Geographical location
According to COUNTRYAAH, the Seychelles are a group of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean and topographically belong to the African continent.
The three main islands of Mahé, on which the capital Victoria is located, as well as Praslin and La Digue are of particular tourist relevance.
Victoria herself advertised for many years with the slogan “Smallest capital in the world”, which is factually incorrect, but symbolically gives a good impression of the (manageable) area.
A total of around 90,000 people live in the Seychelles, who mainly rely on gentle, high-quality tourism. The most important airport is near Victoria on the main island of Mahé and is served by several international airlines (including Condor from Germany).
Connections to the other islands are made by domestic flight or by high-speed ferry. In the south, below the Seychelles, are the neighboring islands of Madagascar, Mauritius and the Comoros.
- Abbreviation Finder: Check to see national geography, brief history, society description, domestic politics, economy overview, and a list of widely used acronyms about Seychelles.
Climate in the Seychelles
The climate in the Seychelles is mainly determined by the influences of the monsoons, it is tropical and warm all year round and the daytime temperatures range between 28 and 32 degrees. Seasons as we know them in Europe do not exist on the Seychelles Islands. Due to the proximity to the equator, there are only slight fluctuations of a maximum of 4 degrees over the course of the year, even at night it is always very mild at 23 to 25 degrees.
The length of the day is also largely constant, with sunrise almost exactly at 6 a.m. and sunset at 6 p.m. all year round. The humidity in the Seychelles is always very high and is around 80 percent. Basically, the islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue are true year-round destinations, as there are only minor seasonal restrictions.
In the period from December to the beginning of April, the northwest monsoon is predominant and is considered the rainy season in the Seychelles. However, there are usually only short and strong showers before the sky usually clears up again. The drier period from May to the end of September is a bit windier (southeast monsoons), but strong storms rarely occur.
The monsoon usually hits during the transition months in April and again in October or November around. During these changing times, there can sometimes be a complete calm, which sometimes makes the weather appear oppressively hot. The water temperature in the Indian Ocean is suitable for bathing 365 days a year at 26 to 29 degrees, depending on the wind, however, there may be higher surf on one side of the islands.
When to go to the Seychelles
The Seychelles offer good conditions for a holiday all year round and inspire with high-class resorts and some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Due to the climate conditions described, we recommend the months May to the end of September as the absolutely best time to travel to the Seychelles. It is now drier, more consistent and the evenly mild wind ensures a very pleasant temperature.
However, we would like to point out that Praslin in particular is on the southern half of the island between June and September have to reckon with some flooding of seaweed. This is absolutely no drama, rather it is evidence of an intact marine life. At the same time, the other side of the island is naturally mostly “pure”. As I said: There are only minimal restrictions anyway, the Seychelles are fantastically beautiful at any time of travel!
Optimal travel time for the regions
In the following overview you can see the best travel time depending on the region (Seychelles).
| Place | Best travel time |
| Mahé | May, June, July, August and September |
| La Digue | May, June, July, August and September |
Temperatures, precipitation, sunshine in Mahé (Seychelles)
| Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Daytime temperature | 30 ° C | 30 ° C | 31 ° C | 31 ° C | 31 ° C | 29 ° C | 28 ° C | 28 ° C | 29 ° C | 30 ° C | 30 ° C | 30 ° C |
| Night temperature | 24 ° C | 25 ° C | 25 ° C | 25 ° C | 25 ° C | 25 ° C | 24 ° C | 24 ° C | 24 ° C | 24 ° C | 24 ° C | 24 ° C |
| Water temperature | 27 ° C | 28 ° C | 28 ° C | 29 ° C | 28 ° C | 27 ° C | 26 ° C | 26 ° C | 26 ° C | 26 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C |
| Precipitation in mm | 379 | 262 | 167 | 177 | 124 | 63 | 80 | 97 | 121 | 206 | 215 | 281 |
| Rainy days | 17 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 18 |
| Hours of sunshine | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 |
| Sunrise | 6:15 | 6:25 | 6:25 | 6:20 | 6:15 | 6:25 | 6:30 | 6:25 | 6:10 | 5:55 | 5:55 | 6:00 |
| Sunset | 18:40 | 18:40 | 18:30 | 18:20 | 18:10 | 18:15 | 18:20 | 18:20 | 18:15 | 18:10 | 18:10 | 18:25 |
Temperatures
The annual average temperature in Mahe is 26.9 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is April (28 ° C), coldest month of July with averages of 25.8 ° C. The maximum water temperature in Mahe is 29 ° C. Comfortable bathing is possible at these temperatures. All months have a water temperature of at least 21 ° C and are therefore suitable for a beach holiday.
Precipitation
The annual precipitation is 2172 mm on 149 days with precipitation. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. The months of January, February, April, October, November and December are considered the rainy season, as more than 175 mm of precipitation can be expected per month. Overall, around 1520 mm of precipitation can be expected in the rainy season. You cannot expect snow in any month in Mahé.
Sunshine
As our climate table shows, May is the sunniest month with an average of 8.2 hours of sunshine per day. On average over the year the sun shines 6.9 hours per day. For comparison: In Munich and Berlin, the sun shines an average of 4.7 hours per day throughout the year.
Highlights and attractions
The city of Victoria is shaped by its British colonial heritage, in the city center, for example, a clock tower (Victoria Clock Tower) is modeled on London’s Big Ben. The market with the neighboring Hindu temple in Victoria, the botanical garden and the viewpoints on Morne Blanc are also worth a visit on Mahé. The most beautiful beaches on the main island are Anse Intendance, Petite Anse, Anse Takamaka, Port Launay and the very popular Beau Vallon Bay.
On Praslin, the Vallée du Mai National Park (UNESCO World Heritage) with the gigantic Coco de Mer nuts is one of the island’s attractions. Our three favorite beaches on Praslin are Anse Volbert, Anse Petit Cour and the wonderfully beautiful Anse Lazio.
Little La Digue is world famous for the granite rocks of Anse Source d`Argent, but Anse Cocos and Grand Anse are also among the most beautiful beaches in the world. If you want to discover the underwater world of the Seychelles while snorkeling and diving, you should take a trip to Ste. Anne Marine National Park and Aldabra things to do. Countless species of birds and wild turtles can be found on the islet of Cousin, very close to Praslin.
