SEYCHELLES
The Republic of Seychelles is a cluster of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean off Africa’s east coast. Lying just south of the equator and beyond the cyclone belt, surrounded by warm waters, Seychelles epitomises the expression “tropical island paradise.”
The Seychelles is divided into 43 Inner Islands and the Outer Islands – The tall granite, Inner Islands cluster mainly within the relatively shallow Seychelles' plateau, 4° south of the equator and roughly 1800 km from the east coast of Africa while the low-lying coralline cays, atolls and reef islands of the Outer Islands lie mainly beyond the plateau up to 10° south of the equator.
The 43 Inner Islands are situated around the main islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, and are the planet’s only oceanic islands of granitic composition. They are characterised by grey boulders that jut abruptly from the ocean, rising to a relatively mountainous hinterland, surrounded by a narrow coastal strip and powder-soft white sands. These islands and beaches are often referred to as the most beautiful on Earth.
Some 30 km (18 miles) from Mahé, the 210-hectare (518-acre) Ile du Nord, or North Island, comprises three granite outcrops with a tropical interior of coconut palms and takamaka trees. Thanks to a comprehensive rehabilitation and conservation plan – the Noah’s Ark Project – the island’s natural abundance has been reclaimed.
The Outer Islands are divided into five groups: the Amirantes group lying 230km distant from Mahé, the Southern Coral Group, Alphonse Group, Farquhar Group and finally the Aldabra Group, some 1150km from Mahé. Aldabra Atoll is the world’s largest raised coral atoll and a World Heritage Site with over 150,000 giant tortoises. Aldabra is uninhabited though, and can only be reached via boat a couple of times a year.
Flaura & Fauna
The Seychellois themselves call their home “Forever Eden” and with good reason. More than 1,000 flowering plant species and over 220 bird species are recorded, and insects, amphibians and reptiles abound – amongst them the smallest frog and the largest land tortoise in the world. Mammals are less abundant as is often the case with island ecosystems, with the most common being the famous flying fox, a large fruit bat.
There is good of coral and marine life and in excess of 250 hard and soft coral species occurring on the various reefs. Check-out our Diving & Snorkelling page for information on diving and snorkelling, as this page focusses on beach extensions.
The Seychelles is divided into 43 Inner Islands and the Outer Islands – The tall granite, Inner Islands cluster mainly within the relatively shallow Seychelles' plateau, 4° south of the equator and roughly 1800 km from the east coast of Africa while the low-lying coralline cays, atolls and reef islands of the Outer Islands lie mainly beyond the plateau up to 10° south of the equator.
The 43 Inner Islands are situated around the main islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, and are the planet’s only oceanic islands of granitic composition. They are characterised by grey boulders that jut abruptly from the ocean, rising to a relatively mountainous hinterland, surrounded by a narrow coastal strip and powder-soft white sands. These islands and beaches are often referred to as the most beautiful on Earth.
Some 30 km (18 miles) from Mahé, the 210-hectare (518-acre) Ile du Nord, or North Island, comprises three granite outcrops with a tropical interior of coconut palms and takamaka trees. Thanks to a comprehensive rehabilitation and conservation plan – the Noah’s Ark Project – the island’s natural abundance has been reclaimed.
The Outer Islands are divided into five groups: the Amirantes group lying 230km distant from Mahé, the Southern Coral Group, Alphonse Group, Farquhar Group and finally the Aldabra Group, some 1150km from Mahé. Aldabra Atoll is the world’s largest raised coral atoll and a World Heritage Site with over 150,000 giant tortoises. Aldabra is uninhabited though, and can only be reached via boat a couple of times a year.
Flaura & Fauna
The Seychellois themselves call their home “Forever Eden” and with good reason. More than 1,000 flowering plant species and over 220 bird species are recorded, and insects, amphibians and reptiles abound – amongst them the smallest frog and the largest land tortoise in the world. Mammals are less abundant as is often the case with island ecosystems, with the most common being the famous flying fox, a large fruit bat.
There is good of coral and marine life and in excess of 250 hard and soft coral species occurring on the various reefs. Check-out our Diving & Snorkelling page for information on diving and snorkelling, as this page focusses on beach extensions.
