Islands of the Seychelles

At roughly 65 million years old, the Seychelles Archipelago has the oldest islands on earth. The pristine collection of 115 emerald-green islands are scattered across 700km in the Indian Ocean. The islands are hidden some 1,600km off Africa's east coast, north-east of Madagascar.

The Seychelles can be separated into two groups of islands: the granitic clusters of the inner islands and the coralline atolls that make up the outer islands.

Inner Islands

Set on a relatively shallow plateau shelf beneath the ocean, the inner islands are characterised by large granite boulders and forested mountain peaks. The inner granitic islands are the main hubs of actrivity and include Mahe, Praslin and Silhouette islands. These were formed when the supercontinent Godwanaland separated while the earth was taking its current shape.

Outer Islands

The outer islands are generally flatter and are composed of corals and volcanic material. Most of the outer islands are uninhabited, making them pristine paradises. As the largest of the coralline islands and a World Heritage Site the Aldabra Atoll is probably the most well known. Aldabra is also the original home of the giant tortoises which are now commonly found across the Seychelles and in Mauritius.

Whether you're staying on an inner or outer island, there are two distinct types - islands that are public and those that are privately owned. The privately owned islands (North Island, Frégate Island, Sainte Anne, Cousine Island) usually have only one luxury resort and often allow access to guests only. Public islands will have a few more people strolling about.

Here is a list of islands in the Seychelles:

• Bird Island
• Cousin, Cousine and Aride Islands
• Denis Island
• Desroches Island
• Fregate
• La Digue
• Mahe
• Praslin
• Sainte Anne
• Silhouette

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