Silhouette Island

Silhouette is 12 miles north west of Mahe and home to the villages of La Passe, Anse Mondon and Grande Barbe, and the Hilton LaBriz resort. Many of the villagers have left the island and so most of the population is made up of conservationists and hotel staff. There is a small conservation info hut in La Passe near the jetty where you can find out about the islands giant land tortoises who reside at Grande Barbe – an area of the island accessible by boat or 3 hour hike. You can also find out about the Green and Hawksbill Turtles who nest here and the sheath tail bat. The island is an incredibly important habitat for a range of birds and marine life. You’ll find rays in the shallows of the lagoon at low tide, fruit bats flying between the coconut palms and endemic birds like the Seychelles kestrel. Other land birds include three more endemics, Seychelles blue pigeon, Seychelles bulbul and Seychelles sunbird. The waters surrounding Silhouette were declared a marine national park in 1987 and the Hilton resort is working with the Island Conservation Society to safeguard the habitats and species found here.

The island which was discovered in 1609 is very mountainous with spectacular scenery – there are five peaks over 500m. Mount Dauban marks the high point at 740m. The only landing sites are at the three villages.

The resort has a number of garden and beach cottages, as well as deluxe beach and hillside cottages, a large pool area and several restaurants and bars, including Gran Katz, a Creole restaurant in the old Dauban family home, a plantation style house near the jetty. The Dauban’s lived here from the mid nineteenth century until the 1980s.

Although the resort is quite large by our standards, with 111 villas, there is plenty of space. You can sit by the pool and bar for hustle and bustle or walk to the far end of the beach, where the Silhouette Estate & Spa is located – you’ll more than likely find yourself alone. There are also bicycles for exploring. The stunning, long white sand beach enjoys views of neighbouring North Island.