Sail Mahé.

Mahé is granite, not coral rock. The Seychelles inner islands rise out of deep blue water as grey boulders draped in palm and takamaka, and the sailing between them is short-hop and forgiving. From Eden Island Marina you can be at anchor off a beach in under two hours. The water reads in bands — deep indigo, then jade, then a clear pale green over sand where you can watch your own shadow on the bottom in five metres.

This is not distance sailing. Passages between Mahé, Praslin and La Digue are half-day runs across the sheltered inner-island bank, where depths stay sensible and the sea rarely gets big. That makes it a good ground for first bareboaters and families who want beaches, snorkelling and easy nights at anchor rather than open ocean.

The inner islands sit close together on a shallow granite bank. Mahé is the base; Praslin lies about 25 nautical miles north-east, with La Digue a short hop beyond it. Between them are the anchorages people come for — Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette on Praslin, the Curieuse marine park, Cocos and Félicité for snorkelling, and Ste Anne marine park right off Mahé's east coast for a first or last night close to base.

Most anchoring is over sand in bays open to the lee of the prevailing wind. Some bays are national-park mooring zones where you pick up a buoy rather than drop the hook — Curieuse and Ste Anne among them. Charts are good and the granite is visible, but the bank has coral heads, so you eyeball the shallows and go in with the sun high and behind you.

Two monsoon seasons shape the year. The south-east trades run roughly May to September — steadier, drier air, 15 to 25 knots, and the cleaner sailing wind. Anchorages on the north and west sides of the islands sit in the lee and stay comfortable. The north-west monsoon runs December to March: lighter and more variable wind, warmer water, and the odd heavy shower, with west-facing bays more exposed and east-facing ones sheltered.

April and October/November are the transition months — light, hot and often glassy, good for motoring between snorkelling stops if you don't mind the engine. Cyclones don't track over the granitic Seychelles, which sit just south of the equator, so there's no hurricane season to plan around. Water stays warm all year, high 20s Celsius. Pick your side of the island to the wind and you'll be comfortable in either season.

We run both bareboat and crewed yachts out of Eden Island Marina. Bareboat suits skippers with coastal experience who want to set their own pace; the short passages and clear navigation make it manageable for a competent first-timer. Crewed charters come with a skipper who knows the anchorages, the park moorings and where the snorkelling is worth the dinghy trip — the easy option if you'd rather not handle the boat or the paperwork.

Monohulls and catamarans are both available. Catamarans dominate here for good reason: shallow draught for the sandy bays, deck space for families, and stability at anchor. If you want a skippered boat but self-cater, that's straightforward; a full crewed charter with cook can be arranged too. Message us on WhatsApp with your dates and party size and we'll match a boat to it.

Costs move with season and boat, so treat these as ranges. A bareboat catamaran in the 40 to 45ft range typically runs from the low thousands of euros per week in the quieter months up to more in July and August. Larger cats and crewed yachts sit higher. Add fuel, the marina and park fees, a security deposit or damage waiver, and provisioning — Seychelles is an import economy and food is not cheap.

Park entry fees for Ste Anne, Curieuse and the marine reserves are payable per person and add up over a week; budget for them. A skipper and a cook, where taken, are charged on top of the boat. For a firm figure against your dates and crew, message us on WhatsApp — Price on request for the specific boat and week rather than a number we'd have to caveat.

Day 1 — Board at Eden Island, provision, and sail the short hop to Ste Anne marine park for a first night on a park mooring close to base.

Day 2 — North to Praslin, around 25 miles. Anchor off Anse Volbert or pick up a mooring; snorkel and stretch your legs ashore.

Day 3 — Round to Anse Lazio on Praslin's north-west, one of the better beaches on the bank, and swim before the day boats arrive.

Day 4 — Short sail to Curieuse marine park. Giant tortoises ashore, a park mooring, and reef to snorkel.

Day 5 — Hop to La Digue and Félicité. Anchor off Cocos or Félicité for clear-water snorkelling; La Digue itself is worth a bicycle day.

Day 6 — Work back towards Mahé, stopping at a lee-side bay to break the passage and get a last quiet anchorage.

Day 7 — Final morning swim, then back into Eden Island to hand the boat over. Adjust the order to the wind on the day — the bank lets you.

Fly into Seychelles International on Mahé; it's the country's only long-haul airport and Eden Island Marina is a short drive on the east coast. Many European and Gulf routes connect through Nairobi, Addis, Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi. From the airport a taxi to the marina takes under half an hour.

Seychelles uses the Seychellois rupee, though euros and cards are widely taken at the marina and larger shops. Provision on Mahé before you sail — the outer anchorages have little, and Praslin and La Digue are limited and pricier. English, French and Creole are all spoken. Bring reef-safe sunscreen and good snorkelling kit; the reason to be here is under the water as much as on it. Right for first bareboaters, families and snorkellers; less right for anyone chasing long open-water passages.