Silhouette Island

Silhouette rises steeply out of the sea twenty kilometres west of Mahé, its peak reaching 740 metres, and almost the whole island is national park with no roads and a single settlement at La Passe. The forest on it is among the least disturbed in the granitic Seychelles, holding endemic plants and the Seychelles sheath-tailed bat, one of the rarest bats anywhere. Trails cross the island on foot and the coast is walked between beaches.

History

The crew of the English East India Company ship Ascension were the first people known to land here, in 1609, and Charles Oger took possession for the King of France on 28 January 1771; the island is named after Étienne de Silhouette, finance minister to Louis XV. From the mid-19th century until 1960 the Dauban family owned it and developed its plantations, and their mausoleum is modelled on the Madeleine in Paris (Wikipedia, Silhouette Island).

What you'll find

• The peak - Mont Dauban rising to 740 metres above the forest.
• The forest - among the least disturbed woodland in the granitic islands.
• The sheath-tailed bat - one of the world's rarest bats, surviving here.
• The trail network - foot routes crossing the island, with no roads anywhere.

When to go

April to May and October to November are the calm months between monsoons. December to March brings northwest wind and rain. Crossings can be rough.

Good to know

There is one hotel and no independent accommodation, which makes visiting expensive. Trails are steep, muddy and often overgrown. Boat crossings are cancelled in rough conditions.

Nearby

North Island is northeast, and Mahé is east.

Key facts