Sail Mahé.

Mahé is the largest and most developed of Seychelles' granite islands, and Eden Island Marina makes it the natural place to start and finish a charter here. Unlike open-water grounds in the Caribbean or the Med, this is short-hop cruising: granite peaks give way to coral outer islands, and most legs between anchorages run two to four hours under sail. The water is clear and deep close to shore, beaches are quiet even in high season, and the granite boulders that shape the coastline — smoothed by millions of years of weather — give every anchorage its own character. Nothing here feels crowded.

Charters run from Eden Island Marina on Mahé, a modern base close to Victoria with fuel, provisioning and check-in facilities on site. From there the inner granite group — Ste Anne Marine National Park, Cerf Island, Moyenne, Round Island — is a morning's sail. Further north, Praslin and La Digue sit roughly 30-40 nautical miles from Mahé, reachable in a single day with the trades behind you, and both have sheltered anchorages of their own. Silhouette Island, west of Mahé, is a quieter detour for boats with an extra day or two to spend. Coral reefs fringe most anchorages, so pilotage by eye in good light matters more than instruments.

Seychelles sails year-round, but the two trade-wind seasons feel different. The south-east trades run May to October, steady at 15-20 knots and the more reliable sailing wind, though seas can build in the exposed channels between islands. The north-west monsoon runs November to March, lighter at 10-15 knots, warmer and wetter, with squalls that pass through quickly rather than settling in. April and November are the transition months — the lightest winds of the year and the best compromise between calm water and steady breeze.

Both bareboat and crewed charters operate from Eden Island Marina. Catamarans are the more practical choice for the reef-strewn inner islands — shallower draft, easier anchoring off beaches with no dock. Monohulls are available too, better suited to guests who want to sail rather than motor. A skipper is worth the extra cost for anyone without recent reef and coral-navigation experience: local charts don't always match what you see at low water, and buoyage here is sparse compared with the Med. Crewed charters bring provisioning and route knowledge sorted before you step aboard.

Bareboat and crewed weeks in Seychelles typically run at a premium compared with the Med or Caribbean, reflecting the cost of getting boats and parts to the islands — this is a premium destination rather than a budget one. Crewed weeks add a skipper's day rate and provisioning on top of the boat charter itself. Exact figures depend on boat, season and length of charter — price on request.

Day 1 — Check in at Eden Island Marina, provision in Victoria, sail out to Ste Anne Marine Park for the first night at anchor. Day 2 — Snorkel Moyenne and Cerf Island, short hop to Round Island for lunch. Day 3 — Sail north to Praslin, anchor off Baie Ste Anne. Day 4 — Morning at Vallée de Mai, afternoon at Anse Lazio. Day 5 — Cross to La Digue, Anse Source d'Argent by bike from the anchorage. Day 6 — Curieuse Island for the tortoises and the old plantation, then sail back toward Mahé. Day 7 — Beau Vallon for a last swim and dinner ashore, return to Eden Island Marina to hand back the boat.

Seychelles International Airport (SEZ) sits on Mahé, a short taxi ride from Victoria and around 20-30 minutes from Eden Island Marina. Most international connections route through Europe, the Gulf or East Africa; there's no shortage of flights in high season, but book early around Christmas and Easter, when both flights and boats fill up.