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Granite boulders framing the shallow turquoise lagoon at Anse Source d'Argent on La Digue, with a small boat and a wooded point under a blue sky

Where to stay in Seychelles

Photo: NorbertNagel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Places to stay in Seychelles

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About Seychelles

Mahé has the airport, the capital and 492 of the 845 listed places to stay. Praslin and La Digue are reached by passenger ferry, so a trip to all three splits into nights with a car and nights without one.

Seychelles. Guide last checked .

Facts and rules

Last checked . Each fact links to its source.

Airport
Seychelles International (SEZ) at Pointe Larue on Mahé, about 10 km by road from Victoria and about 13 km from Beau Vallon. Source
Travel Authorisation
No visa for any nationality, but every traveller applies online before travel, up to 30 days ahead: EUR 10 for an adult with a 24-hour review, EUR 30 in 6 hours, EUR 70 in 60 minutes. Accommodation not on the Tourism Department's list can lead to a refusal. Source
Visitor's permit
Free on arrival for up to three months, with a return ticket, confirmed accommodation and enough funds. Extensions of up to three months cost SCR 5,000 each, to twelve months in total. Source
Tourism levy
Since 1 January 2026: SCR 75 per person per night in establishments of 25 to 50 rooms, SCR 100 in larger ones, on yachts and at island resorts, none in places with 24 rooms or fewer. Children of 12 and below, citizens and residents are exempt. Source
VAT
15% standard rate on most goods and services; VAT-registered businesses show it separately on the invoice. Source
Licensed accommodation
The Tourism Department's list of 5 June 2026 names 845 establishments, 492 on Mahé, 195 on Praslin and 131 on La Digue; 646 of them are self-catering. Source
Parking with a rental car
Guest houses and self-catering places on Mahé and Praslin should have parking; on La Digue they provide bicycle parking instead. Source
Ferries
Cat Cocos sails from Mahé to Praslin in 1 hour 15 minutes and to La Digue direct in 1 hour 10 minutes; Praslin to La Digue takes 15 minutes. The ferries carry passengers, not cars (via GetCar). Source
La Digue
La Digue Vision 2032, compiled by the tourism ministry, calls for maintaining the quota on conventional motor vehicles, ties special vehicle permits to economic activity and promotes walking, cycling and the ox-cart. Source
Currency
Seychelles rupee (SCR). Source
Emergency number
999 for ambulance, fire and police. Source

Areas of Seychelles

The white sand beach at Beau Vallon on the north-west coast of Mahé, with people walking by the water, a boat in the bay and green hills behind
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Beau Vallon

Mahé's most popular resort beach, according to the tourism board: a bay of about 3 km on the north-west coast with hotels along the sand, restaurants and bars, and water-sport and diving centres. It holds the largest cluster on the Tourism Department's list, 65 establishments. It suits a first beach stay with plenty to do; UK advice warns of rip currents when the sea is rough.

Seychelles airport
about 13 km
Victoria
about 5 km

Car and parking

Guest houses and self-catering places on Mahé should have parking under the Tourism Department's rules. UK travel advice says criminals target parked cars and names Beau Vallon for extra care, so leave nothing in the car. Victoria is about 5 km away by road.

View from the hills over Victoria and Port Victoria on the east coast of Mahé, with the town, a marina on a reclaimed island and offshore islands
Photo: Kevin Gepford, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Victoria

The capital, on the north-eastern side of Mahé, with the market, two cathedrals, the Botanical Gardens and the Esplanade. It suits a short city stay about 10 km from the airport, less so a beach holiday.

Seychelles airport
about 10 km
Beau Vallon
about 5 km

Car and parking

Most parking spaces in Victoria are paid with parking coupons shown on the windscreen, sold by the land transport agency and vendors (via GetCar). UK travel advice asks visitors to take care in the back streets at night. The airport is about 10 km away by road.

A small sandy cove at Anse Royale on the east coast of Mahé, with clear turquoise water, granite boulders and palm trees on the wooded shore
Photo: NorbertNagel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Anse Royale and the east coast

The coast south of the airport, where the Tourism Department lists 42 establishments at Au Cap, 28 at Anse Royale and 11 at Anse aux Pins, most of them small self-catering places. It suits a self-catering stay close to the airport. UK advice says east coast beaches are unsafe during the south-east winds, around May to September.

Seychelles airport
about 10 km
Victoria
about 19 km

Car and parking

Self-catering places on Mahé should have parking under the Tourism Department's rules. The airport is about 10 km away by road and Victoria about 19 km.

The public beach at Baie Lazare in the south-west of Mahé, with large granite boulders at the water's edge and a wooded hill behind under a cloudy sky
Photo: NorbertNagel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Baie Lazare and the south-west

The south of Mahé, which the tourism board describes as picturesque villages with a quieter pace of life; the Tourism Department lists places to stay at Anse à la Mouche, Baie Lazare and Takamaka. UK advice says the beaches at the southern tip are not suitable for swimming at any time, and the west coast is unsafe during the north-west monsoon, around December to March.

Seychelles airport
about 18 km
Victoria
about 25 km
Anse Intendance
about 9 km

Car and parking

A car suits this corner: the airport is about 18 km away by road and Victoria about 25 km. UK travel advice describes narrow, winding roads on Mahé with deep, uncovered storm drains beside many of them.

Côte d'Or beach at Anse Volbert on Praslin, with a leaning palm over white sand, sun loungers, small boats on turquoise water and an islet offshore
Photo: NorbertNagel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Praslin

The second largest island, 44 km north-east of Mahé, with the settlements of Baie Ste Anne, Anse Volbert, on the Côte d'Or, and Grand Anse, and the Vallée de Mai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Côte d'Or and Grand Anse have the largest shares of the island's 195 listed establishments. It suits beach days and the Vallée de Mai, 1 hour 15 minutes from Mahé by ferry.

Praslin airport, from Grand Anse
about 5 km
Baie Ste Anne jetty, from the Côte d'Or
about 6 km
Victoria, straight line across the sea
about 46 km

Car and parking

A car rented on Mahé stays there: the Cat Cocos ferries carry passengers only (via GetCar). Guest houses and self-catering places on Praslin should have parking under the Tourism Department's rules; car hire on Praslin is unverified as of September 2026.

Bicycles parked on a paved area by the shore on La Digue, with a shady tree, granite rocks at the water's edge and hills across the sea
Photographed in 2018. Photo: Marwa elchazly, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

La Digue

A small island of about 10 km², 7 km from Praslin, where visitors arrive by boat at La Passe and most hotels stand on the west coast; the tourism board says the bicycle still holds sway. Anse Source d'Argent is its best-known beach. It suits a slow stay without a car.

Baie Ste Anne jetty on Praslin, straight line
about 7 km
Seychelles airport, straight line across the sea
about 50 km

Car and parking

No car: the government's La Digue Vision 2032 refers to a quota on conventional motor vehicles on the island, and guest houses and self-catering places provide bicycle parking. The ferry from Praslin takes 15 minutes and from Mahé 1 hour 10 minutes direct.

Guides

Questions

Which island is best for a first visit to Seychelles?

Mahé for a car and the widest choice: 492 of the 845 establishments on the Tourism Department's list of June 2026 are there, with Beau Vallon the largest cluster. Praslin and La Digue suit a few nights without the car, by passenger ferry.

How much is the tourism levy in Seychelles?

Since 1 January 2026, SCR 75 per person per night in establishments of 25 to 50 rooms and SCR 100 in larger ones, on yachts and at island resorts. Places with 24 rooms or fewer no longer collect it. Children of 12 and below, citizens and residents are exempt.

Do visitors need a visa for Seychelles?

No. Every traveller, of any age, needs a Travel Authorisation before flying, EUR 10 for an adult with the standard 24-hour review. The visitor's permit issued on arrival is free for the first three months.

Can a rental car go to Praslin or La Digue?

No. The Cat Cocos ferries carry passengers only (via GetCar), and the government's La Digue Vision 2032 refers to a quota on conventional motor vehicles on the island. Guest houses and self-catering places on La Digue provide bicycle parking.