Most visitors to Seychelles land on Mahé and never leave its resort-lined coast. That’s a mistake. The archipelago’s real character lives on the smaller islands — places where giant tortoises outnumber people, where the only traffic is a bicycle bell, and where a single resort might occupy an entire protected shoreline. Roughly 93% of Silhouette Island, the third-largest in the chain, is designated national park, a figure that puts the scale of its undeveloped interior into perspective.
Roughly 93% of Silhouette Island is designated national park.
This guide covers the islands that most itineraries skip: Curieuse, Silhouette, Cousin, and the quieter corners of La Digue. Each offers something the main island circuit doesn’t — fewer crowds, stronger wildlife encounters, and a pace that forces you to slow down. The tradeoff is access. These aren’t islands you wander onto. You plan ahead, you book transfers, and you accept that some of the best experiences require a boat ride and a bit of patience.
Seychelles’ smaller islands reward the traveller willing to leave the main resort strip. You trade convenience for space — fewer restaurants, fewer shops, but beaches where you might not see another person for an hour. The catch: inter-island ferries and hotel transfers need booking in advance, and some islands (like Silhouette) have limited day-visitor capacity. Plan around that, and the payoff is real.
Getting Your Bearings in the Inner Islands
The inner islands cluster within a 90-minute ferry radius of Mahé, but each feels a world apart.
Praslin acts as the hub. From its jetty, ferries run to La Digue in 15 minutes and to Curieuse via organised tours. Silhouette sits west of Mahé, reachable only by hotel transfer or pre-booked day trip. Cousin Island, a protected nature reserve southwest of Praslin, opens to visitors on guided walks only — no independent exploration allowed. Distances between these islands rarely exceed 90 minutes by boat, but schedules are sparse. Miss the morning crossing and you might wait until late afternoon.
Wildlife photographers
Travellers seeking quiet beaches
Couples on a multi-island itinerary
One limitation worth naming: the inner islands lack the dining and shopping variety of Mahé. On Curieuse, there are no restaurants at all — tours include a packed lunch. On Silhouette, the Hilton Labriz resort dominates the eastern coast, and day visitors eat at its restaurant or bring supplies. La Digue has more options, but evening meals book out quickly at the handful of guesthouse-run tables. Plan meals as carefully as you plan transport.
Where to Go Beyond the Main Beaches
Curieuse Island: Tortoises and a Leper Colony Past
A brief boat ride from Praslin’s north coast delivers you to Curieuse, a nature reserve where more than 300 giant tortoises roam freely. The island’s red-soil beaches and gnarled mangrove forests feel raw compared to the manicured sands of Anse Lazio. A half-day trip lets you hike the nature trail through mangroves — crabs scuttle underfoot and endemic birds call from the canopy — all the way to the opposite shore. The doctor’s house from the island’s leper colony era now serves as a small museum and visitor centre, offering context most beach-hopping travellers miss.
Snorkelling conditions depend on the day. If the skipper judges the water calm enough, the trip usually includes a stop at nearby St Pierre, a tiny uninhabited islet ringed by reef where sergeant majors and rainbow parrotfish dart past in dense shoals. The catch: Curieuse has no shade beyond the mangroves, and the midday sun is punishing. Tours typically depart early morning for a reason.
Silhouette Island: 93% National Park
Silhouette Island is the third-largest in the archipelago and the least developed. With 93% of its land area protected as national park, the interior is a dense tangle of endemic palms, cinnamon trees, and mossy granite slopes. The Hilton Labriz resort occupies the eastern coast along Anse La Passe beach, but beyond that, the only sign of settlement is the Dauban family’s 1860s house. Hiking guides lead guests and day visitors on the moderate Jardin Marron route, which follows trails carved by escaped slaves — expect scrambling over rocks, traversing tree branches, and climbing slopes through thick forest.
Snorkelling around Silhouette is the island’s trump card. The surrounding waters are a protected conservation area, and pufferfish and octopus are common sightings. Day visitors need to arrange transfers through the resort, and space is limited. Book at least a week ahead during peak months.
The Jardin Marron trail on Silhouette follows routes used by escaped slaves in the 19th century. It’s a moderate hike — mossy rocks and tree-root steps — but the historical weight of the path adds a layer most Seychelles hikes lack.
Cousin Island: Birds Over Beaches
Just over a mile southwest of Praslin, Cousin Island is a protected nature reserve opened in 1968 specifically to preserve seabird populations. The native bird population here exceeds 300,000, and the endangered Seychelles Magpie Robin is a regular sighting. Admission costs 600 SCR per person, and all visits are guided — you walk through thick forest on designated trails while a ranger points out species and explains the reserve’s conservation work. There are no beaches for swimming here. This is an island for birders and photographers, not loungers.
The guided format means you move at a steady pace and cannot wander off trail. Most tours last two to three hours. Bring water and wear closed shoes — the forest floor is uneven and muddy after rain.
Practical Planning for the Outer Islands
Getting to these islands requires more coordination than a Mahé resort stay, but the logistics are straightforward once you know the windows.
| Island | Access from | Travel time | Day trip possible? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curieuse | Praslin | 15 min by boat | Yes — half-day tours |
| Silhouette | Mahé | 45 min by hotel transfer | Limited — book ahead |
| Cousin | Praslin | 10 min by boat | Yes — guided walks only |
| La Digue | Praslin | 15 min by ferry | Yes — but stay overnight recommended |
Getting There and Between Islands
International flights land on Mahé. From there, Air Seychelles operates onward flights to Praslin, but the Cat Cocos ferries are affordable and punctual — the crossing takes about an hour. On Praslin, hire a car to reach the north-coast departure points for Curieuse and Cousin tours; expect winding, hilly roads. For Silhouette, transfers are arranged through Hilton Labriz and depart from Mahé’s Beau Vallon jetty. Buses operate on both Mahé and Praslin, but schedules are infrequent on the latter — taxis and hotel transfers are more reliable for early-morning tour departures.
Best Time and What to Pack
The dry season from May to September brings stronger trade winds and rougher seas on exposed crossings, but it’s also the window for whale shark sightings. The calmer period from October to April offers flatter water for snorkelling trips to St Pierre and Silhouette’s reefs. Either way, pack a reef-safe mineral sunscreen — the marine protected areas around these islands enforce strict sunscreen regulations, and the rangers do check.
Curieuse has no shade beyond the mangrove boardwalk. The midday heat is intense, and the red sand absorbs and radiates heat. Tours depart early — by 10 a.m. the sun is already punishing. Bring a wide-brimmed hat and at least one litre of water per person.
For the hiking trails on Silhouette and the guided walks on Cousin, a lightweight waterproof hiking shoe makes a real difference — the trails get slick after rain, and the mangrove boardwalks on Curieuse can be slippery at low tide. A waterproof dry bag is useful for keeping camera gear and dry clothes safe during the boat crossings, especially in the windier months.
On the Ground: What to Know Before You Go
Entry Requirements and Connectivity
Apply for a Seychelles Travel Authorisation online up to 10 days before arrival. You’ll need to upload a head shot, passport page image, and travel information. You can purchase a local SIM or eSIM for activation on arrival during the same application process — useful for booking last-minute ferry changes or checking tour availability.
Food and Dining Realities
On Curieuse, there are no restaurants. Tours include a packed lunch, typically a sandwich, fruit, and water. On Silhouette, day visitors eat at the Hilton Labriz restaurant or bring their own supplies. La Digue has more options — try the curry at the Jardin du Roi spice garden restaurant, high above the coastline, where fresh herbs come from the surrounding grounds. But even there, evening meals at the popular guesthouse tables fill by late afternoon. Book ahead wherever possible.
Local Etiquette and Practical Tips
On La Digue, cycling is the transport mode of choice — no cars are allowed unless they provide a public service. Bikes are available near the ferry port. The Veuve Nature Reserve on La Digue protects the critically endangered black paradise flycatcher, with fewer than 300 left in Seychelles. Guided tours are guaranteed to find the bird, but the reserve closes at 4 p.m. and the best sightings happen in the cooler morning hours. On Cousin, the guided walks move at a steady pace and you cannot wander off trail — respect the ranger’s instructions, as the reserve’s bird populations are sensitive to disturbance.
- Book Curieuse and Cousin tours from Praslin at least two days ahead — morning slots fill first.
- Silhouette day visits require hotel transfer booking; confirm availability a week in advance during peak season.
- Pack reef-safe sunscreen, a dry bag, and closed-toe shoes for mangrove and forest trails.
Seychelles’ Secret Islands: Your Questions Answered
Can you visit Silhouette Island without staying at the resort?
Yes, but day visits are limited and must be arranged through Hilton Labriz. The resort controls access because the island is 93% national park and has no public ferry service. Book at least a week ahead during dry season.
The tradeoff is that day visitors can use the resort’s restaurant and join guided hikes like the Jardin Marron trail. You just can’t wander the island independently — all movement outside the resort footprint requires a guide.
Is Curieuse Island worth a half-day trip from Praslin?
If you want to see giant tortoises in a natural setting rather than a pen, yes. More than 300 roam freely across the island, and the mangrove trail offers a different side of Seychelles — muddy, crab-scuttled, and raw. The red-sand beaches photograph well but offer no shade.
The catch: the tour includes a snorkel stop at St Pierre only if conditions are calm. In windy months (May–September), that stop gets skipped more often than not.
How much time should I spend on La Digue?
A few hours is enough to cycle to Anse Source d’Argent and back, but two nights lets you discover the island at a laid-back pace. The Veuve Nature Reserve, Belle Vue viewpoint, and Grand Anse (where swimming isn’t allowed due to rough waters) each need separate trips.
The tension is practical: evening meals at the handful of guesthouse-run tables book out early, and the island’s limited accommodation fills fast. Book both well ahead.
What’s the best island for snorkelling?
Silhouette Island’s protected waters offer the most consistent conditions — pufferfish and octopus are common, and the reef is in good health. Curieuse’s St Pierre stop is excellent when the sea is calm, but it’s weather-dependent.
Cousin Island has no snorkelling at all — the reserve focuses entirely on bird conservation. For dedicated snorkellers, a dedicated kids snorkel set is worth packing if you’re travelling with children; the rental gear on tour boats is often worn.
Are the outer islands suitable for families with children?
Yes, with planning. Curieuse’s half-day tour is manageable for most kids — the boat ride is short, the tortoises are a guaranteed hit, and the mangrove trail is flat. La Digue’s cycling culture works well for families who bike regularly.
The limitation: Silhouette’s Jardin Marron hike involves scrambling over rocks and tree branches, which is tough for younger children. Cousin’s guided walks require quiet patience — not ideal for toddlers. Choose based on your kids’ stamina and interest.
One Last Thing
The islands that require the most effort to reach — Curieuse’s mangrove trails, Silhouette’s Jardin Marron route, Cousin’s guided forest walks — are the ones that reframe what Seychelles actually is. It’s not just granite boulders and powder sand. It’s a place where a critically endangered bird with fewer than 300 individuals left survives because a tiny island was set aside for it in 1968, and where a trail carved by escaped slaves still cuts through protected forest. That’s the version worth the extra boat ride. For more on the archipelago’s wilder side, read our guide to Silhouette Island’s untouched wilderness.
Sources and further reading
Seychelles island guide. National Geographic, 2024.
The Seychelles travel guide. Nomadic Matt, 2024.
Top hidden islands worth exploring in Seychelles. LogDS, 2024.
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