Where to Stay in the Seychelles – Beaches, Amenities, & More

Where to Stay in Mahe

In being the largest island in the Seychelles (despite still being rather small by island standards), you have many distinct areas to stay in.

There is the capital city, Victoria, in the northeast, the long and tourist-oriented beach Beau Vallon in the northwest, and numerous other stunningly beautiful beaches with nice hotels scattered throughout the island, with some of our favorites being in the southwest.

For those who value beach life, the west coast of Mahe is an excellent start because you can get a great sunset view and be on or near one of the best beaches on the island. Beau Vallon, Baie Lazare, Grand Anse, Anse Intendance, and so many more western beaches are just stunners that we spent most of our time on when visiting Mahe.

That said, the beaches towards the southwest (like Baie Lazarae and Anse Intendance) are also somewhat isolated and not that developed. Yes, you may find restaurants and some shops nearby, but the options are inherently limited. In the north, Beau Vallon has the most infrastructure of bars and restaurants not connected to hotels, but it also comes with crowds- it is likely the second busiest beach in the Seychelles up with Anse Source d’Argent on La Digue.

Staying near Victoria presents a third option, as there are some city-like amenities nearby with proximity to the ferry jetty and airport; however, odds are good you are not visiting the Seychelles for a city experience and instead are looking for great beaches, so we would encourage staying on the west side of the island proper to be close to at least one desirable beach at all times.

We have stayed in Beau Vallon and near Baie Lazare over the years and can see arguments both for and against both. They’re both amazing, but with some drawbacks to keep in mind.

In the north, we enjoyed quick access to the beautiful Beau Vallon, more options for dining than we knew what to do with, but did have a bit longer of a drive to get down to the south as there is no direct road connecting the northwest side of the island to the beaches in the south. You have to cross the mountain to Victoria, deal with Victoria traffic, then cross the mountain again to reach the beaches in the southwest which can take upwards of about 45 minutes.

In the south, we had quicker access to some of our favorite beaches, with a quieter pace on each, but also spent a bit more time at our hotel, particularly for dinners, as the options nearby were limited without committing to driving a fair distance at night.

So if you want easy access to several great beaches and are okay with slightly more sparse dining options, we’d err on staying in the southwest near Baie Lazare. If you want more amenities like restaurants and tourist infrastructure, we’d go for Beau Vallon in the northwest. Either way, though, you’re going to have a great time!

• Note: If you plan on traveling to Silhouette Island to stay at the Hilton Labriz before or after your time on Mahe, you may want to consider staying near Beau Vallon as the Labriz jetty is located just a few minutes to the west via car. This may save a 45-minute drive on your transit day compared to driving in from the south.

Where to Stay in Praslin

Praslin is a fair bit smaller than Mahe, but has great beaches and hotel options spread out on nearly all sides of the island.

The two most popular beaches to stay on are arguably Grand Anse on the west and Anse Volbert on the east. Both of these beaches are long, quite beautiful, are near many restaurant options, and have numerous hotels to choose from- all while giving quick access to the central mountain pass to cut across the island in a short drive.

Of course, if you can swing the money, staying at Constance Lemuria in the northwest (a super premium resort) or the Raffles Seychelles near Anse Lazio in the northeast (our favorite beach on the island) also have perks for a high-end experience, with the Raffles being located fairly close to our favorite beach- Anse Lazio (which also has a few budget-friendly hotels on it to consider).

Much like on Mahe, Praslin does not have a road that connects these two areas in the north, so if you wanted to drive from Constance Lemuria to Anse Lazio, you’re also looking at a roughly 45-minute drive around the island- a notable downside.

Thankfully, this is the longest drive between two spots anywhere on Praslin, so if you don’t stay on Anse Lazio or at the Constance Lemuria, everything else is a whole lot closer by default. As such, we do not really have too many concerns about where you stay on Praslin from a travel/logistics point of view, and instead, mostly just opt for the kind of amenities you’re looking for and what beach catches your eye the best.

Personally, we lean towards staying on Grand Anse purely for the hotel options, western view for sunsets, and that beach parking is otherwise limited for those not staying at a hotel. Anse Volbert, on the other hand, has much more plentiful parking for day trip visitors and slightly more amenities (like restaurants and dive shops). These may not be enough to sway one way or another, but are important details to keep in mind.

That said, we’ve also stayed at Coco de Mer Hotel and Black Parrot Suites near Anse Cimetiere and Anse Takamaka on the southwest side of Praslin and quite enjoyed how peaceful and remote it was. While this one was located a few minutes from the acclaimed Les Rochers restaurant, we did end up eating dinners at the hotel more than anticipated, as, much like on Mahe, we really just don’t like to drive too far on the islands at night. Thankfully, they can make a great meal at a very reasonable price, so it worked out in the end!

Where to Stay in La Digue

For those who want to visit what is arguably the best beach in the Seychelles, you’ll have to head to La Digue– and oh is Anse Source d’Argent worth it!

While we have a full article breaking out whether you should take a day trip to La Dige or stay overnight, the answer is pretty clear- if you have the time, can justify the price, and are able to ride a bike, stay overnight. You’ll be happy to have alone time without the daytrippers and be able to catch at least one sunset from the beach.

So, where should you stay once you have come to that decision?

Well, La Digue is such a small island that it’s hard to find a bad place to stay. By bike, you really aren’t too far from anything when visiting. In under 30 minutes on a bicycle, you can be practically anywhere with, perhaps, Grand Anse and Petite Anse Beach in the southeast being an exception for those who are staying along the northern coast.

Still, the two most popular areas for hotels are on the west side of the island (near the town) or along the northern coast near Anse Patates.

Those that stay on the west side near the ferry jetty will be a bit closer to town, closer to Anse Source d’Argent, and, if your hotel has a view to the west, the possibility to catch a sunset right from the property (but let’s be honest, you’re probably going to be on Anse Source d’Argent with everyone else). The hotels along the north are a bit more spread out and are near some of the other rather lovely beaches on La Digue, but are just a bit further away overall (particularly notable if you are going to bike back from Anse Source d’Argent after sunset!).

Beyond this, the question is somewhat immaterial. As long as you are already planning to stay on La Digue, you’ve already made the correct choice. The “where” from there is simply whatever catches your eye, has great reviews, and fits your budget. 

Where to Stay on Silhouette Island 

When it comes to where to stay on Silhouette Island, the vast majority of visitors are likely going to be spending time at the Hilton Labriz Resort. It is the largest hotel on the island, has the most amenities, and, in all honesty, is one of the primary reasons to visit Silhouette Island to begin with.

A second hotel, La Belle Tortue Lodge & Restaurant does exist on the island; however, it is off the resort property just next to the jetty. While we do not have experience staying on this property, if you are wanting to visit Silhouette without staying at the Hilton, it does appear to be your only other option apart from a day trip.

So when we say the options are limited here, we really mean it!

Do you have any tips on where to stay in the Seychelles on Mahe, Praslin, or La Digue? Comment below to share!