Sailing areas in Seychelles

 

The Seychelles archipelago lies between 4° and 10° south of the Equator in the Indian Ocean and comprises 1,400,000 square km of azure ocean with 115 pristine islands that fall into 2 distinct groups, the Inner and Outer Islands and that lie for the most part, outside the cyclone belt.
The Inner Islands consist of 41 granitic islands that form a cluster around the principal islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, some with peaks rising nearly 1,000m high. Interestingly, there are also 2 low-lying coral islands, namely Denis Island and Bird Island within the Inner Islands.
The remaining 72 low-lying coral islands are known as the Outer Islands and extend mainly in a gleaming arc towards the coast of Africa.
Together, these form 6 distinct island groups: the Inner Islands, the Amirantes, Southern Coral, Alphonse, Farquhar and Aldabra … all lying between 260 miles and 865 miles from the east African coast.

Sailing around Inner Islands
Sailing around Outer Islands

Enjoy the experience of a lifetime sailing the Seychelles’ Inner Islands, where safe moorings and easy sailing distances will open up a world of diversity and breathtaking natural beauty to be explored the way it was intended…under sail.
Cruise the waters around magical Mahé, Seychelles’ largest island and home to the main port and capital, Victoria.  The island offers memorable sailing opportunities with 44 miles of scenic coastline that features safe anchorages, over 65 beaches and a host of secret coves and romantic hideaways

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Scenic bays include Beau Vallon, Baie Ternay, Port Launay, Anse à la Mouche, Anse Soleil, Baie Lazare, Intendance and Anse Royale.  Some of the more secret coves include Anse Major, Anse Jasmin, Anse Du Riz, and Petit Anse.
The smaller islands of Cerf, Moyenne, Round and Ste Anne lie just off Mahé’s eastern coast in a marine park and Conception Island and Thérèse to her west.  Further in the distance northwest from Mahé lies Silhouette and its close neighbour North Island.
Only a few hours sailing northeast from Mahé (23 miles) will bring you past the twin island gems of Cousin and Cousine and to the island of Praslin, where the gentle unhurried pace of life is an attraction in itself.  Praslin is home to the legendary Vallée de Mai and a choice of world famous beaches.  The island boasts a wide array of hotels, shops, restaurants and other attractions, all accessible from the numerous safe anchorages that are dotted along its 18-mile coastline.
Scenic bays and romantic coves around Praslin include Anse Lazio (also one of the world’s most photographed beaches), Anse a la Farine, Anse Petite Cour, Baie Chevalier, Anse Posession, Anse La Blague, Côte d’Or and Anse Marie-Louise.  Satellite islands include Curieuse, St. Pierre, Île Cocos, Aride, Cousine and Cousin, to name a few.
Less than 4 miles southeast from Praslin’s Baie Ste Anne jetty, La Digue is the island where time stands still, with heart-stopping beauty and time-honoured tradition nestled inside 9 miles of coastline.  Discover its many coves (such as Reunion, Union and Patate) and silver-sand beaches, among which is one of the planet's most photographed strand, Anse Source d'Argent.  Enjoy the charms of its numerous satellite islands like Félicité, Marianne and Grand Soeur, all within easy reach and all offering safe anchorages.
La Digue features several out-of-the-way restaurants, shops and boutiques to meet provisioning needs.  And the accommodation facilities reflect island-style Creole hospitality at its best.
Then set sail towards Denis and Bird, those coralline jewels of the northern waters, or even solitary Frégate, which was once the haunt of pirates, to the east.
Sailing around Outer Islands
Journey to Seychelles’ sparkling Outer Islands, where precious few have gone before and where you can rise to the challenges of longer sailing distances and few, if any, of the numerous amenities found around the Inner Islands. Here is where true adventure lies, amid the azure world of the open ocean and the turquoise of remote lagoons.
These are areas of ocean passages, grass roots navigation and map making in the time honoured method of laying off and sounding by tender.
Some 130 miles southwest of Mahé, the Amirantes is the nearest grouping of Outer Islands to the main granite cluster of the Inner Islands. This dazzling chain of coral isles was first discovered and given their name by Admiral Vasco de Gama on his second voyage to India.
The Amirantes lends itself well to cruising, with each of its islands – from Marie-Louise and Desnoeufs to the fine resort island of Desroches, or the isle of d’Arros with its magnificent lagoon and the twin isles that make up Poivre – being only some 4 hours sailing from the next. Fishing en route is excellent and the snorkelling and diving are unrivalled, especially around the St Joseph atoll and off the walls of Desroches.
Some 50 miles southwest of Desnouefs resides Alphonse, which boasts some of the most spectacular diving, fishing and sailing opportunities in Seychelles, as well as a resort. Its lagoon is home to teeming wildlife and the majestic isles of Bijoutier and St. François. Both atolls (Alphonse atoll and St. Francois and Bijoutier atoll) are partially navigable at the right tide and both have passes to gain access to their calm interiors

.It is preferable to include Alphonse in a tour of the Amirantes and extend the visit to cover these amazing atolls. An overnight sail from the southern end of the Amirantes gives early morning access to the area around Alphonse and is a worthwhile extension for seekers of lost horizons.
The Farquhar group lies between 370 miles and 420 miles southwest of Mahé. It was the first of Seychelles’ island groups to be sighted by modern explorers and still, today, offers the sailor an authentic blue-water sailing experience.
Situated on a shallow bank of sand and coral, Farquhar is more exposed to the sea than either Aldabra or Cosmoledo and rises majestically from the ocean depths to form a low lying atoll complete with its own dazzling shallow lagoon.
Navigation within the atoll is limited and mainly restricted to the eastern section. Although entry and exit can be difficult, it is nonetheless worthwhile for the shelter offered within.
Close by is the massive Providence reef with a small island at each end. With its northern tip crowned by the protruding peak of St. Pierre, this area, detailed with fine reefs and offering excellent diving and fishing, is mostly the preserve of adventurers seeking the very last word in out-of-the-way cruising.
Flying into Farquhar for rendezvous with a pre-booked yacht is a recommended solution to avoid the long sail there and back. However, those who relish ocean passages may continue on past the Amirantes, stop over at Alphonse and finally push on to Farquhar.
Home to nesting seabirds and turtles, this remote island outpost offers the intrepid sailor a unique combination of breathtaking scenic beauty and ocean adventure.
One of the most fascinating natural places on Earth, and one of Seychelles’ two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, can only be reached by sea: Aldabra. The Aldabra group is 630 miles south-west of Mahé and consists of 3 atolls, Aldabra itself, Cosmoledo and Astove plus the raised limestone platform island of Assumption. Only Assumption and Aldabra carry skeleton staff whilst both Cosmoledo and Astove are at present uninhabited

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The relative closeness of Assumption, Cosmoledo and Astove makes for an interesting sailing itinerary around these ‘lands that time forgot.’
This area is very seasonal with the best times to visit being the transition periods of March/April and again October/November. Often the best way to visit this area is to charter a plane and fly to the airstrip at Assumption and meet up with a charter yacht.
For the continued protection of its unique biodiversity, special permission is required by all visitors to Aldabra.
Seychelles Islands Foundation
Dr. Frauke FLEISCHER-DOGLEY
PO Box 853
Victoria, Mahé
Tel: +248 4 32 17 35
Fax: +248 4 32 48 84
Email: sif@seychelles.sc
Website: www.sif.sc