Sail Seychelles.

Granite boulders the colour of rust rise straight out of turquoise water, coral sits metres from the anchor chain, and beaches empty enough that you can walk a kilometre of sand and see no one else. The islands are close together, so a week aboard covers real distance without long overnight passages or big open-ocean legs. It suits sailors who want warm water and short hops between anchorages more than big-mile sailing, and it suits families — swimming off the back of the boat beats sitting in a marina bar with children in tow.

All charters here sail from Mahé, the Seychelles' main island, all year round. From the marina you're an hour or two from Praslin and La Digue, the inner granite islands that make up the core cruising area, with Curieuse, Cousin, St Anne Marine Park and Silhouette all within comfortable day-sail range. Passages are short and mostly in sight of land, which keeps navigation simple. Anchorages are sand-bottomed and generally well protected, though a handful of open roadsteads pick up a chop when the trade wind is fresh.

Seychelles sits outside the cyclone belt, so charter runs all year — useful if you're planning around a fixed holiday window rather than a weather season. Two trade wind patterns shape the sailing. The south-east trades blow from May to September, cooler and drier, often 15-20 knots and the most reliable month-in, month-out breeze for actual sailing. The north-west monsoon runs December to March, warmer, wetter and generally lighter. April and October are transition months, with more calms and variable wind — good for slower cruising and diving, less good if you want a fast beat between islands.

Bareboat is available to sailors who hold the certification and offshore experience the boats require. Most guests, particularly on a first trip to Seychelles, take a skippered boat instead — it solves for local knowledge of reefs and moorings that aren't always charted precisely, and it means someone else is watching the weather. Catamarans dominate the local fleet, since shallow draft and shaded cockpits matter more in the tropics than they do further north; monohulls are also available. Crewed charters with a cook aboard are worth considering for a week where nobody wants to think about provisioning runs.

Expect bareboat monohull weeks from roughly €3,000-5,000 and catamarans from €5,000-9,000, rising well past that for newer or larger boats and for fully crewed charters. Where a skipper isn't already included, add roughly €150-250 a day. Seychelles pricing moves with fuel and provisioning costs on a remote island chain, so treat these as a starting range rather than a quote. Message us on WhatsApp with your dates and boat preference and we'll come back with a price on request.

Day 1 — pick up the boat in Mahé, provision at the market in Victoria, sail out to anchor off Beau Vallon or Anse Major for the first night.

Day 2 — cross to St Anne Marine National Park for a morning snorkel, then on to Praslin, anchoring off Anse Volbert.

Day 3 — walk the Vallée de Mai in the morning, then sail round to Anse Lazio for the afternoon and an overnight at anchor.

Day 4 — short hop to La Digue; cycle to Anse Source d'Argent, swim, lunch ashore.

Day 5 — sail to Curieuse for the tortoises and the mangrove boardwalk, anchoring for the night off the ranger station.

Day 6 — back towards Praslin, or on to Silhouette if the wind allows, for a reef snorkel and the hike to Grand Barbe.

Day 7 — sail back to Mahé, last swim off Beau Vallon, hand the boat back at the marina.

Seychelles International Airport sits on Mahé, a short taxi or transfer from the main charter marinas at Eden Island and Port Victoria. Most European routes connect through Abu Dhabi, Doha, Nairobi or Paris, with a handful of direct flights from Europe in season. Boats are usually available for boarding from early afternoon on turnaround day. Build in a night in Mahé either side of the charter if your flight lands late or leaves early — onward connections to Praslin and La Digue run to their own schedule and aren't worth rushing after a long-haul flight.