Silhouette Island in the Seychelles archipelago is covered in virgin tropical jungle and unique flora and fauna. It offers secluded beaches and privacy for visitors seeking to get away. During the 18th century, the uninhabited island was named by French sailors after Minister Etienne de Silueta, and plantations were established. Now coconut palms cover the island and tourists can enjoy diving the coral reef, hiking, and learning about the island's history and conservation efforts to restore endangered tortoise species.

1. If you get tired of walking around the island of Mahe, where the Coral
Strand hotel is located, we propose to make a fascinating journey to the
Silhouette Island!
Silhouette island
Coral Strand Hotel

2. Silhouette, the third largest among
the islands of the Seychelles
archipelago, is covered with virgin
tropical jungle, where there are
unique species of flora and fauna,
including giant Seychelles tortoises.
The beaches of the island, covered
with white sand and framed by
slender silhouettes of palm trees,
are amazingly beautiful - and
completely deserted.
Silhouette Island in Seychelles is
chosen by those who seek to hide
from prying eyes and enjoy total
privacy, paradise landscapes and
fabulous comfort.

3. Until the middle of the XVIII
century. Silhouette Island in the
Seychelles was uninhabited - only
occasionally it appeared sailors from
Mauritius, pirates and European
discoverers. Then French sailors
arrived in the Seychelles.
They gave the island its name in
honor of Minister Etienne de Silueta,
and also founded plantations of
spices here - nutmeg, cloves,
cinnamon, pepper, etc.

4. In the XIX century Seychelles came
under the authority of the British. The
largest landowner on the Silhouette
was Augustus Dauban, who decided to
grow coconuts instead of spices - and
today coconut palms grow in all
corners of the island, even in the
mountains.

5. Entertainments

6. Silhouette Island is surrounded by a
coral reef, which is considered the
richest in the Seychelles. Underwater
granite cliffs allow you to dive up to
35 m in depth, and clear and warm
water guarantees maximum
impressions, including during night
diving.
No less interesting is the nature of
the island itself, with its tropical
forest, coconut groves and unusual
endemic inhabitants. For
acquaintance with the biodiversity of
the Silhouette and its amazing
panoramas, the tourists are offered
hiking tours of various lengths (the
longest is to Cape Anse Mondon in
the north of the island).

7. There are also man-made
monuments on the island, for
example, the Grann Kaz mansion,
built of local Takamak wood. Now
it has a restaurant, and before the
mansion belonged to the Dauban
family.
Nearby is the family mausoleum,
where you can see the grave of
Augustus Dauban - the founder of
the coconut empire, which during
his lifetime was called the
"Rothschild of the West Indies."

8. North Island is located 7 km north
of Silhouette. Tourists who are
fond of nature conservation come
here with a helicopter. You can
stop at the only privately owned
hotel, North Island Lodge, which
readers of Conde Nast magazine
have named the best hotel in
2006. There are only 11 villas on
the island.
Animals and birds that were once
threatened with extinction feel
great here. You will see blue doves
and Seychelles white eyes. Divers
can dive in 22 locations.

9. Turtles

10. The Galapagos tortoise was
almost completely exterminated
by sailors who arrived on the
island to replenish supplies: they
took with them turtles because of
their tender meat, since reptiles
can be without food and water for
up to 6 months.
This destruction continued until
1840, until the last of the turtles
was captured. Several turtles lived
in captivity in the 1990s, as well as
several giant Arnold turtles, which
were also considered extinct.
Currently, the island has one
hundred thousand Aldabra giant
tortoises.

11. The Seychelles Ecological
Foundation is engaged in a
tortoises conservation project.
The program is to preserve the
natural habitat of tortoises and
restore lost habitats.
The Foundation successfully
restored the number of two
species of tortoises, which for 150
years were considered extinct. In
1997, six individuals of the each
species were transported to
Silhouette from Aldabra Island.
They multiply safely, and the
young are released into the wild.
Tourists can visit the center,
where the shells, collections of
insects and plants.

12. Contacts
Beau Vallon beach, Mahe island, Seychelles
+248 4 291000
reservation@coralstrand.sc
coralstrand.sc