Mahé, Seychelles

Mahé is 28 km long and 8 km wide and 154.7 km ² the largest of the 115 islands of the Seychelles. Live there with 72,000 people and nearly 90 % of the population of the Seychelles. Urban center of the island is Victoria with nearly 25,000 residents.

Since the opening of the international airport and the Declaration of Independence from Britain in 1976, Mahé is the hub for international tourists who come to visit the Seychelles archipelago. Large parts of the granite island are covered with a dense cloud forests. Through the mountain Morne Seychellois, whose summit is 905 meters above sea level, Mahé is also the same time the highest the Seychelles. In the north there is also an extensive mangrove area. Only one a few kilometers from Mahé are the small islands of Sainte Anne, Ile au Cerf, Ile Longue, Moyenne, Ile Ronde, Ile Sèche Conception, Thérèse, and Ile aux Vaches.

History

First discovered by the British in 1609, the island remained uninhabited until the expedition of the French Lazare Picault in 1742. Was named the island after the French Admiral Bertrand -François Mahé de La Bourdonnais. The French influence remained until 1814, when the island (group) was annexed by the English and to the independence of Seychelles in the year 1976 remained part of the British Empire.

Nature and sights

The best known and yet most touristy beach on the main island of Mahé is the bay of Beau Vallon in the northwest of the island. From here the panoramic road Sans Souci Road runs through a lush green vegetation of the Morne Seychellois National Park, with various endemic plants. It provides various views of the island and ends on the east coast of Mahé in the capital Victoria. The only city in the Seychelles has with the center at the Clock Tower, the Sir Selwyn - Clarke Market, the Botanical Garden, the Bel Air cemetery or the Seychelles National Museum several attractions.

Further south of Victoria is the airport of Mahé. The Domaine de Val des Pres is located just below the airport and is a small visitor center for Creole architecture, art and gastronomy. Also in the south east of Mahé is the Jardin du Roi, a spice garden including historic colonial house, museum, shop and restaurant. In the south and south-west of Mahé are more lonely and lined with granite rocks and palm bays with known beaches such as Anse Takamaka, Anse Intendance or Police Bay.

Traffic

The island has an airport, which gained notoriety due to the crash of a drone type MQ 9_Reaper.