AI imageSeychelles Inner Islands
Seychelles Inner Islands
43 NM · Moderate · 7 days
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ModerateOpen channels between islands carry the trade-wind swell; park and reserve rules
A seven-day loop from Praslin's Baie Ste Anne through the granite inner islands: Curieuse and its giant tortoises, Anse Lazio, bird-filled Cousin, then La Digue and the Sisters before a marine park mooring at St Pierre. Legs are short, but the channels between islands are open and carry the trade-wind swell. Most visits and landings run on weekday mornings, so plan the dates around them.
DAY 1 · Dream Yacht Charter Base (Baie Ste Anne)
Photo: Remi Jouan · CC BY-SA 3.0Arrive 2:00 pm
The charter base sits beside the Baie Ste Anne ferry jetty on Praslin, with a supermarket, hardware shop and the Hawksbill Dive Centre close by. Do the briefing and provisioning here and spend the first night on the boat. Praslin airport is about 25 minutes away by road.
- 3:00 pmProvision and briefShops and the fuel, water and ice jetty are a short walk from the base.
5 NM · about 50 mto Curieuse Marine National Park (Baie Laraie)
DAY 2 · Curieuse Marine National Park (Baie Laraie)
Photo: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen · CC BY-SA 4.0Arrive 10:30 am
A shallow bay between Curieuse's two ranges of hills, with the rangers' station and tortoise sanctuary on the beach. Anchor in the outer bay on sand, keep clear of the old causeway and coral, and land by dinghy. Park rules apply: anchor or moor only in designated areas, never on coral, and no fishing, spearguns or collecting of shells or coral.
- 11:30 amMeet the giant tortoisesThey wander down the beach as dinghies land. Do not feed or ride them.
- 3:00 pmSnorkel off Anse JoséReef and seagrass with turtles; take nothing from the water.
2 NM · about 20 mto Anse Lazio
DAY 3 · Anse Lazio
Photo: Radosław Botev · CC BY-SA 4.0Arrive 9:30 am
Praslin's postcard bay at the north-west tip, a turquoise bowl of white sand between granite boulders. Anchor off the north end in about 6 m over sand; there are no mooring buoys. Arrive before 11:00 to beat the tour boats and before the afternoon swell wraps round the headland. Leave the beach to swimmers: the dinghy stays outside them.
- 10:30 amSwim and walk the beachMind the shore break when landing.
- 1:00 pmLunch ashoreTwo beach restaurants sit at the north end.
3.5 NM · about 35 mto Cousin anchorage (outside the marine reserve)
DAY 4 · Cousin anchorage (outside the marine reserve)
Photo: tiarescott · CC BY 2.0Arrive 9:00 am · leave 12:00 pm
A daytime anchorage off Cousin Island Special Reserve, a bird sanctuary where visits are on guided reserve tours, weekday mornings only. Anchor outside the 400 m marine reserve, clear of coral, on the lee side for the season, and go in with the reserve boat. There are no buoys, no facilities and no overnight stay, so plan to move on after the tour.
- 9:30 amGuided reserve tourMonday to Friday mornings; bring water and sunscreen. Check your charter days against this.
14 NM · about 2 h 20 mto Félicité West Anchorage
Félicité West Anchorage
Photo: Jmhullot · CC BY 3.0Arrive 2:30 pm
The lee anchorage under the steep west face of Félicité, about 2 nm east of La Digue, on sand and seagrass. It is sheltered in the south-east trades but open to the north-west; if the wind has any west in it, as it can in the transition months, go on to La Passe for the night. Approach from the south-west: Albatross Rocks lie foul to the north. The island is a private resort with no public landing.
- 3:00 pmSnorkel the southern pointVisibility is often 15 to 20 m in calm conditions.
3 NM · about 30 mto La Passe Harbour (La Digue)
DAY 5 · La Passe Harbour (La Digue)
Photo: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen · CC BY-SA 4.0Arrive 10:00 am
La Digue's ferry harbour, the island's best all-weather shelter, with the bicycle-and-ox-cart village of La Passe beside it. It takes only three or four visiting yachts, so contact the harbour master before you arrive, and stern-to mooring inside is the norm. Keep the ferry fairway clear. Charter boats must be secured an hour before sunset.
- 11:30 amHire bicyclesRide south to Anse Source d'Argent, about 15 minutes.
- 7:00 pmDinner in La PasseSeveral restaurants are within walking distance of the harbour.
4.5 NM · about 45 mto Grande Soeur west-side anchorage
DAY 6 · Grande Soeur west-side anchorage
Photo: Jmhullot · CC BY 3.0Arrive 10:30 am · leave 2:00 pm
The day anchorage off the south-west side of Grande Soeur, a forested granite island with white beaches and giant tortoises. The island is private and visitors may land on weekdays only, in a daytime window. There are no buoys and no overnight anchoring, and it can be uncomfortable in south-easterlies.
- 11:00 amBeach and Reef Bar lunchLand only during the weekday visiting window.
8 NM · about 1 h 20 mto St Pierre Marine Park Moorings
St Pierre Marine Park Moorings
Photo: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen · CC BY-SA 4.0Arrive 3:30 pm
A small field of park buoys around St Pierre islet on the edge of Curieuse Marine National Park, with fish-rich granite rocks for snorkelling. Moor on the buoys only, with no anchoring: about eight to ten boats fit and they are often full by 08:30. A night here suits settled south-east weather but is exposed to the north-west. Nothing may be fished or collected.
- 4:00 pmSnorkel the isletStinging jellyfish have been reported here.
3 NM · about 30 mto Dream Yacht Charter Base (Baie Ste Anne)
DAY 7 · Dream Yacht Charter Base (Baie Ste Anne)
Photo: Remi Jouan · CC BY-SA 3.0Arrive 11:00 am
Back to Baie Ste Anne, only a few miles from the islet, so there is time for an early snorkel at St Pierre before the day boats arrive. Refuel at the jetty if your charter requires it, then clean up and check in with the base. The ferries to Mahé leave from the neighbouring jetty.
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