Seychelles: Worth It? An Honest Look
Is Seychelles actually worth the money?
Mostly, yes, but not evenly across the country. Some of the marquee sights genuinely earn their reputation and their entry fee; a couple are gatekept, overpriced or straightforwardly skippable once you know what is actually behind the ticket. Seychelles is African, not Caribbean, priced in Seychellois rupees (SCR) even though euros are quoted everywhere, and it is genuinely expensive relative to most Indian Ocean destinations. The gap between a resort trip and a self-catering one is large enough that “unaffordable” is an overstatement, but so is pretending this is a budget country.
Book these before you go
- Self-catering across Mahe, Praslin and La Digue, consistently cheaper than resort dining: check rates on Booking.com
- Vallee de Mai entry, 10% cheaper booked online in advance: reserve via GetYourGuide
- A Ste Anne Marine Park catamaran and snorkeling day trip from Mahe: browse Viator
The ranking, cost and access at a glance
| Sight | Island | Why go (or skip) | Cost and access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anse Lazio | Praslin | The better beach for actually swimming; granite boulders, fine sand, clear water | Free; parking ~SCR100/day; arrive before 10am |
| Vallee de Mai | Praslin | The one paid sight that fully earns its fee; the last wild coco de mer forest anywhere | SCR450 (~EUR28-30); 10% off booked online via SIF; 08:00-17:30 |
| Anse Source d’Argent | La Digue | The single most photographed beach in the country; worse for swimming than for photos | SCR150 via L’Union Estate gate; all-day re-entry |
| Curieuse Island | off Praslin | Hundreds of Aldabra giant tortoises roaming semi-wild, not penned like a resort’s | SCR300 (~EUR18-19); boat access only; card only on-site |
| Ste Anne Marine Park | off Mahe | Snorkeling plus Moyenne Island’s free-roaming tortoises | SCR200 (~EUR12); boat access only; card only on-site |
| Beau Vallon | Mahe | Convenient, developed, genuinely fine swimming, but the busiest and least distinctive beach here | Free; watch bags, a known petty-theft spot |
| Anse Georgette | Praslin | Arguably as good as Anse Lazio, but gatekept by a resort | Free; needs 3 to 5 days’ advance authorisation via Constance Lemuria |
| Victoria (Clock Tower + Market) | Mahe | A half day, not a full one; skip if time is tight | Free |
| Morne Seychellois National Park | Mahe | Real hiking and cloud forest, skippable if beaches are the only priority | SCR100-250 per trail, guide required on the summit route |
What is genuinely worth the entry fee?
Vallee de Mai, without hesitation. SCR450 (~EUR28 to 30) sounds steep next to Anse Lazio’s free access, but this is the world’s last wild population of coco de mer palms, not a roadside attraction dressed up as a UNESCO site. Curieuse Island’s tortoises, semi-wild rather than penned, and Ste Anne’s snorkeling both clear the bar too, at less than half the price.
What is skippable, or at least not worth planning your whole day around?
Anse Georgette is the honest disappointment here, not because the beach is bad but because reaching it means requesting authorisation 3 to 5 days ahead through the Constance Lemuria resort, with only about 30 non-guests allowed on the sand at a time. Anse Lazio, a short drive away, delivers nearly the same water and boulders with zero gatekeeping. Victoria’s Botanical Garden is fine if Praslin is not on your route, but redundant if it is, since Vallee de Mai does the same job better.
Does Beau Vallon deserve its reputation?
Not really, beyond convenience. It is Mahe’s most developed and accessible beach, genuinely fine for swimming, but it is also the specific spot local reporting flags most for petty theft from unattended bags, precisely because it is the busiest beach on the island. Anse Lazio and Anse Source d’Argent are both better beaches; Beau Vallon just happens to be the one closest to the airport.
Is the coco de mer a souvenir you can just buy?
No, and this trips people up. The coco de mer is a giant, CITES-protected palm seed, the largest seed in the plant kingdom, not a casual nut you pick up at a stall. A legally exportable one comes only from a licensed vendor on Mahe, Praslin or La Digue, hollowed and carrying an official export certificate; anything without that paperwork does not leave the country with you.
Skip the gatekept beach and the redundant garden; put the money you save toward Vallee de Mai’s fee and a Curieuse boat trip instead, which is where Seychelles’ entry prices are actually worth paying. For a full route through these sights across a multi-day trip, see the Seychelles itineraries starting at 4 days.