With kids · Seychelles
Seychelles with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
Seychelles works well for families who want calm beaches and nature: giant tortoises, sheltered bays such as Beau Vallon and Côte d'Or, glass-bottom boats and cycling on La Digue. Choose beaches carefully, as some face strong surf for part of the year. Top picks: Sainte Anne Marine National Park, Curieuse Island and National Botanical Gardens. Families usually base themselves in Beau Vallon.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 7
- Best area for families
- Beau Vallon
- Rainy-day options
- 0
- Busiest months
- December
Best things to do with kids
Nature · Off Victoria
1.Sainte Anne Marine National Park
Six islands just off Victoria form one of the oldest marine parks in the Indian Ocean, established in 1973. Glass-bottom boat and snorkelling trips stop over coral gardens with turtles and reef fish, often with lunch on Moyenne or Cerf island.
Choose a trip that includes snorkelling time rather than only the glass-bottom viewing.
- Time needed
- Half a day to full day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Active
- Outdoors
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Island · Off Praslin
2.Curieuse Island
A short boat ride from Praslin's Côte d'Or, Curieuse is home to a population of free-roaming Aldabra giant tortoises, a mangrove boardwalk and the ruins of a former leper colony. Trips usually combine a walk from Baie Laraie to Anse St José with snorkelling at nearby Saint Pierre islet.
Wear sturdy sandals for the walk across the island, and leave the tortoises to approach you rather than feeding them.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- History
- Outdoors
Garden · Victoria
3.National Botanical Gardens
On the southern edge of Victoria at Mont Fleuri, the botanical gardens date from 1901 and hold coco de mer palms, orchids, fruit bats in the trees and a pen of Aldabra giant tortoises. It is a gentle introduction to the islands' plants if you are not visiting Praslin.
Go in the late afternoon, when fruit bats become active and the heat drops.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Beach · La Digue
4.Anse Source d'Argent
Inside the L'Union Estate on La Digue's west coast, a string of small coves is framed by huge, sculpted granite boulders and shallow, reef-protected water. It is one of the most photographed beaches in the world, and the estate also holds an old copra mill, a vanilla plantation and a giant tortoise pen.
Visit at low tide for the walk along the coves, and arrive early or after 3pm to avoid the day-trippers from Praslin and Mahé.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Photo spot
- Couples
- Kids
- Views
Nature · La Digue
5.Veuve Reserve
A small forest reserve on La Digue that protects the Seychelles paradise flycatcher, known locally as the veuve, one of the world's rarest birds. Males have long black tail feathers, and a short trail with an information centre leads through the takamaka and badamier trees where they nest.
Visit early in the morning, when the birds are most active and calling.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Nature
- Free
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
Island · Off Praslin
6.Cousin Island
A small nature reserve off Praslin managed by Nature Seychelles, where wardens lead visitors along trails among nesting white terns, noddies and tropicbirds, and endemic species such as the Seychelles magpie-robin and warbler. Hawksbill turtles nest on its beaches.
Landings are by small boat through the surf; wear clothes that can get wet and keep cameras in a dry bag.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Nature
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
- Photo spot
Garden · Anse Royale and the east coast
7.Jardin du Roi spice garden
On the hill above Anse Royale, this historic spice garden recalls the French attempt to grow spices on Mahé in the 18th century, with cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and fruit trees on self-guided trails and a small museum. A café serves Creole lunches with views to the coast.
Combine it with snorkelling at Anse Royale beach below.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- History
- Food
- Kids
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for first-timers, families, beach and budget
Beau Vallon
Beau Vallon has the longest easy swimming beach on Mahé, with calm water for much of the year, dive centres, water sports, guesthouses and several large hotels. Restaurants and a few bars line the road behind the sand, and Victoria is about 15 minutes away over the hill. Bel Ombre and the trail to Anse Major start at its western end.
- Good
- Swimmable beach most of the year; Wide choice of accommodation; Restaurants and dive centres
- Watch out
- The most developed beach on Mahé; Fewer granite boulders than the islands
- Nearby
- Beau Vallon beach, Bel Ombre, Anse Major trail, Victoria
Family travel tips
- Pick sheltered beaches for children: Beau Vallon and Côte d'Or for most of the year, Anse Royale's lagoon for snorkelling.
- Bicycles with child seats and trailers can be rented on La Digue.
- Self-catering apartments make meal times easier and cheaper with children.
- Bring high-factor reef-safe sunscreen and rash vests; shade is limited on boats.
- Allow for ferry seasickness on the Mahé–Praslin crossing; the short flight is gentler.
Day trips for families
- La Digue from Praslin (About 15 minutes by ferry) — Rent a bicycle at La Passe and cycle to the L'Union Estate and Anse Source d'Argent, then over the hill to Grand Anse.
- Curieuse, Saint Pierre and Cousin (About 15–30 minutes by boat between islands) — A classic Praslin boat day: giant tortoises and the mangrove walk on Curieuse, snorkelling at the boulder islet of Saint Pierre and, on some trips, a warden-led walk on the bird reserve of Cousin.
- Moyenne Island (About 20 minutes by boat) — A small island in the Sainte Anne marine park, bought in 1962 by the British former newspaper editor Brendon Grimshaw, who planted thousands of trees and introduced giant tortoises; it now has nature trails, tortoises and graves said to belong to pirates.
When to go with children
The best months overall are April–May and October–November. December is the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Seychelles good for kids?
Seychelles works well for families who want calm beaches and nature: giant tortoises, sheltered bays such as Beau Vallon and Côte d'Or, glass-bottom boats and cycling on La Digue. Choose beaches carefully, as some face strong surf for part of the year.
+What can kids do in Seychelles?
Sainte Anne Marine National Park, Curieuse Island, National Botanical Gardens, Anse Source d'Argent and Veuve Reserve.
+Where should families stay in Seychelles?
Beau Vallon: Mahé's main beach resort area on a long, sheltered north-west bay.