In their colorful brochures and websites, tour operators and local guides scramble for the best and sometimes even absurd flowery adjectives to describe the beauty of the Seychelles. Of course, the archipelago has all the classic tropical island ingredients - sprawling palm-fringed bays, hammocks swaying in a cooling breeze, colorful cocktails in coconuts, glorious sunsets and smoothly running catering services to keep tourists happy.
The water is warm, crystal clear, and yet deep blue or sparkling turquoise; sometimes, the waters are startlingly clear blue-green, and white-crowned waves caress the shore.
The scenery is of unbeatable beauty, exotic and tropical, and the beaches are the best in the world, with immaculate soft white-sand, unspoiled, picture-perfect and impressive; the fringes of the islands are covered with spectacular white, gold or silver-tinged sand. Most beaches are gorgeous, adorned with palm trees, sun-drenched, pristine, impeccable, secluded and isolated, and really stunning.
The archipelago has some of the most beautiful landscapes; the interior of the islands offers dramatic mountains and verdant rolling hills covered with leafy tropical jungles and sapphire green rainforests alternate with lush mountainous cloud forests.
The country's underwater world is teeming with life, color and a dramatic topography. Explore thriving coral reefs and meet large reef manta rays, sea turtles, clown, butterfly, parrot and trumpet fish, or find lost pirate treasure.
What is Seychelles known for?
In the Early Jurassic breakup of Gondwana, the vast continent in the southern hemisphere, the Seychelles microcontinent was part of the future Indian subcontinent and located just north of Madagascar. Between 84–95 million years ago, continental rifting separated Seychelles/India from Madagascar. Some million years later, new rifting severed the Seychelles from India, forming the Carlsberg Ridge.
Isolated for 75 million years, Seychelles is home to a distinctive flora and fauna, comparable only in uniqueness to the Galapagos Islands or Madagascar.
Tropical fruits and plants, Coco de Mer palm trees, giant turtles, frogs like the Gardiner's frog, one of the smallest frogs in the world, birds, such as the Seychelles Paradise Flycatcher, sharks like the , Silvertip and Grey Reef Sharks.
The culture of Seychelles is deep-rooted in its colonial history. Today, the archipelago is mainly known for its large hotel compounds and luxury beach resorts.
FunFacts
Seychelles is not a low-budget destination, but with bags of money, the Mahé archipelago offers all the water sports activities you might expect, such as banana boat rides, parasailing, windsurfing, jet and water skiing, beach parties, night safaris, round the island boat races and sunset cruises.
Seychelles was once home to Olivier Levasseur, nicknamed La Buse ("The Buzzard"), a feared pirate of the Indian Ocean who allegedly hid one of the greatest treasures in pirate history. Standing under the gallows, he left a cryptogram with clues to the whereabouts of the treasure.
Today, the former pirate hideout is firmly in the hands of Hilton, Kempinski, Four Seasons, Banyan Tree, Raffles and Club Med.
In 1958 Ian Fleming, creator of the James Bond books, came to the Seychelles for a vacation. His next James Bond adventure, For Your Eyes Only, was set in the Seychelles.