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The Seychelles sits 1,500 kilometres east of the Kenyan coast in the western Indian Ocean, an archipelago of 115 islands across 1.3 million square kilometres of exclusive economic zone with approximately 105,000 residents concentrated on Mahe. A 50m motor yacht working the Seychelles in the May or November transition months runs $180,000 to $320,000 per week before APA. The granitic inner islands (Mahe, Praslin, La Digue, Curieuse, Felicite, Silhouette, North Island, Fregate, Denis, Bird) cluster within a 50 nautical mile radius of the Mahe airport and absorb the standing Seychelles charter rotation. Seychelles International Airport (SEZ) at Pointe Larue on the east coast of Mahe handles commercial lift from Dubai, Doha, Addis Ababa, Mauritius, Mumbai, Frankfurt on Condor, and Paris on Air France.
The point of a Seychelles charter on a 7 to 14 day rotation is the granitic-island anchor product, the Praslin Coco de Mer and the La Digue Anse Source d'Argent (the canonical Seychelles beaches), the North Island and Fregate Island private-resort calendar, and the year-round charter calendar that operates outside the Indian Ocean monsoon constraints. The Vallee de Mai on Praslin (UNESCO World Heritage Site, designated 1983) holds the only natural Coco de Mer palm forest in the world, and the Aldabra Atoll (UNESCO World Heritage Site, designated 1982) holds the largest raised coral atoll on Earth at 155,000 hectares with a population of 100,000 giant tortoises (Aldabrachelys gigantea, the second-largest tortoise species globally after the Galapagos). The Aldabra Group sits 1,100 kilometres southwest of Mahe and is the working outer-atoll destination for 14 to 21 day charter rotations.
The on-shore product runs the Mahe resort cluster (Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Petite Anse on the southwest coast, the Constance Ephelia at Port Launay, the Hilton Seychelles Northolme, the Banyan Tree Seychelles, the Mango House at Anse aux Pins, the Anantara Maia at Anse Louis), the Praslin resort cluster (the Constance Lemuria, the Raffles Praslin, the Six Senses Zil Pasyon at Felicite Island, the Acajou Beach Resort), the North Island (the canonical Seychelles private-island resort, the 11-villa Wilderness Safaris-managed property), the Fregate Island Private (the 16-villa private island, the Oetker-managed property), the Denis Private Island, the Bird Island Lodge, and the Cousine Island. The restaurant calendar at the resort islands and the Mahe Eden Island marina district holds the working on-shore product.
When to charter the Seychelles
April and May (peak transition). The working spring transition. Water 28 to 29 degrees Celsius. Winds light to moderate at 5 to 12 knots from variable directions. Calm sea state across all anchors. The cleanest single charter window for the inner-island rotation with the strongest visibility (25 to 30 metres) for snorkel and dive. Rates at peak; book 9 to 12 months out.
October and November (peak transition). The working autumn transition. Water 27 to 28 degrees. Winds light to moderate at 5 to 12 knots from variable directions. The second peak charter window for the inner-island rotation. The Aldabra Group runs at its cleanest October-November window with the southeast trades dropping.
June to September (southeast trades, hardy peak). Water 26 to 27 degrees. Winds 15 to 25 knots from the southeast. The east-facing anchors at Mahe (Anse Royale, Anse Forbans, Anse aux Pins) run choppy; the west-coast anchors (Beau Vallon, Port Launay, Petite Anse) hold protected. Praslin and La Digue west-coast anchors hold. The working winter charter window for clients prioritising the southeast trade-wind sailing-charter water and the Cousin Island and Curieuse landings. Rates at 15 to 25 percent below the transition peaks.
December to March (northwest monsoon, light). Water 28 to 29 degrees. Winds variable at 5 to 15 knots with afternoon rain showers in January and February. The west-coast anchors run choppy at the northwest monsoon peak; the east-coast anchors hold protected. The Christmas and New Year window absorbs the resort-cluster calendar at peak with limited charter inventory. Rates at peak for NYE.
Year-round charter base. Unlike the Maldives, the Seychelles operates as a year-round charter destination with the working inventory in the region across all 12 months. The transition windows (April-May, October-November) deliver the cleanest single charter calendars; the trade and monsoon windows deliver the working charter calendar at adjusted anchor selection and reduced rates.
The Seychelles cruising zones
Mahe (Eden Island and the west coast). The working charter base. Eden Island Marina on the artificial Eden Island east of Mahe holds the superyacht slip inventory with 80m+ T-head positions, the working Customs clearance, and the Eden Plaza restaurant cluster (Marina Bar and Bistro, the Maharajas, the Eden Bleu Hotel). The Port Victoria commercial port on the east coast holds the deep-water embarkation for the largest charter yachts. The west coast anchors at Beau Vallon (the working Mahe daytime swim and dining anchor with the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay, the Coral Strand, and the Boat House restaurant), Port Launay (the protected northwest bay with the Constance Ephelia), and Petite Anse on the southwest coast (the Four Seasons Resort Seychelles base).
Praslin and the Vallee de Mai. 27 nautical miles northeast of Mahe. The 38 square kilometre island holds the Anse Lazio beach (the canonical Praslin swim), the Anse Georgette beach (the protected northwest bay at the Constance Lemuria), the Cote d'Or anchor on the northeast coast, and the Vallee de Mai UNESCO Coco de Mer palm forest at the centre of the island. Praslin holds 25m to 60m yacht inventory at the Baie Ste Anne anchor with the Praslin Yacht Club providing limited services.
La Digue. 3 nautical miles east of Praslin. The 10 square kilometre granitic island holds Anse Source d'Argent (the canonical Indian Ocean beach with the granitic boulders), Grand Anse, Petite Anse, and the working bicycle and ox-cart transport (no cars on La Digue). Anchor in 5 to 12 metres at the west coast or at the southwest bay; tender access to the La Passe village.
Felicite Island. 3 nautical miles east of La Digue. The Six Senses Zil Pasyon resort sits at the 268-hectare granitic island with the 30-villa private-island calendar. Anchor in 8 to 18 metres at the protected west coast.
Curieuse Island. 1.5 nautical miles north of Praslin. The 286-hectare island holds the working giant tortoise sanctuary (250+ Aldabra tortoises in semi-wild conditions), the Anse St Jose beach lunch (the working park ranger-grilled fish lunch), and the protected anchor. Day-stop only.
North Island. 22 nautical miles north of Mahe. The 200-hectare private island with the Wilderness Safaris-managed North Island Resort (11 villas at the cleanest single private-island product in the western Indian Ocean). Anchor in 8 to 15 metres at the west bay; resort tender access controlled.
Silhouette Island. 13 nautical miles northwest of Mahe. The 21 square kilometre Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort base at the third-largest Seychelles island. Anchor in 6 to 12 metres at the east coast.
Fregate Island Private. 33 nautical miles east of Mahe. The 219-hectare private island with the Fregate Island Private resort (16 villas under the Oetker Collection management). Anchor in 8 to 18 metres at the west bay; resort access controlled.
Cousin Island Special Reserve. 2 nautical miles south of Praslin. The 27-hectare bird sanctuary managed by Nature Seychelles with the working 250,000-seabird breeding colony and the giant tortoise population. Day-stop with the ranger-led tour structure.
Aride Island. 6 nautical miles north of Praslin. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds-managed nature reserve with the working seabird breeding colony. Day-stop only with the ranger-led tour.
Aldabra Group (outer atolls). 1,100 kilometres southwest of Mahe. The Aldabra Atoll, Assumption Island, Astove Atoll, and Cosmoledo Atoll cluster at the western edge of the Seychelles EEZ. Aldabra Atoll (155,000 hectares, the largest raised coral atoll globally, 100,000 giant tortoises, UNESCO World Heritage Site) requires the Seychelles Islands Foundation permit and the supervised landing structure. The Group requires 14 to 21 day charters with 2 to 3 day passages from Mahe.
Alphonse, Desroches, Farquhar Groups. The intermediate outer atolls. The Alphonse Group (300 km southwest of Mahe) holds the Alphonse Island Lodge (the fly-fishing destination on the Bourbier Bank). Desroches Island (230 km southwest of Mahe) holds the Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island. Farquhar Group (770 km south of Mahe) holds the fly-fishing camp on Farquhar Atoll.
A standard 10-day Seychelles inner-island charter
| Day | Anchorage | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Sat | Eden Island Marina board (SEZ arrival) | Boarding afternoon, evening at the Maharajas or Marina Bar and Bistro, overnight Eden Island |
| Sun | Mahe west coast | Run northwest to Beau Vallon for the swim and lunch at the Boat House, afternoon cruise to Port Launay, overnight Port Launay or Silhouette |
| Mon | Silhouette Island | Silhouette Island morning swim, Hilton Labriz lunch, afternoon cruise north to North Island, overnight North Island anchor |
| Tue | North Island and Aride | North Island Resort morning, Aride seabird sanctuary afternoon tour, overnight Praslin Cote d'Or |
| Wed | Praslin and the Vallee de Mai | Cote d'Or morning swim, Vallee de Mai morning tour, Anse Lazio afternoon, evening at the Constance Lemuria, overnight Anse Lazio or Baie Ste Anne |
| Thu | Curieuse and La Digue | Curieuse giant tortoise sanctuary morning, Anse St Jose ranger lunch, cross east to La Digue, Anse Source d'Argent afternoon, overnight La Digue |
| Fri | La Digue and Felicite | La Digue morning bicycle tour, cross to Felicite Island for Six Senses lunch, overnight Felicite |
| Sat | Cousin and return | Cousin Island ranger tour, cross south to Cousine Island, overnight Cousine or Praslin |
| Sun | Praslin to Mahe | Anse Georgette morning swim, run southwest 27 nautical miles to Mahe, overnight Eden Island or Four Seasons Petite Anse |
| Mon | Mahe disembark | Disembarkation morning, SEZ outbound lift |
This is the canonical Seychelles inner-island 10-day. The structure works on 30m to 80m motor yachts cleanly. The 7-day variant absorbs Silhouette and North Island into a Mahe-Praslin-La Digue rotation; the 14-day variant extends to the Fregate Island Private and the Denis and Bird islands at the north of the inner cluster.
Seychelles yacht size guidance
25m to 40m. The clean fit. Eden Island Marina inventory, full anchor inventory at the inner-island cluster, working tender access to the private resorts. Most working Seychelles charter inventory runs in this band.
40m to 60m. Eden Island Marina T-head primary inventory, full inner-island anchor inventory. The cleanest single Seychelles charter band for clients prioritising the resort access and the multi-island rotation.
60m to 80m. Eden Island T-head primary inventory at the deep-water positions, Port Victoria at the commercial port, anchor at standoff outside the inner-island reef positions.
80m and above. Port Victoria primary inventory, Eden Island Marina at the deepest T-head positions, anchor at standoff at North Island, Praslin Cote d'Or, and the deep-water positions outside the granitic islands. Most 80m+ Seychelles charters run from Port Victoria or Eden Island as the base with the tender absorbing the inner-island product.
Seychelles charter cost math
| Line item | Range (50m motor yacht, May or November peak) |
|---|---|
| Weekly rate | $180K to $320K |
| APA (28% to 33%) | $50K to $106K |
| Eden Island Marina (per night, 50m) | $1K to $2K |
| Eden Island Marina (per night, 80m) | $2.5K to $5K |
| Port Victoria berth (per night, 80m) | $3K to $7K |
| Seychelles cruising permit (per yacht, per week) | $1K to $3K |
| Marine park entrance fees (Curieuse, Cousin, Aride, per person) | $0.05K to $0.1K |
| Resort island lunch ashore (per person at North Island, Six Senses, Fregate) | $0.2K to $0.5K |
| Fuel (per week, inner-island rotation) | $10K to $25K |
| Gratuity (10% to 15%) | $18K to $48K |
| Full check | $260K to $510K |
The Seychelles charter cost runs at the western Indian Ocean band with rates 10 to 20 percent below the comparable Maldives rates given the working year-round inventory and the less acute repositioning premium. APA runs 28 to 33 percent at peak with the higher band reflecting the resort-island restaurant calendar and the cruising-permit framework. The Seychelles charter VAT applies at 15 percent on the charter fee for non-resident charter clients; the working charter contract structure absorbs this through the disclosed charter rate.
What we passed on
We pass on the standalone Mahe charter week. The Mahe coastline absorbs 2 to 3 days of working product before the structure repeats; the cleaner 7-day window pairs Mahe with Praslin and La Digue. Mahe runs as the embarkation and disembarkation framework rather than the destination.
We pass on the Aldabra Group as a charter destination for clients prioritising the standard inner-island Seychelles product. The 1,100 kilometre passage to Aldabra absorbs 2 to 3 days each way and the on-island product is the giant tortoise and reef calendar at very limited resort or restaurant infrastructure (the SIF research station is the only working on-shore structure). The Aldabra rotation is the working 14 to 21 day charter for repeat charter clients prioritising the remote-island and conservation product. Most charter weeks absorb Aldabra as a separate dedicated voyage rather than a leg of the inner-island rotation.
We pass on the Seychelles during the southeast trade peak (July and August) for clients prioritising the east-coast Mahe and Praslin anchor product. The 20 to 25 knot southeast winds deliver chop on the east-facing bays at Cote d'Or, Anse Royale, and Anse Forbans; the working winter charter shifts to the west-coast anchors at Beau Vallon, Port Launay, Anse Lazio, and Anse Georgette. The cleanest single trade-window charter pairs the protected anchor calendar with the Cousin and Aride seabird sanctuary days.
We pass on the Seychelles for clients prioritising the canonical Indian Ocean over-water-villa product. The Seychelles resort cluster runs at granitic-island and beach-villa scale rather than the Maldivian over-water-bungalow scale; the working Seychelles resort product is the North Island and the Fregate Island Private. Clients prioritising the over-water villa calendar should weight the Maldives. We cover the Maldives on the Maldives page.
Multi-region pairings
The Seychelles-Maldives Indian Ocean rotation is the canonical multi-destination structure. The two archipelagos sit 1,400 nautical miles apart with the working charter framework running separate weeks at each destination and the air gateway switch via Dubai or Doha. Most charter clients book the Maldives in the December to April window and the Seychelles in the April-May or October-November transition windows.
The Seychelles-Madagascar pairing absorbs the August through October southeast trade window. The 700 nautical mile cross to Nosy Be on the northwest Madagascar coast runs as a 3 to 4 day passage and the Madagascar charter calendar runs at very limited inventory. Most Madagascar-Seychelles charter weeks run as a dedicated 21-day delivery rather than a working multi-region rotation.
The Seychelles-Mauritius pairing absorbs the October-November transition window. The 1,000 nautical mile cross to Port Louis on Mauritius runs as a 4 to 5 day passage. Most charter clients book the two destinations as separate stops on a wider East Africa or Indian Ocean voyage rather than as a single combined charter.
The cross-pillar question (resort or charter)
The Seychelles resort inventory at the Four Seasons Petite Anse, North Island, Fregate Island Private, Constance Ephelia, the Six Senses Zil Pasyon, the Constance Lemuria, the Raffles Praslin, and the high-end cluster runs $1.5K to $20K per night with the working high-end at the North Island and the Fregate Island Private. For first-time Seychelles visitors, the single-resort stay (North Island for the cleanest private-island product, Four Seasons Petite Anse for the Mahe base) is the cleaner answer. The charter is the cleaner answer for clients prioritising the multi-island rotation through Mahe, Praslin, La Digue, and Curieuse.
The rest of the trip
VillasForKings covers the North Island private villas, the Fregate Island Private residences, the Four Seasons multi-bedroom villas, and the Constance Lemuria Presidential Villa. HotelsForKings covers the North Island, the Fregate Island Private, the Six Senses Zil Pasyon, the Four Seasons Petite Anse, the Constance Ephelia, the Constance Lemuria, the Raffles Praslin, the Banyan Tree, the Hilton Northolme, and the Mango House. RestaurantsForKings covers the Zez at the Four Seasons, the Diva at North Island, the Marina at Eden Island, the Tec-Tec at Six Senses, and the Boat House at Beau Vallon. BarsForKings covers the Eden Bleu lobby bar, the North Island sandbar, the Six Senses overwater bar at Felicite, and the Beau Vallon evening calendar.
FAQ
What size yacht works best at the Seychelles? 40m to 70m motor yacht. The Eden Island Marina, Port Victoria, and the inner-island anchor inventory absorb the size range with the working 40m to 60m band running the cleanest single charter. Above 80m the working overnight is at Port Victoria or at the deep-water anchors with the tender absorbing the inner-island access.
When is the Seychelles at its best? April-May and October-November. The two transition windows between the southeast trades and the northwest monsoon deliver the cleanest charter calendar with light winds, calm sea state, and full visibility. The Seychelles operates year-round with the working inventory in the region across all 12 months.
Should I charter the Seychelles or book a Seychelles resort? Both, with the resort first for first-time visitors. North Island and Fregate Island Private deliver the canonical Seychelles private-island product; the charter delivers the multi-island rotation through Mahe, Praslin, La Digue, Curieuse, and the granitic-anchor calendar that single-resort stays cannot reach.
How does the Seychelles compare with the Maldives? Different products. The Seychelles delivers the granitic-island anchor product, the year-round charter calendar, and the working Coco de Mer and giant tortoise heritage. The Maldives delivers the multi-atoll over-water resort product, the dive and manta calendar, and the December-to-April season. Many Indian Ocean charter clients pick one or the other given the 1,400 nautical mile distance; clients running both typically book separate weeks at separate seasons. We cover the Maldives on the Maldives page.
Is Aldabra worth the 1,100 kilometre passage? For repeat charter clients prioritising the remote-island and conservation product, yes. The Aldabra Atoll holds the largest raised coral atoll on Earth and 100,000 giant tortoises with the supervised landing structure under the Seychelles Islands Foundation. For first-time Seychelles charter clients, the inner-island rotation delivers the working Seychelles charter product; the Aldabra trip is the standing repeat-visit voyage.