Ste Anne Marine National Park
Ste Anne Marine National Park
4.5
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The park comprises 6 islands off the coast of Mahe near Victoria: Ste. Anne, Long, Beacon, Round, Cerf and Moyenneb.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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4.5
147 reviews
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5
Sergio Teixeira
Lisbon, Portugal4 contributions
Jan 2022 • Couples
We had a beautiful all-day snorkelling trip to St. Anne Park yesterday. We saw tons of colourful fish, including an eagle ray, a resting sting ray, and a tiny shark. The coral is slowly recovering. We found and hired Vincent directly at Eden Marina, and he was awesome. His motor boat could handle 8 comfortably, but we hired him privately (for a quarter of the prices listed on websites!) The boat has two engines, and lots of shade, and he had plenty of water and soft drinks for us. He was really punctual, polite and low-key. No music!!! Highly recommend him. Vincent: 002482610415
Written January 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Babyalmie
Dorset, UK766 contributions
Dec 2021 • Family
Great area to come snorkelling. Most of the boat trips will also take you to see a couple of the islands and give you the opportunity to walk across a sandbank which connects two islands. We saw manta rays, turtles, reef sharks and a whole host of reef life. Beautiful part of the world.
We hired a private boat for the day as we particularly wanted to spend some time on Moyenne Island with the giant tortoises and didn’t want to be tied to other people. It was€350 for 4 hours from Mahé which is expensive but it was one of the highlights of our holiday, so well worth it.
We hired a private boat for the day as we particularly wanted to spend some time on Moyenne Island with the giant tortoises and didn’t want to be tied to other people. It was€350 for 4 hours from Mahé which is expensive but it was one of the highlights of our holiday, so well worth it.
Written December 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sue M
Cape Town Central, South Africa368 contributions
Dec 2017 • Solo
Sainte Anne Marine National Park is about 3 miles from Mahé. Created in 1973 to protect a group of 6 islands, it's the “South Western Indian Ocean’s first marine protected area”. The park is only accessible by sea and has a “unique concentration of underwater ecosystems and coral gardens and seagrass meadows said to be the largest in the granitic bank of the Seychelles”.
The Park covers about 6 square miles. Islands include Moyenne, Cachée, St. Anne, Cerf, Longue, and Round. Each island has fascinating, history and folklore. The islands have thick, tropical vegetation and incredible white-sand beaches. Green sea turtles, hawksbill turtles, manta rays, bluespotted stingrays, and bottlenose dolphins are regular visitors. The water surrounding the islands is shallow. At low tide, it almost recedes completely, making it possible to walk across the sand to other islands. If you aren't already wet, your lower body will get soaked. Try to avoid stepping on sharp pieces of broken seashells and coral.
The largest island, St. Anne, was the site of the first French settlement in 1770 - a “courageous undertaking of an island surrounded by swamps teeming with crocodiles”. During World War II, St. Anne was a base for the Royal Marines. In the early 19th century, the island was a whaling station. Today, St. Anne is an important nesting site for hawksbill turtles.
Captain Corneille Nicholas Morphey, a French/Irish explorer from the French East India Company, took possession of the Seychelles in the name of the King of France. Morphey named the island after Sainte Anne, Mother of the Virgin Mary, and the Feast of Sainte Anne celebrated upon his arrival in 1756.
Cerf Island, the second largest, was named after Morphey’s frigate Le Cerf. Cerf's shallow water and reefs are popular for snorkeling, swimming, diving, and kayaking.
Longue Island was “used by early French and Portuguese slavers as a quarantine station for slaves being transported from Africa”. Morphey named Longue for its long shape. Longue doesn't have the extraordinary flora and fauna of the other islands.
Moyenne Island is “home to pirate graves, a chapel, the ruins of early settlers’ homes, and buried treasure”. Giant tortoises roam freely throughout the island.
In 1962, an English newspaper editor, Brendon Grimshaw, bought Moyenne for £8,000. Over time, he transformed the island into a giant tortoise nature preserve now worth about 34 million Euros. It’s the smallest national park in the world.
Grimshaw died in 2012 and “left Moyenne to the national park, along with strict instructions that it must remain a park and no hotels may be built on the island". One of Grimshaw’s dogs still lives there and is an avid fisher - we saw him in action!
Grimshaw’s parents also spent time on the island, and his father's grave is there.
Round is a small, rocky island that "can be walked in less than 30 minutes". It was once a leper colony and now has luxury resort cabañas and a popular Creole Restaurant. Cachée is a 5-acre uninhabited islet and nature reserve for breeding noddies.
All six of the islands are gorgeous! A visit to Sainte Anne Marine National Park is a day well spent
The Park covers about 6 square miles. Islands include Moyenne, Cachée, St. Anne, Cerf, Longue, and Round. Each island has fascinating, history and folklore. The islands have thick, tropical vegetation and incredible white-sand beaches. Green sea turtles, hawksbill turtles, manta rays, bluespotted stingrays, and bottlenose dolphins are regular visitors. The water surrounding the islands is shallow. At low tide, it almost recedes completely, making it possible to walk across the sand to other islands. If you aren't already wet, your lower body will get soaked. Try to avoid stepping on sharp pieces of broken seashells and coral.
The largest island, St. Anne, was the site of the first French settlement in 1770 - a “courageous undertaking of an island surrounded by swamps teeming with crocodiles”. During World War II, St. Anne was a base for the Royal Marines. In the early 19th century, the island was a whaling station. Today, St. Anne is an important nesting site for hawksbill turtles.
Captain Corneille Nicholas Morphey, a French/Irish explorer from the French East India Company, took possession of the Seychelles in the name of the King of France. Morphey named the island after Sainte Anne, Mother of the Virgin Mary, and the Feast of Sainte Anne celebrated upon his arrival in 1756.
Cerf Island, the second largest, was named after Morphey’s frigate Le Cerf. Cerf's shallow water and reefs are popular for snorkeling, swimming, diving, and kayaking.
Longue Island was “used by early French and Portuguese slavers as a quarantine station for slaves being transported from Africa”. Morphey named Longue for its long shape. Longue doesn't have the extraordinary flora and fauna of the other islands.
Moyenne Island is “home to pirate graves, a chapel, the ruins of early settlers’ homes, and buried treasure”. Giant tortoises roam freely throughout the island.
In 1962, an English newspaper editor, Brendon Grimshaw, bought Moyenne for £8,000. Over time, he transformed the island into a giant tortoise nature preserve now worth about 34 million Euros. It’s the smallest national park in the world.
Grimshaw died in 2012 and “left Moyenne to the national park, along with strict instructions that it must remain a park and no hotels may be built on the island". One of Grimshaw’s dogs still lives there and is an avid fisher - we saw him in action!
Grimshaw’s parents also spent time on the island, and his father's grave is there.
Round is a small, rocky island that "can be walked in less than 30 minutes". It was once a leper colony and now has luxury resort cabañas and a popular Creole Restaurant. Cachée is a 5-acre uninhabited islet and nature reserve for breeding noddies.
All six of the islands are gorgeous! A visit to Sainte Anne Marine National Park is a day well spent
Written December 21, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dselvan
Warrington, UK2,881 contributions
Booked this day trip through Mason travel but there are about 3 different companies offering the same kind of trip. Cost us about 80 euros per person. word of warning, book this and any other trips before you get to the seychelles since the same trip would have cost me 95 euros if i booked it when i arrived in seychelles.
You get picked up from your hotel in a mini bus and taken to victoria marina area around 9 am. You board a small boat which takes about 30 minutes or so to get to a semi submersible boat and you get to see the marine life in the reefs. If you dont dive/snorkel, this is a perfect way to see under the water. This takes about 45 minutes or so and then you get back on the small boat and are take to feed some fishes which is when you feed bread to tropical fish which swim right upto the boat. Then you get to cerf island where you can relax on the beach or you can stay on the boat to snorkeling for about 2 hours.
Then you board the catamaran for barbeque lunch. Water is free but soft drinks have to be purchased. Have some rupees handly or small euro change since drinks cost about 1 euro each. no alcohol is available.
After luch, you cruise around the marine park and get back to Victoria about 4 pm and then transferred back to your hotel.
Make you sure you bring swimming costumes, sun cream and small change for drinks. Snorkelling equipment are provided.
You get picked up from your hotel in a mini bus and taken to victoria marina area around 9 am. You board a small boat which takes about 30 minutes or so to get to a semi submersible boat and you get to see the marine life in the reefs. If you dont dive/snorkel, this is a perfect way to see under the water. This takes about 45 minutes or so and then you get back on the small boat and are take to feed some fishes which is when you feed bread to tropical fish which swim right upto the boat. Then you get to cerf island where you can relax on the beach or you can stay on the boat to snorkeling for about 2 hours.
Then you board the catamaran for barbeque lunch. Water is free but soft drinks have to be purchased. Have some rupees handly or small euro change since drinks cost about 1 euro each. no alcohol is available.
After luch, you cruise around the marine park and get back to Victoria about 4 pm and then transferred back to your hotel.
Make you sure you bring swimming costumes, sun cream and small change for drinks. Snorkelling equipment are provided.
Written May 22, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fififib
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates60 contributions
May 2018 • Couples
We did this as a day trip tour - we paid 75USD for hotel pick up and a full day out including lunch and water throughout the day. We had a brilliant time - definitely worth paying the 150 rupees to go up the island with the tortoise and see the view at the top of the view point although not everyone on our boat chose to do this. See the giant tortoise roaming around and get fantastic pics in there natural habitat.
Written May 14, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alicia
London, UK36 contributions
Aug 2018 • Couples
A great place for snorkelling. Although, it is sad to see the bleached coral... We took a snorkelling excursion with 7 Degrees. Besides the glass boat, feeding the fish and snorkelling, they took us to Moyenne Island for a nice meal and to see the tortoises. After that they took us to a nice little beach. The brothers from Teddy's boat were very knowledgeable about the environment and the history of the Seychelles.
Written August 31, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dean Fuel
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa18 contributions
Oct 2015 • Couples
We stayed on this Island at the Beachcomber Sainte Anne Hotel & Spa for our honeymoon.
The island is insanely beautiful - very lush and tropical, and with amazing beaches all around! The water is crystal clear blue - and teaming with ocean life - sharks, fish, turtles, crabs, even dolphins!
Very romantic place, and unforgettable natural beauty!
A must see in the Seychelles!
The island is insanely beautiful - very lush and tropical, and with amazing beaches all around! The water is crystal clear blue - and teaming with ocean life - sharks, fish, turtles, crabs, even dolphins!
Very romantic place, and unforgettable natural beauty!
A must see in the Seychelles!
Written October 23, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AndersonKaku
Tainan, Taiwan116 contributions
Feb 2015 • Friends
We take a glass-bottom boat trip arranged by hotel to Sre. Anne Marine National Park of Seychelles. Where there are so many corals, fishes, and lagoon ecological place to see. You can see on boat or go snorkeling, which is safe snorkeling, even not very a good swimmer. Taking a little goal on Moyenne Island, where to see Giant Turtles and the ecological woods, also enjoy the beach, the sea, the island, and wonderful BBQ. It is worth for everything when you visit Seychelles.
Written February 25, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
43Peter50
Cape Town39 contributions
Nov 2014 • Couples
Despite the whole island and its surrounds being a national park the goggling and or scuba diving is an important daily activity. The coral has been destroyed quite badly from El Nino monsoons but it is good to see a lot of new growth coming. Fish life is simply amazing in quality and quantity.
Written January 7, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SylviaPliego
Dubai, United Arab Emirates59 contributions
Jul 2016 • Family
Another must if you are in Seychelles. We took a glass boat to the marine park and then went into a small submarine. It was very cool. Then we went feeding the fishes and did snorkeling it was full of fishes. From there we went to explore Moyenne Island that is beautiful, and has a lot of tortoises. From there we have lunch in Cerf Island at the beach. I really recommended, one thing that I love is that is not crowded.
Written July 18, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello,
Which Tour operator do you recommend?
Thank you in advance.
Stéphane
Written August 8, 2020
Hi, planning for honeymoon in december. Have kept 3 days for Mahe - 1 day being hiking to Morne Blanc.
Just wanted to check Scuba with Dive centre would be better or St anne national park tour - as both will take a day ?
Written July 6, 2019
I have done both. All the corals in Seychelles are dead because of the sea warming. You can still tropical fish when diving but the view is rather sad. So my recommendation is to do the St Anne marine tour. The island is kept in its virgin state and is very beautiful.
Written July 30, 2019
Hi, wo kann man den Catamaran buchen? Unter Ana Itha habe ich nichts gefunden, Danke
Written February 16, 2019
Hi there. We booked the trip through Mason;s Travel agency. But there are also similar trip available through Creole which is the other big travel agency in the Seychelles.
Written February 22, 2019
Hi, how to get to Moyenne Island? Is it possible only with boat excursion? Or there are any only transfer boats?
Written January 21, 2019
Buongiorno,
io e il mio ragazzo vorremmo fare una gita in questo parco a Luglio, durante il nostro viaggio, ma volevo avere delle informazioni riguardo al costo del biglietto di ingresso e dove lo si può prendere. ci sono escursioni organizzate?
Grazie.
Buona giornata.
Arianna
Written March 6, 2018
We have our own snorkelling gear and are staying in Bel Ombre so are wondering the cheapest way to snorkel around the park: ie should we take a bus from here to water taxi in the area who can then bring us to best snorkelling area ... or should we go the route of hiring tour operator... and if so, who are the operators and what are their packages. As well, if we can find an tour operator at 60 Euro's/per person for a full day trip that includes-- transfer to and from Bel Ombre with lunch and various snorkel sites in the Park) we would gladly make a reservation.
Written March 9, 2017
Hi could you guys let me know as to through which agency should I book a tour of the Marine Park or this is something which I can do by my self.
Also would like to know the price in SCR their local currency just so I know.
Garvit
Written January 10, 2017
hello, sorry for the delay. i did not saw your question till now. We stayed directly on the Marine Park, on Cerf Island. We snorkel in front of our island, we took a boat for Moyenne Island 25€ per person, or we took the kayak for other small island not habitated Ile Cache.
Written March 12, 2017
How are the snorkeling conditions in June? Read something about the south east Mormon/wind. But is that effecting this park as well? Or still possible to snorkel there from mid June onwards?
Written January 1, 2017
Could you tell me how much the helicopter trips around the islands are please?
Written September 25, 2016
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