Photo: Marina Manukyan via Google
The smart spend
- The routeTwo nights on Mahe, three on Praslin, then two on La Digue, linked by the public ferries.
- Where to splurgeThe inter island ferries and one boat day to the islets off Praslin, the trips that actually need paying for.
- Where to saveSelf cater, choose a guesthouse over a resort, and hire a bicycle on La Digue rather than a car.
Published 19 February 2026. Last reviewed 17 May 2026
The Seychelles has a reputation as a honeymoon splurge, and the rooms can certainly cost a fortune, but the thing you actually came for is free. Every public beach is open to all, even the ones fronting the grand resorts, so the granite and the water cost nothing. The money goes on the flight, the rooms, the ferries and the eating, and a week spent well keeps three of those four firmly in your control.
The trick is to treat this as an island hopping trip rather than a single resort stay. Mahe, Praslin and La Digue each have a distinct feel, and the most photographed beaches are scattered across all three. Base on one island and you miss most of the point. The fast ferries make moving easy and cheap compared with internal flights, and a guesthouse with a kitchen will halve your daily spend without costing you a single sunset. Prices are typical and best confirmed when you book.
The route, day by day
| Days | Island | Why you are there |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 2 | Mahe | Beau Vallon and Anse Major, an easy arrival base near the airport. |
| Days 3 to 5 | Praslin | Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette, plus a boat day to the islets offshore. |
| Days 6 to 7 | La Digue | Anse Source d'Argent and Grand Anse, explored by bicycle. |
Prices are typical guides and should be confirmed at the time of booking. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
Days 1 to 2, Mahe
Land and stay close. Beau Vallon is the main beach on Mahe, a long calm bay with the island's best spread of affordable food and the easiest base for a first night. Walk the coastal trail to Anse Major, a free hike to a quiet cove, and if you have a half day spare the wilder sands of Anse Intendance in the south are worth the short drive. Two nights here settles you in without burning a travel day.
Days 3 to 5, Praslin
Take the Cat Cocos ferry across, about an hour, and move to Praslin for the showpiece beaches. Anse Lazio is the one everyone names, a wide arc of pale sand and clear water, while Anse Georgette nearby is quieter and just as good. Spend the calm sands of Anse Volbert on a slow day, and give one morning to a boat trip out to the islets, the single excursion most visitors are glad they paid for.
Days 6 to 7, La Digue
The short Cat Rose hop, around fifteen minutes, lands you on the slowest island of the three. Hire a bicycle, not a car, and ride to Anse Source d'Argent, the granite framed beach reached through L'Union Estate for a small fee. Go at first light before the day trippers arrive. Finish at Grand Anse or the gentler Petite Anse on the wilder east coast. Fill any gaps from the best beaches in the Seychelles.
What it costs, and where to save
Because the beaches are public and free, your budget is decided by where you sleep and how you eat, not by access to the sand. The biggest saving is a self catering guesthouse, often a fraction of a resort rate, with a takeaway curry or a market shop replacing the hotel restaurant. On La Digue a hired bicycle does everything a car would for a tiny fraction of the price, and the ferries between islands cost a fraction of the internal flights some agents will try to sell you.
What to skip. Skip internal flights between the main islands when the ferry does the job, skip car hire on tiny La Digue, and treat the pricier hotel excursions with suspicion since most can be arranged more cheaply from the jetty. The one spend worth defending is a half day boat trip from Praslin to the marine park islets, which is the kind of thing you remember long after you have forgotten what the room cost.
Plan your day on the sand
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Plan it properly
Is 7 days enough for the Seychelles?
Yes. Split the week across the three main islands and take the ferries between them, and you can see Mahe, Praslin and La Digue properly without rushing or wasting money on internal flights.
Do you need to island hop in the Seychelles?
Yes, if you want the best of it. The three main islands each have a different character, and the famous granite beaches are spread across them, so basing on just one means missing most of what you came for.
Are the beaches in the Seychelles free?
Almost all of them, yes. The public beaches are free to use even in front of the resorts. Anse Source d'Argent is the main exception, reached through L'Union Estate, which charges a small entry fee best confirmed locally.
How do you get between the islands?
By fast ferry. Cat Cocos runs Mahe to Praslin in about an hour, and Cat Rose links Praslin and La Digue in around fifteen minutes. Booking ahead is wise as sailings sell out in peak weeks.
Is Anse Source d'Argent worth it?
Yes, but go early. The granite boulders and shallow water are as good as the photos, though it gets busy by mid morning and you pay the estate fee to reach it. First light is when it earns its reputation.
When is the best time to go?
The calmer shoulder windows of April to May and October to November tend to bring the lightest winds and clearest water. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed, so treat any month as a guide.