Sainte Anne Island Seychelles Cruise Port

Sainte Anne Island is the largest of the eight islands within Sainte Anne Marine National Park, lying around 4 kilometres off the eastern coast of Mahé in the Seychelles. Just a short boat journey from the capital, Victoria, the island is surrounded by clear tropical waters and abundant marine life. It is mainly visited as a port of call, with cruise passengers typically reaching the island by tender or local boat from nearby Mahé.

The island was discovered in 1742 by French explorer Lazare Picault, who named it after Sainte Anne's Day. It later became the first island in the Seychelles where French settlers established a permanent presence before moving on to colonise Mahé. Today, tourism is central to life on Sainte Anne, although its small population and largely undeveloped landscape give it a peaceful character.

The surrounding marine park is the main attraction. Seagrass meadows and clear, sheltered waters create excellent conditions for snorkelling, scuba diving and glass bottom boat excursions. The reefs and shallow waters around the island are home to a variety of tropical marine life, making time in the water one of the best ways to appreciate the setting. Local boat excursions also explore other parts of the marine park and neighbouring islands.

On land, tropical vegetation covers much of Sainte Anne, with beaches providing places to relax between activities. Grande Anse on the southwestern side is one of the island's main beaches and is home to the Beachcomber Sainte Anne resort. The island also provides habitat for sea turtles, which come ashore to lay their eggs at Anse Royale during the nesting season.

Sainte Anne offers a quieter alternative to the busier parts of Mahé, with its combination of tropical scenery, protected waters and abundant marine life. For cruise passengers, the island is particularly suited to a day spent swimming, snorkelling or simply enjoying the natural surroundings. On The Cruise Globe, you can see exactly where your ship was anchored during your visit.