Seychelles Island hopping

Your tropical cruise begins in Mahé island, where you’ll be transferred to your Emerald Cruises luxury yacht and embark on your discovery of the Seychelles.

Late in the morning cruise to Sainte Anne Channel. It is encircled by a Marine National Park, home to incredible marine life including more than 150 species of fish. Sainte Anne is now a significant nesting site for Hawksbill turtles.

We sail to Thérèse Island in the morning. This jewel of the Seychelles is a tiny, uninhabited island with rugged rock formations, long white-sand beaches and lush vegetation. The island has two imposing rocky peaks, which are thought to resemble a giant’s staircase.

Early in the morning we cruise to Cousin Island, a small island renowned as a haven for seabirds. The granitic islet was a private property until 1968 when it was purchased by the International Council for Bird Preservation to transform it into a nature reserve. It’s the most protected island in the archipelago, providing a breeding ground for eleven sea bird species annually and a habitat for five birds native to the Seychelles. We stay overnight in Praslin.

Praslin, the second largest island in the Seychelles, is visually stunning with tropical jungle-fringed beaches, emerald waters and powdery sand. Anse Lazio beach has been voted one of the world’s best several times and there’s a dazzling reef just offshore brimming with coral and marine life. On land, coconut palms and granite boulders create a picture-postcard landscape. In the centre of the island, discover the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve.

We cruise to La Digue Island later in the afternoon.

La Digue Island, the smallest of the three populated islands in the Seychelles, has exquisite natural wonders and incredible wildlife, such as the Giant Aldabra Tortoises. Like Praslin Island, it possesses world-famous beaches, with one of the most recognisable being Anse Source d'Argent. It has pink-hued sands contrasting with rock formations and aquamarine waters.

We will navigate to Curieuse later in the evening.

Curieuse is a rugged island swathed in unspoilt wilderness and home to hundreds of resident Aldabra giant tortoises. Apart from its obvious natural beauty, it has a fascinating history. It was once a quarantine station, and the original French colonial doctor’s house has a museum and visitor’s centre.

Early in the morning, we sail to Aride, a nature reserve in the Indian Ocean. Nature enthusiasts and wildlife photographers flock to this island, where more than thirty rare bird species nest in the verdant vegetation. The landscape is enticing with fine-sand beaches, coconut palms and soaring cliffs.

Mahé is the main island of the scenic Seychelles and the largest of the archipelago. It’s home to the capital Victoria, which was founded in the French settler period in 1778 and named later by the British, after Queen Victoria. The island of Mahé has pristine beaches dotted with huge rocks and tranquil nature trails threaded through the Morne Seychellois National Park.

Your time aboard your Emerald Cruises luxury yacht comes to an end in Mahè island. From the yacht, you will be transferred to the airport for your journey home or to continue your holiday.