The Best Snorkelling Spots In The Seychelles

The Seychelles looks like paradise with its pristine coral beaches, fringed with palm trees. But below the surface, this archipelago continues to impress with its abundance of marine life. Watch hawksbill turtles glide through the seagrass, against a kaleidoscopic backdrop of coral and tropical fish at these top places to go snorkelling in the Seychelles.

Dive into the turquoise waters while sailing around the Seychelles on an eight-day adventure with Culture Trip – with a chance to spot hawksbill turtles, if you’re lucky.

1. Sainte Anne Marine Park

Park

Dedicate a day on your sailing itinerary to exploring Sainte Anne Marine Park, off the coast of Mahe. This marine reserve – the first of its kind in the southwestern Indian Ocean – promises to impress even the most experienced of underwater explorers. Highlights include pristine coral gardens, sprawling seagrass meadows, and many types of rays including mantas, which swarm the area from April to December.

2. Cocos Island

Natural Feature

A couple of boats exploring the water around tiny Cocos Island

Play at being castaway on the tiny island of Cocos. This outcrop is the true vision of a desert island, with powdery white beaches, palm trees crowning the interior and azure waters lapping its shores. Take your tender to the beach and spend an afternoon snorkelling around the shallows, navigating large granite boulders as you go. These waters are home to everything from bigfin reef squid to hawksbill sea turtles.

4. St Pierre

Natural Feature

Snorkellers arriving at St Pierre Islet from Anse Volbert, Praslin Island, Seychelles

Moor up off St Pierre and prepare to be dazzled by the landscape lurking below the water’s surface. The tiny granite island, off the coast of Praslin, is part of a marine reserve and features a reef close to the shore. A stop here makes for a great day trip in combination with Curieuse. This neighbouring island serves as a giant free-range zoo for hundreds of giant tortoises which were introduced between 1978 and 1982. A healthy number of turtles can also be found swimming here.

5. Anse Lazio, Praslin

Natural Feature

Woman enjoying the Anse Lazio beach on Praslin Island, the Seychelles

Get your camera ready for a trip to Anse Lazio on the northwest side of Praslin Island. This spot often crops up in lists of the world’s most beautiful beaches, thanks to its postcard-perfect scenery. The best place to snorkel is between the granite boulders at the north end of the beach – keep an eye out for stingrays, moray eels, bluefin trevally and checkerboard wrasse.

6. Desroches

Natural Feature

Woman feeding a giant turtle in the Seychelles

If you’re looking for a magical turtle encounter, hop over to Desroches. This low-lying coral island – home to a slick eco-focused Four Seasons resort – is framed by swathes of seagrass which acts as an important territory for turtles. There are several beaches around the island, so you can spend the day doing a snorkelling crawl before sipping a well-earned fresh coconut at the resort bar.

7. Beau Vallon, Mahe

Natural Feature

People walking around Anse Major, a beautiful beach on Mahé backed by palms and other lush greenery

While it might be one of the busier beaches in the Seychelles, lined with quaint restaurants, bars and hotels, Beau Vallon on Mahe shouldn’t be overlooked as a snorkelling destination. The southwest end of the beach is best for taking a dip. Expect clear, warm waters with excellent visibility and little to no current. Barracudas, hawksbill turtles and stingrays are among the marine life you might spot here.

8. Bird Island

Natural Feature

Esmerelda, the worlds largest tortoise lives on Bird Islands, the Seychelles

Gear up for a snorkelling trip to remember at Bird Island, the northernmost outcrop in the Seychelles archipelago. This small coral island is known for its wildlife, both above and below the water. Pop on your gear, navigate the powdery beaches and take a dip below the surface. One of the best snorkelling spots is off Hirondelle Beach, where juvenile green turtles swim among the colourful coral. Conditions are best between October and April.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.