Silhouette Island - The National Park Island of the Seychelles

Jul 8, 2026

Silhouette Island is the third-largest granitic island in the Seychelles, located 20 kilometers northwest of Mahé, with an area of 20.1 square kilometers, 93 percent of which is protected as a national park. The island has no roads or airport, so visitors reach it only by boat or helicopter, and a single resort operates on its shores. Travelers visit Silhouette as a day trip from Mahé, as a resort stay, or as a stop on a private yacht itinerary through the inner islands.

What Is Silhouette Island

Silhouette Island is a granitic island in the Inner Islands group of the Seychelles, rising to 751 meters at Mont Dauban, with a population of about 200 residents concentrated in the settlement of La Passe on the east coast. Most inhabitants work for the resort or for the conservation organizations that manage the island.

The terrain of Silhouette is the steepest in the Seychelles archipelago. Five peaks exceed 500 meters in elevation — Mont Dauban, Mont-Pot-à-Eau, Gratte Fesse, Mont Corgat, and Mont Cocos Marrons — and the slopes drop toward the coastline with almost no flat ground between them. This topography prevented large-scale development and preserved the primary forest that covers the interior.

Silhouette holds three layers of protected status. Silhouette National Park, established in 2010, covers 93 percent of the landmass. The surrounding waters became a Marine National Park in 1987, extending roughly 1 mile offshore. In 2013, the Seychelles government submitted the island to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List under mixed cultural and natural criteria.

The island takes its name from Étienne de Silhouette, the French minister of finance under Louis XV. The name appeared on maps in the 18th century, after France claimed the island in 1771.

The recorded history of Silhouette began in 1609, when the crew of an English East India Company vessel became the first documented visitors. Permanent settlement started in the early 19th century, and from the 1860s the Dauban family developed plantations of timber, fruit, spices, and oils across the island. Their restored Plantation House in La Passe now operates as a museum and holds National Monument status, together with the cast-iron Dauban mausoleum built in the style of the Église de la Madeleine in Paris.

Where Is Silhouette Island Located

Silhouette Island lies 20 kilometers northwest of Mahé, the main island of the Seychelles, within the Inner Islands group. The crossing from the west coast of Mahé takes about 45 minutes by boat, and around one hour from Victoria Harbor on the east side.

The island sits between Mahé to the southeast and North Island to the northwest, with Praslin roughly 40 kilometers to the east. This position places Silhouette within the compact triangle of the granitic Seychelles, making it a practical addition to multi-island routes.

The nearest departure points on Mahé are Bel Ombre on the northwest coast, Victoria Harbor, and Eden Island Marina adjacent to Victoria. All three sit within a one-hour water transfer of Silhouette.

The distinctive mountainous outline of Silhouette dominates the horizon from Beau Vallon beach on Mahé. The profile of Mont Dauban serves as a visual reference for the island long before departure.

How to Get to Silhouette Island

Three transport options connect Mahé to Silhouette Island: a scheduled ferry from Bel Ombre with a crossing of about 45 minutes, a helicopter transfer of about 15 minutes, and a private yacht departing from the marinas of Mahé. The island has no airstrip, so fixed-wing flights are not available.

By Ferry from Bel Ombre

The ferry to Silhouette departs from the terminal at Bel Ombre on the northwest coast of Mahé and reaches the island in approximately 45 minutes. The schedule consists of a limited number of daily departures at fixed times, tied to the resort's operations. The fixed timetable defines both arrival and return windows, which shortens the usable time on the island for day visitors.

By Helicopter

Helicopter transfers connect Mahé to the helipad on Silhouette in about 15 minutes. The flight passes over the northwest coast of Mahé and the channel between the islands. The format carries strict baggage weight limits, which matter for travelers with dive gear or extended luggage, and depends on weather conditions in the channel.

By Private Yacht Charter

A private yacht reaches Silhouette from Eden Island Marina or Victoria Harbor in roughly one hour, removing the timetable constraint entirely. The charter format allows a departure time set by the passengers, swimming and snorkeling stops along the route, and a return after sunset if the group chooses. CharterClick operates captained motor yachts and catamarans from Eden Island Marina for day routes to Silhouette and combined itineraries across the inner islands.

The three options compare as follows.

Option	Travel time	Departure point	Schedule flexibility	Best suited for
Ferry	~45 minutes	Bel Ombre	Fixed daily departures	Resort guests
Helicopter	~15 minutes	Mahé helipads	On demand, weather dependent	Short transfers without heavy luggage
Private yacht	~1 hour	Eden Island Marina or Victoria Harbor	Full control of timing and stops	Day trips, snorkeling routes, multi-island plans

Things to Do on Silhouette Island

The main activities on Silhouette Island are hiking the national park trails, snorkeling and diving in the marine park, swimming at the beaches on the east and north coasts, and viewing the historical landmarks in La Passe. All activities start from the settlement, as the rest of the island lacks infrastructure.

Hiking in Silhouette National Park

The principal hiking route on Silhouette runs from La Passe across the island to Anse Mondon, a former village site on the north coast. The trail passes through primary forest with endemic palms, hardwoods, and pitcher plants, and takes two to three hours each way, depending on pace. Shorter paths climb from La Passe to viewpoints above the settlement.

Guides from the island conservation staff accompany hikes on request. The steep terrain, unmarked sections, and protected status of the forest make an accompanied hike the standard format for routes beyond the immediate surroundings of La Passe.

Snorkeling and Diving

The waters around Silhouette have held Marine National Park status since 1987, prohibiting fishing and anchoring on coral within 1 mile of the shore. The reefs off the east and north coasts hold reef fish, rays, and both hawksbill and green turtles. Visibility peaks during the calm inter-monsoon months.

Snorkelers reach the nearshore reefs directly from the beaches or by boat. Divers access the sites around the island from La Passe or from a vessel positioned outside the park boundary.

Beaches of Silhouette Island

The most accessible beach on Silhouette adjoins La Passe, with calm water protected by the reef. Anse Lascars, south of the settlement, combines a swimming beach with an archaeological site of early graves. Anse Mondon on the north coast rewards hikers with an isolated bay with no road access and that rarely holds more than a few visitors at a time.

Historical Landmarks

The Dauban Plantation House in La Passe, built around 1861, has been restored as a museum with original photographs and furnishings from the plantation era. The cast-iron Dauban mausoleum stands nearby as one of two National Monuments on the island. The graves at Anse Lascars, once attributed to Arab traders, date to around 1800 and mark the earliest settlement period.

Wildlife and Nature of Silhouette Island

Silhouette Island ranks among the most important biodiversity sites in the western Indian Ocean. The cause lies in its topography — slopes too steep for plantations or construction preserved the island's primary forest while neighboring islands lost theirs to agriculture.

The island supports the last known major roosts of the Seychelles sheath-tailed bat, a critically endangered species with a population counted in the dozens. The Alliance for Zero Extinction lists Silhouette as a priority site because the survival of this species depends on it.

Most of the roughly 75 plant species endemic to the granitic Seychelles grow on Silhouette, and several occur nowhere else. Among the rarest is Impatiens gordonii, a critically endangered white-flowered relative of the garden balsam, recorded only on Mahé and Silhouette.

Hawksbill and green turtles nest on the beaches of Silhouette. Nesting activity is concentrated between October and February, when females come ashore in the quieter bays.

The Island Conservation Society manages conservation on Silhouette, running habitat restoration, invasive species control, and monitoring programs from its base at La Passe.

Exploring Silhouette Island by Rented Yacht

A rented yacht turns the trip to Silhouette from a transfer into a full-day route: snorkeling stops at the reefs along the marine park boundary, lunch at anchor in a sheltered bay, and a combined pass by North Island within the same day. The ferry covers one fixed crossing; a yacht covers a route.

The difference between the yacht format and scheduled transport comes down to three factors. Departure time follows the group instead of a timetable. Stops happen wherever the water invites a swim rather than at a terminal. The vessel itself works as a base for the day — a shaded deck, a galley, and space to rest between activities.

Activities from the deck follow the geography of the crossing. The channel between Mahé and Silhouette allows swimming and snorkeling stops in open water, diving from a vessel positioned outside the marine park boundary, fishing beyond the protected zone, and a slow pass along the mountainous coastline that no land route on the island can reach. The return leg toward Mahé at sunset runs with the light behind the granite profile that gave the island its name.

Two practical formats cover most plans. A day route departs Eden Island Marina or Victoria Harbor in the morning, spends midday around Silhouette, and returns before dark. A liveaboard variant keeps the group on board overnight at anchor, extending the itinerary to Praslin or La Digue the following day. Catering on board and other trip services are organized separately before departure.

CharterClick rents captained motor yachts and catamarans from Eden Island Marina for both formats, with vessels sized for small groups to larger parties.

Where to Stay on Silhouette Island

One resort operates on Silhouette Island, located on the beach at La Passe. The property occupies the flat coastal strip below the mountains, and no guesthouses, self-catering options, or second hotels exist on the island.

A day trip from Mahé is the standard alternative to a resort stay. The one-hour water transfer places Silhouette within a comfortable single-day radius from any part of Mahé.

An overnight stay on a chartered yacht at anchor covers the third scenario. This format suits travelers who want a sunrise start for hiking or diving, and it connects Silhouette to a longer sailing itinerary across the inner islands.

Best Time to Visit Silhouette Island

Silhouette Island receives visitors year-round, and the inter-monsoon months of April–May and October–November bring the calmest sea and the best underwater visibility. These windows suit snorkeling, diving, and comfortable crossings from Mahé.

The southeast trade winds blow from May to September. The sea between Mahé and Silhouette runs fresher in this period, which lengthens the perceived crossing on smaller vessels, while the air stays drier and cooler.

The northwest monsoon lasts from November to March. The water flattens, short rain showers pass through, and the underwater visibility around the reefs reaches its seasonal peak outside the rainy days.

Turtle nesting adds a seasonal criterion. Hawksbill females come ashore between October and February, so visits in these months coincide with nesting activity on the quieter beaches.

Frequently Asked Questions About Silhouette Island

Can you visit Silhouette Island on a day trip?

Yes, a day trip from Mahé is a standard way to visit Silhouette. The crossing takes 45 minutes to an hour by boat, leaving a full midday window for hiking, snorkeling, or the beach. A private yacht removes the dependence on the ferry timetable and adds swimming stops along the route.

How long is the boat ride from Mahé to Silhouette Island

The boat ride takes about 45 minutes from Bel Ombre on the northwest coast of Mahé and about one hour from Victoria Harbor or Eden Island Marina. A helicopter covers the same distance in roughly 15 minutes.

Is Silhouette Island inhabited?

Yes, about 200 people live on Silhouette Island, almost all in the village of La Passe on the east coast. The residents work for the resort and the conservation organizations. The former villages of Grand Barbe and Anse Mondon are no longer inhabited.

Are there cars or roads on Silhouette Island

No, Silhouette Island has no roads and no cars. Movement across the island follows footpaths, and the terrain beyond La Passe consists of forested mountain slopes inside the national park.

Can you charter a yacht to Silhouette Island?

Yes, private yachts reach Silhouette from Eden Island Marina and Victoria Harbor on Mahé in about one hour. CharterClick arranges captained day charters and overnight itineraries that include Silhouette, with snorkeling and fishing stops along the route. Anchoring inside the marine park follows the park rules, so vessels hold position off the boundary or use designated areas.

Why is Silhouette Island famous?

Silhouette Island is known as one of the richest biodiversity sites in the western Indian Ocean, with a national park covering 93 percent of its territory. The island shelters the last major roosts of the critically endangered Seychelles sheath-tailed bat, dozens of endemic plants, and nesting sea turtles. Its steep granite profile is the most dramatic silhouette on the horizon of the inner Seychelles.