Hiking on Mahé
Hiking in the North of Mahé
Mahé and the other islands of the Seychelles are home to magnificent animal and plant diversity, which deserves to be explored in the wild or in specially-designated reserves. While hiking through breathtaking landscapes, holidaymakers can experience the treasures of this 'living museum' up-close. Some well-marked hiking trails lead through spectacular areas where you will often find yourself alone amidst unspoilt nature.
Copolia Trail
The Copolia Trail is perhaps the most famous hiking trail in the Seychelles, and the only one which has an entry fee. This path leads through a palm tree forest to a granite plateau, offering stunning views of the island of Mahé, the surrounding mountains, and the Sainte Anne Marine Park.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Starting Point and Arrival | Arrive by rental car or bus to the starting point. There are parking spaces by the roadside. |
| Start Time | The hiking trail is open daily between 8.00 and 16.00. As much of the hike is under shade, you can do the hike during the middle of the day. |
| Hike Length | Around 900 metres. |
| Hike Duration | Around 1 hour up, including time for photos. Around 30 minutes back. |
| Difficulty (Easy, Medium, Hard) | medium |
| Fitness Level | In shape |
| Difference in Elevation | 120 metres up and down. |
| What to bring with you? | Hiking shoes or other sturdy shoes (no flip flops or sandals), at least 2 litres of water per person, sunscreen, hat, insect repellent, snacks, phone, camera. |
| Ideal for | Adults and children above 10 years of age. |
| Hike surface | Palm forest path, lots of weeds, numerous rocky steps, ladder, flat granite plateau. |
| Cost | 100 SCR |
The Hike in Detail
The Copolia Trail on Mahé is probably one of the most famous hiking trails in the Seychelles. At the start, you can find a small house where you pay entry to the trail and register. After that, simply make sure you’ve got everything with you and get your camera ready!
The first part of the hike goes up some steps before leading into the lush, green palm tree forest. Follow the path and take a look at the information boards and distance markets. With a bit of luck you might also see a white-tailed tropic bird or a Seychelles Black Bulbul!
Although the trail starts off as a relatively normal hike, after around a third of the distance, it gets rockier and there are larger steps required. The many rocky steps make it easier to climb up and constantly offer beautiful views of the green palm tree surroundings. Depending on the weather, it may be slippery at points as well. Take care of what’s underfoot and hold on to something, but take care as the branches can be spiky! Make sure you a;sp take some time to visit the red tree (Dillenia Ferruginea), which belongs to the red apple tree family, and can grow to up to 20 metres in height. Besides that, you can see lots of endemic plant species, including Colophante (Soulamea Terminalioides) or the Bois de Natte tree (Mimusops Sechellarum).
After you’ve hiked over the numerous steps, you’ll reach a ladder with a railing which leads up to the top of the trail and its stunning view.
The last 100 metres is across a huge, flat granite plateau until the top of the trail. Enjoy the views of the artificial island, Eden Island, as well as the SAinte Anne Marine Park with its numerous islands. Besides that, you can see the airport and the capital, Victoria, with its harbour. Everything is marked on the board at the edge of the plateau, letting you know what it is that you can see from there.
At the top, you can see pitcher plants (Nepenthes Pervillei), which are unique to the Seychelles. These plants grow right on the floor and can be found along the edge of the granite plateau.
Enjoy a cool drink (freeze them the previous evening in your accommodation!) and take in the phenomenal views.
Finally, once you’ve taken enough photos and cooled off a little bit, it’s time to descend the trail. This is almost entirely downhill and is much faster than the climb.
Morne Blanc Trail
The Morne Blanc Trail on Mahé leads to one of the most spectacular viewing points on the island. After an 850 metre hike up a steep trail, you’ll reach the top, where you can enjoy views of the west coast of Mahé and the offshore island of Therese. .
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Starting Point and Arrival | Drive with your rental car or the public bus to the starting point. Parking spaces can be found at the side of the road or below the starting point by the Tea Factory. |
| Start Time | As the majority of the trail is in the shade, you can do it in the morning or afternoon. |
| Hike Length | 850 metres each way. |
| Hike Duration | 1 hour up, with time for photos, around 30 minutes back. |
| Difficulty (Easy, Medium, Hard) | medium |
| Difference in Elevation | 200 metres up and down. |
| What to bring with you? | Hiking shoes or other sturdy shoes (no flip flops or sandals), at least 2 litres of water per person, insect repellent, snacks, phone, camera. |
| Ideal for | Adults and children above 10 years of age. |
| Hike surface | Forest trail, lots of roots and natural steps. |
| Cost | free |
The Hike in Detail
Welcome to the Morne Blanc Trail, a spectacular hiking tour to the heights of Mahé. After you’ve got your bearings at the information point at the start of the trail, it’s time to set off!
The trail starts with numerous steps that lead upwards into the jungle. Climb past palm trees and get closer to the viewing point at the end of the trail up a steep path. You will see all kinds of plants, but look out for curry trees (Murraya Koenigii), whose leaves are often used in local Seychellois curry dishes.
It may be slippery at points, depending on the weather. Watch out for where you are stepping, and take care when holding on to anything, as some of the branches may be spiky.
The trail is well signposted and there are small signs along the trail indicating where you should be going. Especially towards the end of the hike, this can be the extra motivation you need to press on.
Once you arrive at the top, it’s time to enjoy the viewing point, which makes the hike well worth it in the end. Enjoy spectacular views of the western coast of Mahé with its beautiful beaches of Grand Anse and Port Glaud, as well as the nearby offshore island of Therese, which is completely uninhabited. Freshen up with a cool drink (why not freeze one the previous evening for an extra cool drink now?) and take in the beautiful sights.
After resting up from the tough climb and taking all the photos and videos that you want to, it’s time to head back down. This will again require some concentration, as it can be steep on the way back down. After 30 minutes or so you’ll reach the starting point of the trail again.
Anse Major Trail
Are you looking for a hiking trail that will take you to a stunning beach at the end? Then this is the trail for you! This tour starts in the north of Mahé and leads through sandy, sometimes sunny paths to a really secluded beach, Anse Major. Pack your bathing suit and enjoy this unique hiking tour!
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Starting Point and Arrival | Drive with your rental car or the public bus to the starting point. Parking spaces can be found at the side of the road or above the starting point by the La Scala restaurant. |
| Start Time | We recommend setting off around 10 am, as a lot of the hike is in the sunshine. |
| Hike Length | 3 km each way |
| Hike Duration | Around 1.5 hours, including time for photos |
| Difficulty (Easy, Medium, Hard) | easy |
| Difference in Elevation | 50 metres up and down |
| What to bring with you? | Hiking shoes or other sturdy shoes (no flip flops or sandals), at least 2 litres of water per person, insect repellent, snacks, phone, camera, sunscreen and hat, bathing suit, towel, cash. |
| Ideal for | Adults and children above 10 years of age. |
| Hike surface | Stony path and earthy path, forest trail |
| Cost | SCR 150 (approx. € 10) (return boat transfer on the “Happiness Boat” for 150 SCR) |
The Hike in Detail
The hike to Anse Major is an absolute must-do for any Seychelles holidaymaker. The starting point is in Bel Ombre, around 3 km from the world-famous beach of Beau Vallon, is home to parking spaces and a bus stop, ensuring you can reach it with ease.
Set off along the street, leading past several houses. At the end of the street, you’ll find the first highlight of this tour, with giant granite boulders at Bel Ombre. Walk up to the plateau, towards the ocean, and enjoy this spectacular view. The mixture of large boulders, the blue ocean, and the island of Silhouette in the background make this a beautiful sight, well worth some photos. After you’ve enjoyed this view a little, it’s time to climb down from the rocks and head back to the road.
From there, head down the hill past a huge villa, straight to the main part of the trail. Walk along the stones and paths and see more beautiful views of the ocean.
The trail is somewhat obvious, but has almost no signposting, although it really isn’t needed. Up and down, across and at one point under some rocks, the trail leads all the way to its final third. Here, you’ll reach a small hut, and can already catch a glimpse of Anse Major. Take a break and enjoy the view, before you set off through a palm tree forest to reach the beach itself. The beach is entered across some more huge granite boulders, which you will have to climb over. It’s worth helping each other out here by taking each other’s bags while they climb up over.
Now you’ve arrived at Anse Major, that desert island feeling will truly set in. White, fine sand and turquoise ocean water await you here. Relax on the beach and cool off after the hike, perhaps with a cool drink at the beach bar, as the scenery that surrounds you washes over you.
After you’re done at the beach, you can take the same trail back. There is however another option, if you wish, which is to take a boat taxi. The small yellow boat “Happiness”, comes once per hour to the beach and sails back to Bel Ombre, to the start of the trail. This taxi boat costs 150 SCR per person. We recommend taking the taxi boat, as this way you can see Anse Major and some more of the surrounding area from the sea, giving you another view of the spectacular surroundings.
Dans Gallas Trail
The Dans Gallas Trail on Mahé leads to one of the most spectacular viewing points on the island. After a 2.5 km climb, you will reach the top, where you can enjoy views of the wonderful eastern coast of Mahé, including the capital of Victoria, as well as the offshore islands of the Sainte Anne Marine Park.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Starting Point and Arrival | Drive your rental car to the starting point. There are parking spaces at the side of the road or below the starting point. |
| Start Time | As the hike is somewhat longer than other Seychelles hiking trails, we recommend setting off in the morning. |
| Hike Length | Around 2.5 km in length. |
| Hike Duration | 1.5 hours up, including time for photos, around 1 hour back |
| Difficulty (Easy, Medium, Hard) | Hard (not possible if it rained the previous day!) |
| Difference in Elevation | Around 250 metres up and down. |
| What to bring with you? | Hiking shoes or other sturdy shoes (no flip flops or sandals), at least 2 litres of water per person, insect repellent, snacks, phone, camera. |
| Ideal for | Adults and children from 14 years old. |
| Hike surface | Paved path, forest path, lots of roots, lots of natural steps. |
| Cost | free |
The Hike in Detail
The Dans Gallas Trail on Mahé is one of the few “difficult” hikes in the Seychelles. Once you arrive at the starting point, you’ll find an overview board that tells you lots of information about the trail. Once you’ve got your bearings, it’s time to set off! The start is on a paved path that twists and turns through tropical trees, including papayas, passion fruit, and star fruit trees. With a bit of luck, you might even be able to enjoy a ripe piece of fruit straight from the branches!
After you’ve taken the road to the end, it leads into a forest path. Here, nature begins, with some sporadic steps, leading you up towards the top of Mahé.
Follow this path for a while until you reach a small wooden hut where you can take a break. Enjoy the view here of Beau Vallon and the island of Silhouette, which can be seen in the distance. The blue tones of the sea are especially impressive here in the sunshine, inviting you to pay a visit to cool off after your hike.
After you’ve made it past the first part of the hiking trail, it’s time to continue towards the end point: the viewing point at the top. Along the way, discover various plant species, including palm trees and cinnamon plants, whose leaves are often used in local curry dishes. Besides that, enjoy panoramic views of the green mountains along the way. Listen to the birds and flying foxes in the trees, as well as the sounds of a waterfall that can be heard nearby, creating a truly idyllic atmosphere.
Follow the trail, which is easily visible at all times, with distance markers (at 1.5 km, 1 km, and 300 metres remaining), through the palm tree forest. Go past numerous huge palm tree leaves, some of which may even be bigger than you! Finally, the last quarter of the hike is a little easier, as here you can use steps, which cover most of the final stretch, making the final push that much easier.
It can be a little slippery at times, depending on the weather, so be sure to watch where you’re stepping and where you’re holding on to, as some branches and twigs are quite spiky. The steps will certainly make you work up a sweat, so plan some time for breaks and make sure that you drink plenty of water!
Once you’re past the steps, you’ll reach some giant granite boulders, which are impressive in and of themselves. Finally, there is a ladder that leads up the last 100 metres or so to the viewing platform.
From here, you can enjoy stunning views of Beau Vallon on one side, and the islands of Sainte Anne, Cerf, Moyenne, Round, and Long on the other side, all of which belong to the Sainte Anne Marine Park.
You can also catch glimpse of the capital, Victoria, its harbour, and the offshore “energy island”, consisting of wind turbines and solar panels. Freshen up with a cool drink and let the view sink in while you take a photo or two. Why not put a drink in the freezer the day before for an extra refreshing experience.
After the 2.5 km trail, it’s time to head back down the same way. This will again require some concentration, as it can be very steep back down. After around an hour, you’ll find yourself back at the start.
Trois Frères Trail
The Troise Frères Trail leads to a spectacular viewing point high above Mahé. From here, you can see the Trois Frères, the “Three Brothers” mountains, and also enjoy panoramic views of Victoria and the Sainte Anne Marine Park. The short yet steep trail is perfect for anyone who enjoys hiking!
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Starting Point and Arrival | Drive with your rental car or the public bus to the starting point. Parking spaces can be found at the side of the road, past the official trail board. |
| Start Time | As most of the trail is in the shade, you can do this hike at any point during the day. |
| Hike Length | 900 metres each way. |
| Hike Duration | 1 hour up, including time for photos, and around 30 minutes back |
| Difficulty (Easy, Medium, Hard) | Easy |
| Difference in Elevation | 150 metres up and down |
| What to bring with you? | Hiking shoes or other sturdy shoes (no flip flops or sandals), at least 2 litres of water per person, insect repellent, snacks, phone, camera, sunscreen, hat |
| Ideal for | Adults and children from 7 years old |
| Hike surface | Forest path, some roots, grassy path, lots of steps |
| Cost | 150 SCR |
The Hike in Detail
The Troise Frères hiking trail on Mahé is a great, short hiking trail that leads to a spectacular viewing point. The starting point of the trail is located above Victoria on Sans Soucis Road. If you’re coming from Victoria, the hiking trail board is located on the right hand side of the road, right next to the bus stop. You can park your rental car along the street to the right, by the side of the road.
Check that you’ve got everything with you, including your camera, water, and a hat, before setting off on the trail. The start of the hike leads up a small road. Once you get up to the milestone, the real trail begins, leading into a palm tree forest. The first few metres lead through this lush vegetation before you quickly reach some natural stairs that bring you higher up. Take a small break and enjoy the palm forest! With a bit of luck, you might even see some green geckos, although that can be difficult with the green surroundings!
Once you’ve arrived at the first viewing point, you can look all around at the lush green nature that covers the island of Mahé. It’s truly breathtaking just how quickly you can lose yourself in nature once you’re away from the capital city of Victoria. Follow the path further up until you reach two small water springs, which run down the side of a stone and make a small water pool. It’s a great idea to cool off your hands and maybe even wash your face here in the cool mountain water.
After some more steps, you’ll reach some signposts, and from here it’s just 300 metres to the end of the trail, giving you the final motivation you need to make it up the last few steps to the top. Once you’re up at the peak, it’s time to get the camera out and take plenty of photos to remember your surroundings. There is a covered hut here as well, where you can take a break and enjoy the views of the capital below, as well as the Sainte Anne Marine Park, and of course the Trois Frères mountains, translated as the “Three Brothers”. These lie above you, and you can only see the top when the sky is free of clouds.
Once you’ve taken enough photos and cooled off a bit from the climb, it’s time to head back down the trail. This is almost entirely downhill, so is quite a lot quicker and easier than the climb.
Sauzier Waterfall Trail
The tour to the Sauzier Waterfall is not a hike in the true sense of the word, as you reach the waterfall after only about 10 minutes of walking. Once you have reached the waterfall, you can refresh yourself and take some great souvenir photos. The short excursion here is always worthwhile and a nice change from swimming in the sea.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Starting Point and Arrival | At the church in the southern Port Launay Bay, drive your rental car into the side road and follow this road to the end. There is a car park there. |
| Start Time | As a lot of the path and the waterfall itself are in the shade, you can take this trip at any time of day. |
| Hike Length | A stretch of about 200 metres |
| Hike Duration | Round trip approx. 20 minutes |
| Difficulty (Easy, Medium, Hard) | easy |
| Difference in Elevation | Very few metres uphill and downhill |
| What to bring with you? | Shoes with good support (no flip-flops or sandals), at least 1 litre of water per person, swimwear, insect repellent, snacks, mobile phone with internet, camera. |
| Ideal for | Adults and children from 5 years old. |
| Hike surface | Palm tree forest paths, lots of tree roots in places, dirt track, partly slippery due to water |
| Cost | 50 SCR |
The Hike in Detail
The tour to the Sauzier Waterfall in the northwest of Mahé is perfect for both young and old due to its short length and is a wonderful excursion!
To get to the starting point of the hike, drive your rental car to the church in Port Launay South, go along the small side road and follow it to the end. Along the road you will see signs to the waterfall and not much further on you will reach a car park.It is best to put on your insect repellent here before entering the palm forest. At the starting point, you have to pay a small entrance fee and then you can start. First, you walk along a path into the forest and to the right and left you will pass small ruins - these are former houses that have been taken over by nature.
Keep walking along the clearly visible paths and take a little break every now and then to admire the palm forest! Despite being difficult to see in the equally green natural surroundings , you might also see green geckos if you’re lucky.
Soon you’ll be able to hear the waterfall and a little later you will arrive at the Sauzier Waterfall of Mahé! The fresh and cool mountain water of the Morne Seychellois National Park flows and plunges over the rocks into a small natural pool.
In these hot weather conditions, how about a little refreshment? Put on your swimsuit and off you go into the cool water. Warning: As the natural pool is not very deep, we recommend that you go in slowly and never jump in. Enjoy the cool mountain water and don't forget to take photos of the experience as a souvenir!
When you have spent enough time at the waterfall, simply walk the same way back to your rental car.
