1-Day Itinerary: Best Things to Do in Mahe in 2024

Mahe has almost 90% of Seychelles’ population and the capital city of Victoria. Given its bigger size, Mahe has many more hotel, restaurant, and bar options. But, it also means it’s much more crowded than its smaller sister islands, Praslin and La Digue. We decided to do it all in one day and planned a jam-packed road trip itinerary that you can find below. It was the perfect way to see all the best things to do in Mahe.

Also, if you would rather just sit back and enjoy the ride, you can check out some of the guided Mahe tours here.

Road Trip Itinerary

Victoria

Start out the day walking around the capital Victoria. Parking can be complicated in the city, but we were able to find parking across from Chaka Brothers. Would recommend checking here before trying to find parking on the street. 

Victoria Market is one of the top things to do in Mahe, and best to visit early in the morning before too many people arrive. They sell everything from fruits and vegetables, to local spices and souvenirs.

Victoria also has the Victoria Clocktower, which has been the focal point of the city for a century and one of the few things to remain the same over the years. It’s a replica of the London cock, brought over from England after the Seychelles became a colony. And there’s also the incredibly unique Hindu Temple, which is stunning from the outside.

Lastly, there’s the National Museum, which is a beautiful building as well. It’s a small museum with a few different exhibitions, but it gives a great recap of the history of Seychelles and has a cute gift shop as well.

Anse Royale

Drive south to Anse Royale, a stunning beach with a unique rock formation. There’s easy parking right next to the beach, and although the beach is not very big, it wasn’t very crowded when we visited. The water was calm and clear, and we even got to enjoy some fresh coconuts.

We passed the Takamaka Rum Distillery on our way to the beach, but it was unfortunately closed due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Anse Takamaka

Make your way to the western part of the island until you reach Anse Takamaka Beach. We didn’t actually go for a dip here, but instead enjoyed some lunch at Chez Batista. The restaurant generally had a buffet that was closed during our visit, but the fish we ordered a la carte was quite good. The terrace is directly on the sand, overlooking the ocean, and tough to beat.

Anse Soleil

Start heading north to Anse Soleil, another incredibly beautiful beach and one of our favorite things to do in Mahe. The parking here was a bit tricky because you must drive down some narrow and steep roads. We were nervous that we’d get stuck, so we parked about 10 minutes away from the beach, but we noticed many other cars had made it all the way down and had no trouble returning to the main road. You’ll have to go through the Chez Julien restaurant to get down to the beach.

Sauzier Waterfall

Say goodbye to the beach and head north towards Morne Seychellois National Park. This area covers about a fifth of the island. The roads are narrow and winding, but they offer some great views of the coast from the top of the mountain. Had we had more time, we would have loved to do one of the hikes offered, like the one to the peak of Morne Blanc. But since time was limited, we decided to go to Sauzier Waterfall instead. Avoid falling for any offers of guides or tours (it’s not needed). Just drive all the way up and you’ll see some cars parked on the left side and a guy charging the entry fee.

The hike to the waterfall is short and easy, and you’ll be really surprised when you arrive. The waterfall is more like a tall water slide, into a small pond where you can jump in and swim. The water looks quite dark from the outside, but it’s clean and refreshing. It was the perfect way to wash out the sand and saltwater before ending the day.

Del Place Restaurant

Grab some dinner and enjoy the beautiful sunset at Del Place Restaurant, very close to the waterfall. We had made a reservation but got there early, so we got to enjoy the sunset with some delicious mojitos. The terrace is beautiful, right over the water, and they even had some local live music. This was our last meal before ending the trip, and we are so glad we stumbled upon this place.

Beau Vallon

Finish the day with some drinks at Beau Vallon. Note that the drive from Del Place to Beau Vallon is up and down a mountain. This is a popular part of town, with some fun bars and restaurants and things to do in Mahe. A lot had closed by the time we got there (around 9:30pm during Covid times), but we were able to get a drink at Boat House before heading to the airport.

Where to Stay in Mahe

There are lots of great places to stay in Mahe, but we chose Bliss Hotel, in the most northern part of the island. It’s close to Beau Vallon and Victoria, so the location was perfect for our chosen road trip. We didn’t have an opportunity to take advantage of it since we only stayed for one night, but the hotel was big. It had great beach access and beautiful pools. We had dinner at the restaurant Rock Pool, located inside the hotel, and really enjoyed it as well. The terrace overlooks the ocean and the food was unique.

Rental Car Options

If you’re looking to embark on this road trip, we recommend renting a car. Most of the roads are in good condition, but some of the back roads, particularly around the mountains, tend to be narrow and windy. We went with a local rental car company and were impressed with the service that Macael Rent a Car provided. For a larger option with more variety, we recommend using Discover Cars. The site is very user-friendly and aggregates all types of vehicles and prices to make sure you find the best deal. 

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