The Seychelles archipelago, one of the most sought-after tropical seaside destinations in the world, for its beautiful granite-fringed beaches, pristine white sandy coves, turquoise sea and unspoilt nature, certainly lives up to expectations, a veritable island Eden, lost in the middle of the Indian Ocean, where it is still possible to find one’s own corner of paradise, wild and uninhabited.
The Seychelles, an archipelago/state made up of more than a hundred islands, islets and atolls, is a true paradise on earth, comprising only a few major inhabited islands served by international airports and naval ports, including Mahé, the largest, which houses the administrative capital and is embellished by an infinity of ‘picture-postcard’ beaches; Praslin, the most sought-after for its endemic nature and small dreamy bays; La Digue, perhaps the most unspoilt and isolated, albeit very popular; but also an infinity of other destinations, some of which can be reached from the main islands by day trips by boat, and are totally uninhabited.
The sampler of bays, inlets, islets and remote reefs, paradise beaches, is endless. Each one has its own distinctive trait and ‘character’, given by the variable depths of shallow waters protected by coral reefs, ideal for relaxation, or the seabed more exposed to ocean currents and ideal for water sports and snorkelling. They all share a leitmotif: scenery of indescribable beauty, encompassing colour nuances that range from the intense green of the lush vegetation to the transparent turquoise of the water, passing through the dazzling white of the pristine sand and the grey of the granite boulders, and finally the clear blue of the sky that embraces everything.
The list of ‘nature documentary’ beaches that become reality in Seychelles would be very long, so we will limit ourselves to mentioning just a few on the main islands, which are definitely worth visiting, in this destination that really needs no introduction.
And here we are in Mahé the island/capital, a green and mountainous gem, surrounded by tongues of fine, light-coloured sand, fringed with palm trees and mangroves, enriched by stretches of rocky cliffs that punctuate its wide inlets. If the beaches to the north are the most frequented and served by dreamy accommodations, such as Beau Vallon, the most famous and largest on the island, and suitable for all kinds of bathing activities, to the south, the isolated beach of Anse Intendance deserves a stop for its magnificent views of the crystal-clear ocean waters and the granite boulders that border it along with the lush vegetation. One of the most pristine beaches in all of Seychelles is instead Anse Major, reachable by a walk of about an hour through the dense vegetation of the Morne Seychellois National Park, which eventually dissipates, opening up the view to this small, sandy, paradisiacal bay, with its multicoloured coral seabed, rich in underwater life.
When talking about the Seychelles, it will be hard not to hear Anse Lazio mentioned. Probably the most beautiful beach in Praslin, characterised by magnificent smooth granite boulders and currents that make it an ideal destination for surfers, kitesurfers and windsurfers, but also perfect for snorkelling in search of sea turtles.
A good alternative is offered by Anse Georgette with its giant tree canopies, white sand and turquoise sea, or by the beautiful Anse St. José on the island of Curieuse just a few minutes by boat from the northern coast of Praslin.
But probably the bays that frame La Digue island are as close to paradise as one can get on earth. Grand Anse, Petite Anse, Anse Severe are among the most beautiful beaches in Seychelles, less frequented and still totally unspoilt and wild, with the exception of the abandoned colonial buildings near Anse Cocos, a bay so paradisiacal that it seems fake, as is Anse Sourse d‘Argent, probably the most famous beach on La Digue and the most photographed in Seychelles.
