Have you heard about the beautiful of the Island of Mahé in the Seychelles?
Mahé Island offers a plethora of fun activities. From stunning beaches like Beau Vallon and Anse Intendance, to exploring Morne Seychellois National Park, there’s something for everyone. Enjoy snorkeling, hiking, rum distillery tours, and experiencing the vibrant culture at Victoria Market.
There are plenty of beautiful beaches nearby and some nice local shops. There are also several luxury resorts in the area which offer some wonderful restaurants. It just had good vibes!
The Island of Mahé is the largest island of Seychelles, with an area of 157.3 square kilometres (60.7 square miles), lying in the northeast of the Seychellois nation in the Somali Sea part of the Indian Ocean. The population of Mahé is approx. 105,000 people. It contains the capital city of Victoria and accommodates 86% of the country’s total population. The island was named after Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais, a French governor of Isle de France (modern-day Mauritius).
Mahé’s tallest peak is Morne Seychellois at 905 m (2,969 feet), which lies in the Morne Seychellois National Park. The northern and eastern parts of the island are home to much of the population and the Seychelles International Airport which opened in 1971. The southern and western parts have Baie Ternay Marine National Park, Port Launay Marine National Park, and University of Seychelles.
Mahé’s forests have rare endemic plants found only in Seychelles, such as the critically endangered Medusagyne oppositifolia (the jellyfish tree), the carnivorous Nepenthes pervillei (Seychelles pitcher plant), and many unique species of orchid.
The History
Mahé was first visited by the British in 1609 and not visited by Europeans again until Lazare Picault’s expedition of 1742. The French navy frégate Le Cerf (English: The Deer) arrived at Port Victoria on 1 November 1756. On board was Corneille Nicholas Morphey, leader of the French expedition, which claimed the island for the King of France by laying a Stone of Possession on Mahé, Seychelles’ oldest monument, now on display in the National Museum, Victoria.
In August 1801, Royal Navy frigate HMS Sibylle captured the French frigate Chiffonne on the island. Mahé remained a French possession until 1812 when it became a British colony. It remained a colony until 1976 when Seychelles became an independent nation.
Mahé had a huge land reclamation project due to a housing shortage in the areas of Bel Ombre and the Port of Victoria.
Mahé was largely a plantation owned by the Frichot family. In 1977, France-Albert René staged a coup d’état and forced all the Frichots out of Seychelles or into prison. Some, such as Robert Frichot, were held in René’s jails for several months in 1978 and told to leave Seychelles for their own safety upon release.
Seychelles is a group of 115 islands located in the Indian Ocean, to the east of Africa. Mahé is the largest island in the Seychelles and home to the international airport. If you’re planning on visiting any island within the Seychelles then you will have to pass through Mahé. I honestly chose to stay at Mahé for this reason but it was definitely worth the visit.
I can’t compare Mahé to other islands in the Seychelles as I have never been to the other islands but I can say that Mahé was very different to any island I had been to before. It’s much undeveloped which is something which I loved about the island. I didn’t see that many tourists whilst I was there. The many scenic beaches were dotted with smiling locals and the houses were simple yet attractive.
The landscape was probably the thing I loved most about Mahé. The land was laden with mountains covered in thick, lush forests. At the coast were white-sand beaches, sheltered by dramatic granite boulders. The waters surrounding the island were turquoise and teeming with marine life. Standing proudly in the ocean were several small islets. Mahé is a truly beautiful island and definitely worth stopping at.
So if you are planning your next vacation to Africa, consider adding the Mahé Island to your bucket list.
Stay tuned for more African Travel Destinations across the continent.
