Discover Silhouette: Seychelles’ Emerald Isle

Silhouette Island floats 20 kilometers northwest of Mahé, the main island of the Seychelles, with a permanent population of around 200 people and not a single road or car. Ninety-three percent of its landmass sits inside a protected national park, and the surrounding waters have held Marine National Park status since 1987. The island’s jagged granite profile — dominated by Mont Dauban at 751 meters — is the same dark outline you see from Beau Vallon Beach on Mahé, a visual reminder that raw, roadless wilderness lies just a short boat ride from the resort strip.

This guide is for anyone who wants to trade the buzz of Mahé for a day or two of genuine quiet. Silhouette isn’t a place you pass through; it’s a place you slow down for. Whether you’re hiking through primary forest to a beach with no road access, snorkeling over reefs that have been protected for nearly four decades, or simply sitting on the pier at La Passe watching fishermen unload their catch, the island demands a different pace. The throughline here is simple: Silhouette works best when you let it set the rhythm, not your itinerary.

Below is a quick overview of the main activities on Silhouette, so you can see at a glance what fits your style. The sections that follow go deeper on each one.

Getting to Silhouette: Ferries, Helicopters, and Private Boats

The most common way to reach Silhouette is the scheduled ferry from Bel Ombre on the northwest coast of Mahé. The crossing takes about 45 minutes in calm conditions, though the schedule is limited — departures are tied to resort operations, so day visitors need to plan around fixed windows. A one-way ticket runs around $50–70 USD; confirm current rates before you book, as prices shift with season and demand.

Helicopter transfers cut the crossing to roughly 15 minutes and give you a bird’s-eye view of the channel and the island’s steep granite slopes. The helipad sits near La Passe, so you land within walking distance of the settlement. Baggage weight limits apply, and flights depend on weather — the channel can turn choppy, which grounds helicopters faster than it stops ferries.

Private yacht charters from Eden Island Marina or Victoria Harbor offer the most flexibility. You set your own departure time, stop for a swim or snorkel along the way, and return after sunset if you want. CharterClick operates captained motor yachts and catamarans for day routes to Silhouette, with the vessel doubling as a shaded base between activities.

Hiking the National Park: Mont Dauban and the Anse Mondon Trail

Silhouette’s interior is a tangle of primary forest, endemic palms, and granite peaks — five of them rise above 500 meters. The principal hiking route runs from La Passe across the island to Anse Mondon, a former village site on the north coast with no road access. The trail takes two to three hours each way, passing through dense forest where you’ll find hardwoods, pitcher plants, and the critically endangered Impatiens gordonii, a white-flowered relative of garden balsam that grows only on Mahé and Silhouette.

Mont Dauban, the island’s highest point at 751 meters, is the other major hiking objective. The summit offers views across the inner islands, but the trail is steep and unmarked in sections. Guides from the island’s conservation staff can accompany hikes on request — this is standard for routes beyond the immediate La Passe area, partly because the terrain is rugged and partly because the protected forest status requires visitors to stay on marked paths.

Sturdy hiking shoes are non-negotiable. The granite trails get slippery after rain, and the wet season (November to April) turns stretches of trail into muddy streams. Carry at least a liter of water per person and some insect repellent — there are no shops or kiosks along any of the wilderness routes.

Beaches and Marine Life: Anse Lascars, Anse Mondon, and the Marine Park

Silhouette’s beaches are the payoff after the hike — or the reason you came by boat in the first place. Anse Lascars, a sheltered cove just south of La Passe, is the easiest to reach. The sand is soft and white, the water is calm enough for a relaxed swim, and the setting is framed by palms and granite boulders. Early graves at Anse Lascars — once attributed to Arab traders but now dated to around 1800 — add a quiet historical layer to what is otherwise a straightforward beach day.

Anse Mondon, on the north coast, is the opposite: you earn it. No road leads there. The beach is long, the water is clear, and the snorkeling off the headlands is some of the best on the island. Because access is limited to hikers and boat arrivals, you’ll rarely share the sand with more than a handful of people.

The waters around Silhouette have been a Marine National Park since 1987, which means fishing and anchoring on coral are prohibited within roughly one mile of shore. The reefs hold reef fish, rays, and hawksbill and green turtles. Visibility is best during the calm inter-monsoon months of April–May and October–November. Snorkelers can reach nearshore reefs directly from Anse Mondon or La Passe; divers typically access sites from La Passe or from a vessel positioned outside the park boundary.

History and Heritage: Dauban Plantation and the Pirate Legend

Silhouette’s recorded history stretches back to 1609, when an English East India Company vessel became the first documented ship to land here. Permanent settlement began in the early 19th century, and from the 1860s the Dauban family developed plantations of timber, fruit, spices, and oils across the island. The restored Dauban Plantation House in La Passe — built around 1861 — now operates as a museum, holding original photographs and furnishings from the plantation era. It is a National Monument, along with the cast-iron Dauban mausoleum nearby, which was modeled on the Église de la Madeleine in Paris.

The island also carries a layer of pirate lore. During the late 18th century, Silhouette served as a base for Jean Hodoul, a French privateer who sailed the spice routes. Local legends claim that Hodoul’s stolen golden treasure remains hidden inside the network of caves carved into the island’s steep cliffs. Whether or not the treasure exists, the story turns a walk through the roadless interior into something closer to a historical novel — you’re tracing the same granite slopes that a privateer used as a lookout two centuries ago.

Where to Stay on Silhouette

Accommodation on Silhouette is extremely limited — there is exactly one resort on the island, located on the beach at La Passe, and no guesthouses, self-catering apartments, or second hotels. The resort occupies the flat coastal strip below the mountains and is the only option for an overnight stay on land.

For most visitors, the practical alternatives are a day trip from Mahé or an overnight stay on a chartered yacht at anchor. A day trip works if you catch the early ferry and return late afternoon, giving you roughly 4–6 hours on the island — enough for one hike or a beach visit, but tight for both. A chartered yacht lets you anchor off the coast overnight, giving you a sunrise start for hiking or diving and connecting Silhouette to a longer sailing itinerary across the inner islands.

If you’re set on staying on land, book the resort well ahead — there is only one property, and its rooms fill quickly during the dry season (May to October) and the shoulder months around it.

When to Visit: Weather, Crowds, and Turtle Nesting

The dry season from May to October brings clearer skies, lower humidity, and better conditions for hiking. Daytime highs sit around 27–30°C (80–86°F), and the southeast trade winds keep the air fresh. This is also when the ferry crossing is most comfortable, though prices for accommodation and transport rise, especially in July and August.

The inter-monsoon months of April–May and October–November offer the calmest seas and best underwater visibility — ideal for snorkeling and diving. These windows also fall outside the peak crowd periods, so you’ll find better availability and slightly lower prices.

Turtle nesting season runs from October to February, when hawksbill and green turtles come ashore on the quieter bays. If seeing a nesting turtle is high on your list, plan for these months, but be ready for the wetter weather that comes with the northwest monsoon (November to March). Trails get slippery, and the air turns muggy, but the water flattens and the reefs are at their most vibrant.

Before You Go — Silhouette Island

How long do I need on Silhouette?

A day trip gives you 4–6 hours on the island, which is enough for one hike or a beach visit. To hike to Anse Mondon and back, plus snorkel, you’ll want at least one overnight. The ferry schedule limits day-use time, so staying overnight — on land or on a charter yacht — lets you move at your own pace.

Can I swim and snorkel right from the beach?

Yes. Anse Mondon and La Passe both have nearshore reefs you can reach without a boat. Anse Lascars is better for swimming than snorkeling — the water is calm and protected, but the reef life is richer off the headlands at Anse Mondon.

What’s the biggest practical risk?

Missing the last ferry back to Mahé. The ferry has fixed, limited departures tied to resort operations, and there is no backup public transport. If you’re day-tripping, confirm the return time before you board the morning crossing, and build in a buffer.

Is Silhouette suitable for kids?

The easy beach at Anse Lascars works well for younger children — calm water, soft sand, short walk from La Passe. The longer hikes (Anse Mondon, Mont Dauban) are too demanding for most kids under 10, especially in humid conditions. A private charter that drops you at Anse Mondon by boat solves the access problem.

Closing

Silhouette doesn’t compete with the rest of the Seychelles on infrastructure or nightlife or convenience. What it offers is something rarer in this archipelago: a place where the only way across the island is on foot, the permanent population fits in a single village, and the forest has been left alone long enough to become a refuge for species that exist nowhere else. That’s the trade — and for anyone who makes it, the island leaves a deeper impression than any resort beach. For more on navigating the inner islands, see our guide to island hopping like a pro through Seychelles’ inner islands.

References

CharterClick Seychelles. “Silhouette Island Seychelles.” 2025. ↗

Seychelles Tourism Board. “Silhouette Island.” ↗

Take Your Backpack. “How to Visit Silhouette Island.” 2025. ↗

Les Deux Pieds Dehors. “Silhouette Island Seychelles.” 2025. ↗

If you’re planning a longer Seychelles trip, our guide to getting up close with giant tortoises on Curieuse covers another island worth a day of your itinerary. For hikers, conquering Mahé’s Morne Seychellois offers a different kind of summit challenge. And if you’re considering a resort stay elsewhere in the archipelago, our experience at Four Seasons Desroches Island gives a sense of what luxury looks like on a private island.