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Anse Major is a renowned little bay located on the wild northern coast of Mahé, the capital island of the Seychelles. To get there, you’ll have to hike one hour through the forest of Morne Seychellois National Park, most of the time under a blazing sun. But once you’ll reach the little beach, you’ll understand it well worth the effort! This translucent cove has superb coral seabeds and abundant undersea life, giving always a marvelous snorkeling time.

Snorkeling with threespot angelfish at Anse Major, Seychelles
The threespot angelfish is easy to find on the reef.

How to get to Anse Major snorkeling spot?

Anse Major is located approximately 3km west of Bel Ombre, on the northern coast of Mahé. To get there, most visitors choose the 1-hour hike through Morne Seychellois National Park, on the flank of the hills bordering the coast. You can start hiking from Danzilles, at the west end of Bel Ombre seafront.

A good landmark to look for is La Scala restaurant, which is located where Danzilles Road begins. Take with you plenty of water and a picnic, and avoid hiking back in the middle of the day in the hot sun.

If you don’t want to walk, you can book a taxi boat from Beau Vallon or Bel Ombre, which will drop you off on the beach.

Anse Major snorkeling map, Mahe, Seychelles

Water entrance for snorkeling Anse Major

You can enter the water anywhere along the sandy beach sheltered by the little bay.

Anse Major snorkeling exploration

In Anse Major, the beach is not sheltered by a barrier reef, so the spot is directly open on the sea. At either end of the beach, bedecked with granite rocks, there are excellent opportunities for snorkeling. As you move away from the beach, the water level rises progressively, while the sea bed slopes gently downwards.

The water level quickly reaches 12 to 20 feet (4 to 6 meters) in the central part of the area, but is shallower along the rocky areas encircling the bay.

Giant moray eel at Anse Major, Seychelles
A giant moray hiding in a reef hole.

Anse Major reefs are made of well-preserved corals, and full of fish. You might especially come across emperor, threespot and semicircle angelfish, which count among the most colorful fish species living around Mahé.

Among the dozens of other fish that you could see in this spot are the bluespotted grouper, the green birdmouth wrasse, the whitespotted boxfish, or juveniles of several species of moray eels hidden in the crevices.

Valentin's sharpnose puffer at Anse Major, Seychelles
A Valentinni’s sharpnose puffer noted in Anse Major.

Restaurants and accommodation near Anse Major

Anse Major is an unspoiled site, and there are no restaurants or water supply on the beach. If you choose the hiking option, take with you plenty of water.

 

  • Level required Beginner
  • Maximum depth18ft/6m
  • Water entranceEasy, from a sandy beach
  • LifeguardNo
  • Visitor numbersMedium
  • Access costsFree (with hiking option)
  • Restaurants nearbyNo
  • Public toilets & showersNo

MAP Spot

These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life.

This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.