Silhouette lies about 20 kilometres north-west of Mahé and is the third-largest granite island in the Seychelles. Around 93 per cent of its area belongs to the national park. There are no roads and no cars, only footpaths. Most of the roughly 200 residents live in the village of La Passe on the east coast. The former settlements of Grand Barbe and Anse Mondon are no longer inhabited.
This shapes the beaches too. They are left in their natural state, mostly deserted, and often reachable only on foot or by boat. The easiest to get to is the beach at La Passe, where the water is calm and sheltered by the reef. Anse Lascars is within walking distance of the accommodation, and old graves of early seafarers are said to lie nearby. Depending on the swell and the tides, this beach is only partly suitable for swimming, and at high tide the water there is deep and restless. Anse Mondon on the north coast and Grand Barbe on the west coast are the more remote bays. You can reach Grand Barbe by a demanding hike across the island or by boat.
The cards below list the individual beaches of Silhouette with their location, access and quiet months. For general information on getting there, walking trails and places to stay, see the page on the island of Silhouette. If you would like to compare several islands, the overview of the Seychelles' dream beaches will help. You can read more about the trails in the national park under Hiking, and about boat excursions under Boat Tours.
