Mahé (Seychelles)

Mahé
	Mahé beach
Waters	Indian Ocean
Archipelago	Seychelles
Geographical location	4 ° 41 ′ S , 55 ° 29 ′ E Coordinates: 4 ° 41 ′ S , 55 ° 29 ′ E
length	28 km
width	8 kilometers
surface	154.7 km²
Highest elevation	Morne Seychellois ; 905 m
Residents	72,000 ; 465 inhabitants / km²
main place	Victoria
	Topographic map of Mahé (1976)

Mahé is the main island and largest island in the Seychelles . With 72,000 people, almost 90% of the Seychelles' population live here. The urban center of the island is the capital Victoria with almost 25,000 inhabitants.

history

First discovered by the English in 1609, the island remained uninhabited until the expedition of the French Lazare Picault in 1742. The island was named after the French admiral Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais . French influence lasted until 1814 when the island (group) was annexed by the English and remained part of the British Empire until the Seychelles gained independence in 1976 .

geography

Mahé is 28 km long and eight kilometers wide and covers an area of 154.7 km².

The small islands of Sainte Anne , Île au Cerf , Île Longue , Moyenne , Île Ronde , Île Sèche , Conception , Thérèse and Île aux Vaches are only a few kilometers away from Mahé .

In the central and northwestern part of the island there are the Mahé highlands and surrounding areas Important Bird Area .

tourism

Since the inauguration of the international airport and the declaration of independence from Great Britain in 1976, Mahé has been the hub for international tourists visiting the Seychelles archipelago. Large parts of the granite island are densely overgrown with mountain rainforests . Due to the mountain Morne Seychellois , the summit of which is 905 meters above sea level, Mahé is also the highest Seychelles island. There is also an extensive mangrove area in the north .

Attractions

Street in Victoria on Mahé

The best-known and at the same time most touristy beach on the main island of Mahé is the bay of Beau Vallon in the north-west of the island. From here the panoramic Sans Souci Road leads through the lush green nature of the Morne Seychellois National Park with various endemic plants. It offers different views of the island and ends on the east coast of Mahé in the capital Victoria. The only city in the Seychelles has several sights with the center around the clock tower, the Sir Selwyn Clarke market, the botanical garden , the Bel Air cemetery or the Seychelles National Museum.

Mahé Airport is located further south of Victoria. The Domaine de Val des Près is located a little below the airport and is a small visitor center for Creole architecture, art and gastronomy. Also in the south-east of Mahé is the Jardin du Roi, a spice garden including a historic colonial house, museum, shop and restaurant. In the south and southwest of the island of Mahé there are several lonely bays lined with granite rocks and palm trees with well-known beaches such as Anse Takamaka, Anse Intendance or Police Bay.