While the dazzling coastline of Mahé is undoubtedly the main attraction, it’s crucial that you take the time to explore the island’s mountainous interior. One of Mahé’s highlights, the splendid Morne Seychellois National Park encompasses an impressive 20% of the land area of Mahé and contains a wide variety of habitats, from coastal mangrove forests up to the country’s highest peak, the Morne Seychellois (905m). Choked in thick forest formation, the enigmatic, central part of the park is virtually deserted and can only be reached by walking trails; you don’t have to go very far before the outside world starts to feel a long, long way away.
The road over the mountains from Victoria to Port Glaud (take the Bel Air Rd, which branches off Liberation Ave, and continue on Sans Souci Rd), which cuts through the Morne Seychellois National Park, is a stunning scenic drive. At Mission you can see the ruins of a school that was built by the London Missionary Society in 1875. There’s also a superb lookout with spectacular views of central Mahé and the west coast.
Tea lovers will pause at the working tea factory, about 3km above Port Glaud. Free 20-minute tours showing the tea-making process are conducted during opening hours, but it’s best to visit before noon, when you can see the whole process from drying to packing. There’s also a gift shop where you can sample and purchase the fragrant SeyTé and citronnelle.
