Southern Coral Islands
The Southern Coral Islands group contains just two islands that lie outside of the Seychelles coral plain, and which do not belong to any of the other Seychelles island groups, such as the Amirantes.
Platte island
All alone, over 100 km (62 miles) south of Mahé, the forested isalnd Platte lies atop an undisturbed coral reef. Just 0.54 km² in size, the island was discovered in 1769 by Lietenant de Lampériaire of La Curieuse, and was named for its flat surface.
The island is home to the Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Resort, which opened in 2024! Guests enjoy a spectacular underwater world, pristine sandy beaches and first-class service - a paradisiacal holiday destination that is second to none! The island can be reached from Mahé in about 25 minutes by small aircraft.
Platte island belongs to a mostly-sunken coral atoll, which is around 25 km x 14 km in size, giving it a total area of 270 square kilometres. Together with the island of Coëtivy, which is 170 km south-east of Platte (105 miles), the island belongs to the Southern Coral Islands.
Coëtivy
On a plateau, around 270km south of Mahé, lies Coëtivy, the longest uninterrupted stretch of sand in the Seychelles. This flat, 10 km-long island has an area of just 9.31 km², and around 250 inhabitants who supply Mahé with various goods such as fish and meat. Fishing and farming are therefore the main sources of income for the island. Coëtivy is also home to a shrimp breeding ground, which was placed there in 1989. Giant tiger prawns are bred here for exportation. Coëtivy is privately-owned by the Seychelles Marketing Board (SMB).
