Discover Mahé by Car

The best beaches, viewpoints and small local spots are rarely the ones right outside your hotel. Here's where to drive, what to see, and how to get around Mahé by car.

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Why a car changes the trip?

The Island Is Bigger Than It Looks

Mahé is the largest island in Seychelles, but the places you'll remember are strung along coastal and mountain roads. Having your own car means stopping whenever a beach, a viewpoint or a roadside restaurant catches your eye. From the busy north to the quiet bays of the south, every stretch of the island feels different.

A different beach every day

Mahé has beaches for swimming, beaches for sunset, and quiet bays that never seem to have anyone on them. Beau Vallon and the north draw the crowds, while the west coast and the southern shoreline stay far calmer. With a car, you choose based on the weather, the sea and what you feel like that morning.

Scenic drives and viewpoints

Mahé's roads climb through tropical forest, drop into coastal villages and open onto views you'll want to stop for. The mountain route across the middle of the island gives you a completely different Mahé from the one you see at sea level. Follow the coast north or south afterwards and stop as often as you like.

The south is where Mahé slows down

Quieter beaches, lush tropical scenery and a gentler pace make the south of Mahé well worth the drive. Anse Royale, Takamaka and Baie Lazare are highlights along the way, but one stop worth allowing some extra time for is Cap Lazare Private Nature Reserve.

Cap Lazare offers a glimpse of a more authentic Seychelles, with tropical gardens, farm life, free-roaming Aldabra giant tortoises and traditional island experiences. Visitors can enjoy Creole food in a relaxed feet-in-the-sand setting, see the traditional Seychellois process of slowly drying coconuts over charcoal to make copra for artisanal coconut oil, and discover essential oils distilled on the property from plants such as wild cinnamon leaves and lemongrass.

It is a wonderful place to spend a few hours and a natural stop while exploring the wild south of Mahé.