.5 nmShort shakedown hop; turtles off Moyenne; take a park buoy before the early-afternoon rush.Day 2 · Ste Anne Marine National Park → Anse Lazio · 25 nmEarly start across the Bank on a broad reach in the trades; afternoon swim at Praslin's most famous beach.Day 3 · Anse Lazio → Anse Volbert (Côte d'Or) · 5 nmMorning at Curieuse (tortoises, mangrove walk), snorkel St Pierre Islet, night in Anse Volbert.Day 4 · Anse Volbert (Côte d'Or) → Baie Ste Anne (Praslin) · 5 nmCousin Island guided morning tour, then Vallée de Mai by taxi or bus; fuel and water at Baie Ste Anne.Day 5 · Baie Ste Anne (Praslin) → La Passe Harbour (La Digue) · 4 nmBikes to L'Union Estate and Anse Source d'Argent; dinner ashore.Day 6 · La Passe Harbour (La Digue) → Baie Ste Anne (Praslin) · 12 nmDaytime loop to Ile Cocos snorkelling and Grande Soeur beach barbecue (weekdays), back to Praslin for the night.Day 7 · Baie Ste Anne (Praslin) → Eden Island Marina · 27 nmEarly departure for the return crossing; arrive with time for fuel and check-in.
• Two weeks, full Inner Islands circuit (southeast trades)Day 1 · Eden Island Marina → Beau Vallon Bay · 12 nmRound the north of Mahé; Wednesday Bazaar Labrine street-food night.Day 2 · Beau Vallon Bay → Anse Major · 3 nmGranite-boulder cove with no road access; hike to Bel Ombre.Day 3 · Anse Major → Baie Ternay Marine National Park · 5 nmBest Mahé refuge in the SE trades; snorkelling and nesting turtles.Day 4 · Baie Ternay Marine National Park → Port Launay Marine National Park · 2 nmHorseshoe beach, snorkel the rocks and the cross at the bay mouth.Day 5 · Port Launay Marine National Park → Anse Mondon (Silhouette) · 14 nmRemote rainforest island; landing by permit only.Day 6 · Anse Mondon (Silhouette) → Anse Lazio · 30 nmLong reach across the Bank to Praslin; lunch at the beach restaurants.Day 7 · Anse Lazio → Curieuse Marine National Park (Baie Laraie) · 4 nmGiant tortoises, mangrove boardwalk to Anse José, Doctor's House.Day 8 · Curieuse Marine National Park (Baie Laraie) → Anse Volbert (Côte d'Or) · 3 nmSnorkel St Pierre Islet; dive centres and Creole restaurants ashore.Day 9 · Anse Volbert (Côte d'Or) → Baie Ste Anne (Praslin) · 5 nmAride day trip (calm days) or Cousin guided tour; Vallée de Mai in the afternoon.Day 10 · Baie Ste Anne (Praslin) → La Passe Harbour (La Digue) · 4 nmArrive La Digue; contact the harbour master in advance.Day 11 · La Passe Harbour (La Digue) → La Passe Harbour (La Digue) · 0 nmBike day: L'Union Estate, Anse Source d'Argent, Grand Anse, Veuve Reserve.Day 12 · La Passe Harbour (La Digue) → Baie Ste Anne (Praslin) · 12 nmIle Cocos snorkelling, Félicité and Grande Soeur by day.Day 13 · Baie Ste Anne (Praslin) → Ste Anne Marine National Park · 25 nmCrossing back; last snorkel around Moyenne and the northeast reef.Day 14 · Ste Anne Marine National Park → Eden Island Marina · 2.5 nmReturn to base by mid-morning.