Things to do in the Seychelles: 24 incredibly interesting ideas

The Seychelles archipelago is a beach holiday destination like no other. A great place to meet giant tortoises, scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing, hiking among exotic forests.

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May Valley on Praslin - see the Coco de Mer

Vallee de Mai is a stunning natural reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site located on Praslin Island. See prehistoric palm trees, the emerald heart of Praslin Island. Historical reserve - "Garden of Eden", where more than 4,000 trees of the legendary Coco de Mer have been preserved! The female tree with the largest and heaviest seeds in the world has become one of the symbols of the Seychelles: how to leave here without a photo with such coconuts!

This is the only place in the Seychelles where all six types of palm trees grow together. King among them is the endemic coconut tree, which seems to have come from Jurassic Park. Don't forget to watch tree frogs, tiger chameleons and black parrots - some of the rarest in the world!

Vallee de Mai is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the must-see places on Praslin Island in the Seychelles. This is one of the rarest places on earth where the coconut tree grows naturally. The Vallee de Mai is also a paradise for bird watchers. Here you can see the endangered Seychellois the bulbul, the beautiful blue dove, the Seychelles warbler and the endangered black parrot.

Opening hours: from 8:30 to 16:30.

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Wander around the tiniest capital in the world

One of the smallest capitals in the world is located on the island of Mahe. Victoria may not fulfill your typical tropical paradise fantasies, but it's a city with a Seychelles vibe, a bustling hub where you can immerse yourself in the life of the locals. About a third of the population lives in this city! See the clock tower, stroll through the rows of attractive and colorful Creole-style buildings, markets and manicured gardens. If you want a bit of history, visit the National Historic Site.

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La Digue Island - Visit L'Union Estate

On the island of La Digue you will find the L'Union farm Estate, which is a kind of theme park of the history of the Seychelles. In this part of the Seychelles, coconuts are collected and processed, and coconut oil is made. Also check out vanilla plantations, a colonial-era graveyard, a boatyard, and a turtle paddock. Rent a bike and explore the farm before heading to the famous Anse Source d'Argent beach.

Opening hours: daily from 6:00 to 18:30.

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Travel around the islands by boat

One of the best things to do in the Seychelles is to travel to exotic islands. A whole day on a boat with a delicious lunch, in the middle of the turquoise ocean!

For those who have time, we recommend choosing several islands and spreading a few days between them so that you can slowly explore and feel each of them. You can visit islands such as Cousin, Curieuse and Saint-Pierre.

• Cousin Island is full of wildlife.
• Curieuse Island is famous for its mango forests.
• Pierre is popular for amazing snorkeling spots.

If you choose, then plan a visit to Curiosity Island - this is a tiny granite island located very close to the northern coast of Praslin Island. This place is known for its bare red earth and unique variety of flora and fauna. Explore the ruins of Curieuse Island's dark past: it served as a leper colony until 1965, and a doctor's house and several houses remain here.

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Explore the hiking trails of Mahe Island

As the largest island in the Seychelles, Mahe has beautiful nature trails with stunning views.

• Perhaps the easiest of the trails on the islands is the Copolia trail, which is located in the Morne Seychellois National Park. An ascent to 500 m above sea level and an exciting 2-hour hike awaits you.
• Morne Blanc trail is another beautiful trail with views. It is small and takes about 45 minutes one way.
• Walk the Anse trail Major Trail lasting up to an hour and a half. This trail is also the only way to get to Anse Major Beach on foot.

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Relax on the beaches of the Seychelles

The beaches in the Seychelles are some of the best in the world and each island is littered with stunning beauty. Among the most attractive is Anse beach Georgette and Anse Beach Lazio on Praslin Island.

Anse Georgette is famous for its magnificent view with granite boulders, luxurious white sand coast. In Anse Lazio has more powerful waves and stunning sunsets. On La Digue, visit Anse Source d'Argens and Anse Cocos. And on Mahe - Anse Intendance, Beau Vallon, Anse Louis, Petit Anse.

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See giant tortoises

A trip to the Seychelles without encountering giant tortoises is a big mistake. They are the main attraction of the islands. Everyone wants to get acquainted, take a photo and even stroke the beauties.

Slow giants can be found on Curios Island or Cousin Island.

From Praslin, you can take a short boat ride to Curiosity Island and from there to the Turtle Conservation and Rehabilitation Centre. Some of them are so big that they have a shell the size of a tub! More turtles can be seen on Cousin Island as well as a coral atoll called Aldabra. But the Atoll is more remote and requires advance booking. An island with no airstrip, harbor, helipad, hotels or guest houses is home to rare turtles. Visitors have to cover 1000 km from Mahe by the ocean. This UNESCO-listed remote four-island atoll has the same diversity as the Galápagos. It is also home to seaweed-eating dugongs.

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See the birth of baby turtles

Watch baby Hawksbill sea turtles take to the sea. Here they lay their eggs in broad daylight! Hawksbill sea turtles, found on the Cousin, North or Bird Islands, lay their eggs on these sun-drenched beaches every year. The egg laying season starts from September, the hatching season from January to March. Each female turtle lays up to 1,000 eggs per season and returns to the beach up to five times. There is also a good chance to see tiny turtles on the beaches around La Digue and on Praslin.

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Visit the capital's market and taste Creole cuisine

The most famous Seychelles market is located in the capital of Victoria. A lively place where souvenir shops with sarongs, scented oils and art objects are scattered throughout the market. You will find printed T-shirts, necklaces and of course souvenirs.

The abundance of stalls with Creole takeaway food in any of the Seychelles gives tourists the opportunity to try the local cuisine. The most famous and common dishes are seafood (guaranteed fresh), green papaya, rice. Due to the colonial history of the islands, most of the country's population is of Indian origin with French and English admixtures. And the local cuisine is a mixture of different cultures.

Creole cuisine, which is a mixture of West African and European cultures, has many interesting dishes. Join a Seychellois family as they tour Victoria's morning market picking island-grown coconuts and cassava, cinnamon and sweet potatoes. After that, stop by the fisherman's market to choose your catch of the day.

Indian seafood all over the island is amazing! Check out the octopus chapati. Try fresh grilled fish and curries at the street food stalls.

The market is open from Monday to Saturday from 4:00 to 17:00.

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Visit a Tea Factory

Incredibly, tea only appeared in the Seychelles in the 1960s. Now it is the most popular drink after water. The local SeyTe factory, located in the hills of Morne Blanc in the Port Glaud area of Mahe, offers visitors 20-minute tours where they can see how the traditional methods of drying, rolling, fermenting, roasting, sieving and sorting are used. Tea can be tasted and then bought at the tea tavern.

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Rock Climbing

Rock climbing and ziplining are two of the most adventurous activities in the Seychelles. Challenge yourself climbing the granite cliffs of Mahe in Constance Ephelia. The resort's adventure zone offers different levels of climbing depending on experience. And also exciting zipline through the tropical greenery of the island.

Opening hours: from 9 am to sunset.

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Morne National Park

Explore the rich variety of flora and fauna. Morne National Park in the Seychelles is a favorite destination for nature lovers and tourists. Exploring this bio-reserve is one of the most exciting things to do in the Seychelles. A rich variety of flora and fauna, numerous trails are ideal for adventure and nature lovers.

Opening hours: from 9:00 to 17:00.

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Climb the Morne Seychelles

Covering 20% of Mahé, Morne-Seychellois National Park is home to several endemic species. Look at the carnivorous pitcher plants! Try hiking to the top of the Seychelles Mount Morne at 905 meters. The journey will take at least 5 hours. From the walking path up to the top of the granite hill, you get stunning views of the island, its sparkling white sand beaches and the crystal blue Indian Ocean. This is one of the free tourist attractions in the Seychelles. From the 500 m high peak, there is a magnificent view of the capital, Victoria, the azure sea and neighboring islands such as Praslin, La Digue and the artificial resort island of Eden.

Opening hours: from 7:00 to 21:00.

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See Coconut Plantation House

Exploring the ancient plantation of La Digue is one of the most popular and best things to do in the Seychelles. Spread over 300 hectares, this ancient building is now considered a national monument and demonstrates the cultural and historical significance of this place.

Places worth visiting around the plantation house are the surrounding dense coconut plantations, the old cemetery, the coconut oil mill, and the turtle enclosure.

Opening hours: from 7:00 to 17:00.

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Play golf in the Seychelles

If you have an inclination and patience for the gentleman's game, you will find an interesting pastime in the Seychelles. The island has two extensive golf clubs where you can enjoy your game. Seychelles Golf Club and Lemuria Golf Course Champions offer top notch service and stunning views.

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Take a helicopter tour

One of the best ways to get to know the archipelago of paradise is to take a helicopter tour over the pristine islands in the Indian Ocean. Mountain emerald forests surrounded by a halo of white sand and azure shallows turning into deep blue. Fascinating helicopter flights last from 15 to 90 minutes and take place over the main islands of Mahe, Praslin and La Digue. It is possible to fly at sunset.

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See Moyenne Island

An island with giant rocks, huge turtles and well-preserved flora and fauna. Walking around the island of Moyenne will be enough to forget about all the problems. This is the undiscovered gem of the Seychelles, which is worth visiting at least once. The incredible beauty and serenity of the island will make you fall in love with Moyenne.

Yorkshire native, former editor of the Times Brandon Grimshaw, bought Moyenne for only £8,000 in the 1960s He was the only inhabitant of the island, where he spent several decades planting 16,000 trees and laying miles of nature trails. He bred Aldabra giant tortoises and attracted 2,000 species. Today, a warden looks after the island and charges an entrance fee of 10 euros.

Visit the Aride Island Nature Reserve

A visit to the nature reserve of the island of Aride should definitely be included in the itinerary of any visitor to the Seychelles. It is home to a million seabirds, consisting of 10 different species, of which 5 live only in the Seychelles. The best time to visit the island is from November to February as many migratory birds can be seen during this time.

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Dine with Marie Antoinette

Book a table at the oldest restaurant in the Indian Ocean; with its wooden walls and lace tablecloths, this colonial mansion is a true piece of history. Henry Morton Stanley, known as "Dr. Livingston, I believe," stayed here in 1872. Today, Creole favorites are cooked here: eggplant fritters, mango salad, sweet and sour tuna steak and - for the most daring - fruit bat curry. Whatever you choose, don't forget to wash it down with a glass of freshly squeezed passion fruit juice. Children will be entertained by rescued giant tortoises roaming the back garden.

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Take a tour of the Takamaka Rum Distillery

The d'Offet brothers, Richard and Bernard, founded Takamaka 20 years ago and it has been part of the archipelago's identity ever since. At the distillery in the La estate plain St Andre 18th century produce several drinks blended with local spices and fruit extracts. The best are coconut rum and amber eight-year-old St Andre. Visitors can enjoy a tour of the distillery and gardens with tastings.

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Try water activities

Diving safaris or day trips are best done in April, October or November when the sea is calm and visibility is good. From May to September, plankton blooms reduce visibility but attract inquisitive whale sharks.

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Ride horses on the beach

Saddle a spotted Appaloosa and take an hour or two-hour ride through the jungle trail, scented with cinnamon and ylang-ylang flowers. No experience required and suitable for children ages 6 and up. The trip can also be combined with a romantic champagne picnic for couples wishing to celebrate their engagement, birthday or honeymoon.

Go fishing

The Seychelles are among the richest fishing destinations in the world, with species such as wahoo, dorado, barracuda and tuna being regularly caught. The outer islands, such as Alphonse, Desroches and Cosmoledo, are located on the edge of a steep cliff on the continental shelf. Try to schedule your visit between October and November or February and April to increase your chances of a successful catch.

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Snorkel in the lagoon of Beau Vallon Beach

Beau Vallon, located on the northwest coast of the Seychelles' main island of Mahe, is one of the country's most popular beaches. Combining classic Seychelles aesthetics with towering palm trees and soft sand, Beau Vallon is also a divers and snorkelers paradise with its clear blue waters and colorful coral reefs. Visitors will also enjoy magnificent views of Silhouette Island.

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Seychelles archipelago will be the most unusual trip of your life!