Active Adventures and Tranquil Moments on Cerf Island

For our 15th wedding anniversary, my husband Martin and I wanted to treat ourselves to something special, so we decided on a trip to the Seychelles. With ‘SeyVillas’, we chose Cerf Island in the Sainte Anne Marine National Park, as snorkelling in the Indian Ocean was particularly important to us and the national park seemed like an ideal destination. The transfer departed from Eden Island, Mahé, taking us by the hotel’s own boat to our accommodation, L'Habitation, on Cerf Island. The journey took just 10 minutes. We were immediately shown into the hotel lobby and offered a welcome drink. Once the check-in formalities had been completed, we were shown to our room, which had a large balcony and sea views. Our luggage was already in the room.

We had booked half board. Breakfast is served as a buffet from 7.30 am to 10 am. Dinner is served as a set menu between 7.30 pm and 9.30 pm. At around 6 pm, each guest is asked which of the two available menus they would prefer. The choice was usually between a fish menu and a meat menu. Once a week, however, there is a buffet, which begins at 8 pm.

With slightly cloudy skies and the tide out, we set off to explore on our first day, walking all the way around Cerf Island along the beach, which is only possible at low tide. Along the way, we spread out our beach towels and enjoyed the view of the turquoise sea and surrounding islands. We also took the opportunity to wade through the shallow water to Ile Cachée , where we spent a little time on the beach and among the granite rocks.

Beach on Ile Cachée We began our second day with a snorkelling trip directly in front of the hotel, where there is a specially created snorkelling trail. We saw all sorts of colourful fish, as well as small sharks and rays. Otherwise, we swam in the pleasantly warm sea and enjoyed the sunshine on the beach.

Stingray The following day, we took one of the kayaks that L'Habitation provides free of charge for guests. Once we had settled into a reasonably good rhythm, we paddled anticlockwise around Cerf Island. We stopped at several beaches that we had entirely to ourselves and spent some time relaxing.

Beach on Cerf Island The next day, we borrowed a kayak again and, following the boatman’s recommendation, visited Round Island. At low tide, a long sandbank appears there, surrounded by calm, shallow water that is ideal for splashing about or simply floating. Because the water was so shallow, it was easy to swim from there to Moyenne Island. Once there, you can follow the trail marked with red arrows around the island and visit a viewpoint overlooking the islands of the national park.

Moyenne Island viewpoint Along the way, we came across several giant tortoises, most of which were enjoying a nap in the shade.

Giant tortoise on Moyenne On our final day, when we unfortunately had to leave that afternoon, we took a kayak out once more in the morning to revisit our favourite beach from the previous day. After a little snorkelling and swimming, we made our way back to L'Habitation. Thankfully, we were able to take a quick refreshing shower before our transfer back to Eden Island, Mahé.

Conclusion

Sainte Anne Marine National Park consists of five islands in total – St Anne, Cerf, Moyenne, Round and Long Island. In our view, Cerf Island is the right choice as a base for exploring and getting to know the national park by kayak and while snorkelling. We were very impressed by the snorkelling trail and spent a great deal of time in the water exploring the underwater world. On our final day, we even encountered a sea turtle while kayaking. We were very pleased with the accommodation arranged for us by ‘SeyVillas’. The location of our room was particularly excellent. It is just the place for anyone seeking peace and quiet or who loves nature.