Seychelles Yacht Charter

Seychelles Huge granite rocks polished over eons by the relentless waves of the Indian Ocean. Giant palm trees with their famous “coco de mer” nuts, and turquoise inlets fringed with lush green takamakas shading the fine white sand beaches. This is the image we all have about the Seychelles islands. A paradise. And deservedly so, because these islands, lying off the east coast of Africa just south of the Equator, are stunningly beautiful. Of the 115 islands that make up the Seychelles, 41 Inner Islands constitute the oldest granite islands on earth. Another 74 islands form the low-lying coral atolls and reef islands that are the Outer Islands. The Inner Islands, including Praslin and La Digue, are clustered around the main island, Mahe. The many other islands are well worth visiting, and you can review our itineraries for more information and suggestions about visiting these islands. The Outer Islands are more remote and less visited because they’re situated beyond the Seychelles. Mahe is the southernmost main island, and is an alternative to Praslin for sailing the Inner Islands.

Typical 12/13 nights itinerary Seychelles with Northwest winds (November to April)

Day 1 : Praslin Visit of the Vallée de mai, a valley protected by UNESCO. A walk in the Vallée de mai is enchanting. The path wanders in the near obscurity created by enormous palm leaves of the cocos de mer. The trunks are 40m high and sway gently in the breeze, making a strange rustling sound as they rub against each other.Wherever you look, the foliage seems to go on and on as the path winds up through dark, damp clefts before coming out onto the ridge where are magnificent views over a dense sea of green. Night anchorage in Bay Ste Anne.
Day 2 : Baie Sainte Anne – La Digue. The south east coast of La Digue provides excellent moorings in deep coves, behind a coral reef near the shore. Petite Anse or Grande Anse are perfect for anchorage : lovely white sand beaches separated from each other by rocky spurs, backed by steep rocks. Rent a bike in la Passe to visit this beautiful island never overrun with tourists , thanks to the lack of accommodation.
Day 3 : La Digue You won’t like to leave this quiet place so early.Visit Union Estate, where they grow vanilla, do coprah. Visit “La Veuve reserve”, endemic bird of La Digue.
Day 4 : La Digue to Grande Soeur and Cocos Island to Curieuse. Sail around Marianne and Félicité. Anchorage on the west coast of Grande Soeur for lunch. Unforgettable snorkelling at Cocos Islands. Made of large rocks with strange regular stripes carved by the sea, Cocos Island forms a beautiful sight with a great harmony of shapes and colours . The ochre colour of the rocks is in contrast with the bright green palms of the coconut trees and the white sand of beaches lined with deep turquoise water. Under the sea , the vision is equally attractive with large arbores cent corals where thousands of many coloured fish swim in front of narrow breaks and dark caverns. Go to Curieuse, Baie Laraie on the east coast for the night.
Day 5 : Curieuse to Saint Pierre to Curieuse. Curieuse, part of the Marine National Park is the home of hundred or so giant turtles, you cannot miss them. 45mn walk, into mangrove and “coco fesse” trees, leads you to the other side of the island, where is a nice beach and small but interesting museum.Sail to St Pierre islet, a mass of rounded rocks crowned with a clump of tall palms swaying gently in the wind : typical and superb scenery of the Seychelles photographed on countless occasions and printed a million times in tourism magazines ! Excellent spot for snorkelling with magnificent underwater scenery. Go back to Baie Laraie for the night.
Day 6 : Curieuse to Aride to Baie Sainte Anne. Aride Island, placed under the supervision of the Royal Society for Nature Conservation, is a conservation area. Narrow paths through the dense vegetation leads to the rocky barrier in the north from where the whole island can be observed.Free of cats and rats, which have ravaged so many tropical islands in the worlds, Aride is a haven for a wide variety of seabirds, unique vegetation and rare land birds. The ten species of breeding seabirds include the rare roseate tern and the red tailed tropicbird. The world’s largest colony of lesser noddy, more than 200,000 couples nest there. More than 300 species of fish have been identified in Aride coral reef where some hawksbill turtles may come to the surface. Go back to Baie Sainte Anne to fill up water.
Day 7 : Baie Sainte Anne to Victoria. Anchor for the night in Eden Island Marina, and visit this nice little town.
Day 8 : Victoria to Baie Lazare. Visit the picturesque market place in the morning. Good opportunity for fresh provisioning. Sail down Mahé, by the south. You’ll pass by Anse Takamaka and Anse Intendance. Anchor in Baie Lazare for the night.
Day 9 : Baie Lazare to Port Launay. Sail along the coast to Thérèse island, and Port Launay marine park, limited to the south east by the Pointe de l’Escalier, a strange geological phenomenon that has built up a giant stairway leading to the sea with steps consisting of regular flat layers of rock.
Day 10 : Port Launay to Silhouette to Ile Sainte Anne. Go to Silhouette (don’t forget the permit).Anchor in front of La Passe.Go back for the night in Sainte Anne Marine Park, in Anse Cimetière, south of the island.
Day 11 : Ile Sainte Anne to Curieuse. Snorkelling northeast of Ile Moyenne, then sail to Curieuse in the morning. Anchor in Baie Laraie.
Day 12 : Curieuse to Cousin to Baie Sainte Anne – 15 miles Cousin Island is a nature reserve and bird sanctuary with rare species and some giant turtles. Less than 800 meters in diameter. A small path leads to the turtles’ enclosure from where it leads to the summit through dense vegetation. Great panorama and good spot from which to observe the gracious flights of tropicbirds. During the season of southeasterly winds, there may be up to 100,000 couples of black bodies nesting in the trees. Go back to Baie Sainte Anne for the night and check out at 05.00pm
Day 13: Disembarkation for 08.00am. Transfer airport (optional)