All activities / Sailing / Inner Islands
Sailing in Inner Islands
The cluster of granitic islands around Mahe, Praslin and La Digue, joined by short, sheltered passages of warm water. Forty-one islands sit close enough together to make relaxed, line-of-sight sailing, with reef anchorages, empty beaches and marine parks between them.
Why here
The inner islands are built for sailing. Forty-one granitic islands sit close together in warm, sheltered water, so you navigate by sight from one anchorage to the next rather than crossing open ocean. A week under sail links Mahe, Praslin and La Digue with quieter stops at Curieuse, the Sisters, Silhouette and the Sainte Anne marine park, dropping anchor off beaches that have no road to them. Both bareboat and skippered catamarans work here: a Seychelles licence lets qualified crews take the helm themselves, while a hired skipper opens the same route to anyone. The reward is the version of these islands most visitors never see, reached from the water and largely to yourself.
Best months
The gentlest sailing falls in the transition months of April to May and October to November, with light winds and settled seas. The southeast monsoon from June to September brings steadier, stronger breeze that suits confident crews. Bareboat charter requires a recognised sailing licence and some tidal-water experience; crewed charters carry a professional skipper, so no qualification is needed.
Getting there & around
Charters start from the marinas on Mahe, most from Eden Island, a short drive from the airport. Trips run as fixed weekly or multi-day itineraries and book up months ahead for the April to May and October to November windows. Bareboat crews complete a checkout and chart briefing before departure; provisioning and a skipper or hostess can be arranged in advance.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced
Schools & guides (2)
Dream Yacht Charter
OutfitterDream Yacht Charter was founded in the Seychelles in 2001, when Loic Bonnet started with six boats out of the islands and grew the business into the largest charter company in the world. Its Seychelles base still runs bareboat and crewed catamarans through the inner islands, from Mahe to Praslin, La Digue and Silhouette, with skippered options for crews who do not hold a sailing licence.
Voile Seychelles
OutfitterVoile Seychelles, also trading as Voiles et Lagons, is a crewed catamaran operator based at Eden Island Marina on Mahe, running a small fleet that includes the fourteen-metre Hinatea and a Fountaine Pajot 57. Its skippered cruises cover the granitic inner islands of Mahe, Praslin, La Digue, Curieuse and Silhouette, with diving and big-game fishing added on request and longer runs out to the Amirantes.