Beyond the Beaches: Discovering Seychelles’ Underrated Islands

Seychelles is made up of 115 islands and atolls scattered across the Indian Ocean, yet the vast majority of visitors never set foot on more than three of them. The inner granite trio of Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue draw nearly all the attention — and rightly so, with their palm-forested valleys and boulder-strewn beaches. But that leaves 72 outer islands and a handful of lesser-visited inner islands that most travellers skip entirely. This article is for anyone who wants to trade the ferry queue for a wildlife sanctuary, the resort pool for a trail through primeval forest, and the crowded beach for a stretch of sand where your only company is a giant tortoise.

The table below gives a quick comparison of Seychelles’ most rewarding underrated islands, from wildlife sanctuaries to remote diving atolls.

Silhouette Island: Rainforest, Reefs and Near-Total Seclusion

What if you could hike through a primeval forest without another soul in earshot? Silhouette, the third-largest granitic island in Seychelles, is dominated by Mount Dauban and covered almost entirely in dense forest. Ninety-three percent of the island falls within a national park, giving it some of the most pristine and untouched hiking trails in the archipelago. Trails wind past spice plants, millipedes, and towering tree trunks before emerging at remote beaches with views of North Island — the spot where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge honeymooned.

The island has one resort and a handful of village services, so dining and accommodation are limited. A boat transfer from Mahé takes roughly 45 minutes, and scheduled ferry service is limited — most visitors arrange private transfers. The payoff is a level of quiet that the main islands simply can’t offer. Trails are rugged and require sturdy footwear; the hike to the summit is challenging but rewards with panoramic views of the surrounding ocean and granite peaks.

Curieuse Island: Walking Among Giant Tortoises

Curieuse Island sits a short boat ride from Praslin and offers one of Seychelles’ most accessible wildlife encounters: hundreds of Aldabra giant tortoises roaming freely across the low-lying eastern side of the island. The tortoises range from hatchlings to supercentenarians — the oldest individuals are estimated at over 130 years. Curieuse is also one of only two islands in Seychelles where the coco de mer palm grows naturally, alongside the Vallée de Mai on Praslin.

A half-day boat trip from Praslin, often operated by companies like Curieuse Island Excursions, brings visitors to the island. A two-kilometre boardwalk cuts through mangrove forest to the west side, where a restored Creole-style doctor’s house from 1873 — originally a leper colony — now serves as a small museum. The waters around Curieuse are protected as a marine park, and many boat trips combine the island with a snorkeling stop at nearby St. Pierre, a castaway rock with ultra-clear water, colourful fish shoals, and sea turtles. You cannot land on St. Pierre, so a dayboat is essential.

Cousine Island: Conservation First, Tourism Second

Most people assume Seychelles’ private islands are all luxury resorts with infinity pools. Cousine Island Special Reserve flips that assumption. A dedicated conservation sanctuary, Cousine restricts access to a handful of guests staying at its exclusive eco-lodge, and day visits are not permitted. The island’s entire operation is built around protecting indigenous wildlife: endemic birds, lizards, and a population of giant tortoises that roam the grounds without any commercial development competing for space.

The result is an incredibly intimate encounter with nature. Guests can walk the island with guides who explain the conservation work — monitoring nesting seabirds, tracking tortoise movements, and maintaining the native forest. Because visitor numbers are so low, wildlife tends to ignore humans entirely. Cousine is not a budget option, but for travellers who want to see what Seychelles looked like before the resorts arrived, it offers something the main islands cannot.

Fregate Island: Where Luxury Funded a Species’ Comeback

Fregate Island Private tells a different story: luxury accommodation and serious conservation working in parallel. The island’s recovery of the Seychelles magpie robin — once down to a handful of individuals — is one of the Indian Ocean’s most celebrated conservation successes. Giant tortoise breeding programmes operate on the island, and guests can walk among them without the crowds that gather around tortoise enclosures elsewhere.

The price tag reflects the exclusivity: Fregate is among the most expensive private-island experiences in Seychelles, with a single villa costing well over $2,000 a night. But the money directly funds the conservation work. For travellers who can afford it, Fregate offers a model of what tourism can achieve when it prioritizes restoration over expansion. For everyone else, it’s worth knowing that the island’s conservation story is accessible through documentaries and articles — you don’t have to stay overnight to appreciate what it represents.

Aride Island: A Bird Sanctuary With No Frills

Birders, this one is for you. Aride Island is a strict nature reserve managed by the Island Conservation Society, and it makes no concessions to casual tourism. There are no beaches suitable for swimming, no accommodation, no food services, and no visitor facilities beyond basic trails. What it does have is one of the densest concentrations of seabirds in Seychelles, including red-footed boobies, masked boobies, brown boobies, lesser noddies, frigate birds, and sooty terns.

Access is limited to guided day trips from Mahé or Praslin via authorized boat tours. The terrain is rugged — steep cliffs, dense vegetation, and uneven paths — so sturdy shoes and a reasonable fitness level are non-negotiable. Visitors must bring their own water and snacks. The reward is a raw, unfiltered wildlife experience that feels more like fieldwork than tourism. If your idea of a perfect island day involves sitting quietly while thousands of seabirds wheel overhead, Aride is worth the logistical hassle.

Bird Island: Sooty Terns and Giant Tortoises at the Northern Tip

Bird Island sits at the northernmost point of the Seychelles archipelago, a flat, small sand cay that lives up to its name with minimal fanfare. During breeding season, more than a million sooty terns nest here, creating a spectacle that has to be seen — and heard — to be believed. Giant tortoises roam freely across the island, and turtle nesting sites are monitored along the shoreline.

Like Aride, Bird Island has no tourist infrastructure: no accommodation, no dining, no shops. It is a day-trip destination accessed via authorized boat tours from Mahé. Guided walks take visitors through the bird colonies without disturbing the habitat, and the flat terrain makes for easy walking compared to Aride’s rugged trails. For photographers and wildlife enthusiasts, the sheer density of birdlife is unmatched anywhere in the inner islands.

Coco Island: A Snorkeling Stop That Punches Above Its Size

Tiny, uninhabited, and often visited as part of a boat excursion from Praslin or Mahé, Coco Island is less a destination in its own right than a spectacular snorkeling and diving site. Shallow, crystal-clear waters surround dramatic granite formations that rise from the seabed, attracting vibrant coral reefs and a dense concentration of marine life — including turtles, eagle rays, and reef sharks.

You cannot land on Coco Island, and there are no facilities of any kind. The appeal is entirely underwater. Boat excursions typically anchor off the island for an hour or two of snorkeling before moving on to another stop — often combined with Curieuse or St. Pierre. For travellers who want a quick, accessible taste of Seychelles’ marine biodiversity without committing to a full dive trip, Coco delivers reliably.

The Outer Islands: Alphonse, Cosmoledo and Astove

The Outer Islands sound like a fantasy — and for most travellers, they are exactly that. These remote atolls, hundreds of miles from Mahé, require a small plane or a liveaboard boat to reach, and the cost reflects the distance. But for divers, fly-fishers, and anyone who wants to experience an ecosystem that has barely changed in centuries, they represent the most pristine wilderness Seychelles has to offer.

Blue Safari, the main operator in the region, runs eco-pods and lodges on Alphonse, Cosmoledo, and Astove. Alphonse Island Lodge, a 29-key eco-resort powered mostly by solar energy, starts at around $4,584 per person for three nights (as reported in a December 2025 Condé Nast Traveler feature). Cosmoledo’s Eco Camp uses converted shipping containers with private decks and outdoor showers, from roughly $1,404 per person. Astove’s Coral House offers six refurbished rooms on a tiny atoll where migratory birds land on the runway and green turtles nest on the beach. A ghost yacht, the Shangri-La, lies beached on Astove’s northwestern shore — a reminder of how isolated this place really is.

Practical Considerations for Island-Hopping Beyond the Main Three

Access is the single biggest friction point when visiting Seychelles’ underrated islands. Unlike the Mahé–Praslin–La Digue ferry triangle, which runs multiple times daily year-round, most of the islands covered here require pre-arranged boat charters, authorized guided tours, or private transfers. Cousine, Aride, and Bird Island restrict access through licensed operators only — you cannot simply show up at a dock and buy a ticket.

Cost varies dramatically. A half-day trip to Curieuse from Praslin runs around $60–$90 per person and is the most budget-friendly option on this list. Silhouette demands a boat transfer and either a day-use fee or an overnight stay at the resort, pushing daily costs above $150. Fregate and the Blue Safari Outer Islands comfortably exceed $500–$2,000 per person per night. Plan accordingly and book everything in advance — especially during peak season (April to October), when calm seas make crossings reliable but slots fill quickly.

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Before You Go — Seychelles’ Underrated Islands

Which underrated island should I visit first?

Start with Curieuse if you’re based on Praslin — it’s the easiest to reach, affordable, and delivers a genuine wildlife experience in a half-day trip. If you’re on Mahé and want a full-day adventure, Silhouette offers the best hiking outside the main islands.

Can I visit Cousine or Aride without staying overnight?

Aride is day-trip only — no accommodation exists. Cousine requires an overnight stay at its eco-lodge; day visits are not permitted. Both require booking through authorized operators, and availability is limited during peak seasons.

What’s the best time of year for these islands?

April to October offers the calmest seas and driest weather, making boat transfers safer and more comfortable. For wildlife viewing on Aride and Bird Island, visit during the breeding season (May to September). The Outer Islands are accessible year-round but the best conditions align with the same dry months.

Are these islands suitable for families with children?

Curieuse and Coco work well for families — short boat rides, gentle terrain on Curieuse, and easy snorkeling at Coco. Silhouette’s hiking trails are too rugged for young children. Aride and Bird Island have no facilities and require self-sufficiency, so they suit older kids and teens with a genuine interest in wildlife.

Is it worth visiting an outer island if I only have a week in Seychelles?

Probably not. The Outer Islands demand at least two full days of travel time (flights, transfers, overnight stays) and a significant budget. With only a week, focus on the main three islands plus one day-trip to Curieuse or Silhouette. Save the Outer Islands for a return trip.

Beyond the Postcard

The beaches of Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue are what put Seychelles on the map — and they’re worth every bit of their reputation. But the islands that don’t make the postcards offer something the main trio can’t: the chance to stand in a prehistoric palm forest without a queue, watch a giant tortoise move at its own pace across an empty beach, or snorkel a reef that’s been untouched for centuries. Seychelles is 115 islands strong. You owe it to yourself to see more than three.

For a deeper dive into one of the most rewarding underrated islands, read our guide to hiking Silhouette Island’s pristine rainforests.

References

Condé Nast Traveler. “Exploring Seychelles’ Outer Islands, Some of Earth’s Last Truly Wild Places.” December 2025. ↗

African Leadership Magazine. “Beyond the Beaches: 10 Seychelles Experiences Every Traveller Should Discover.” 2024. ↗

JRny Magazine. “Seychelles Beyond the Beaches: 9 Things to Do.” 2024. ↗

If you’re planning a full island-hopping itinerary, our 7-day Seychelles island-hopping guide covers the main three islands in depth. For the best snorkeling spots, check out Seychelles under the sea. And if you’re curious about La Digue’s most famous beach, Anse Source d’Argent remains the island’s signature sight.