Anse Intendance: the wild beach of south Mahé

Anse Intendance is the beach to look at, not the one to swim at without thinking. It sits in the Takamaka district of south Mahé, about 30 km from Victoria, with white sand between granite headlands and a forested hill behind. It faces the open Indian Ocean and has no reef to slow the waves.

Wikipedia gives its length as 1.2 km; SeyVillas says about 1,000 m by 25 m. Either way it is a long, open bay, and on a day with swell the waves are the first thing you notice.

Is it safe to swim?

Only in calm conditions, and only if you are a confident swimmer. SeyVillas makes three points:

• There is no offshore coral reef protecting the bay.
• The water gets deep quickly.
• From May to September, the southeast trade winds can send large waves onto the beach, “making swimming dangerous for most people”.

There is no lifeguard either. The Tourism Department’s beach and sea safety guide says the only lifeguards on Mahé are at Beau Vallon. If the waves look big, sit this one out and swim at reef-sheltered Anse Royale instead.

The calmest seas around Mahé usually come in the changeover months, April to May and October to November. Our best time to visit guide has the month-by-month picture.

Surfers like it for the same reason swimmers should be careful. SeyVillas says locals surf and bodyboard here.

Hawksbill turtles

Anse Intendance is one of the most important turtle beaches on Mahé. Wikipedia calls it a significant nesting site for hawksbill turtles, which the IUCN Red List classes as Critically Endangered.

The beach has had hard years. In 2006 Cyclone Bondo caused severe erosion and destroyed nearly 90% of the nests here. In June 2021 the Marine Conservation Society Seychelles (MCSS) and the environment ministry proposed seasonal protected areas, from 1 September to 31 March, covering Anse Intendance and five nearby beaches: Anse Cachée, Anse Corail, Anse Bazarca, Anse Petit Police and Anse Grand Police. Together those six hold over 80% of the turtle nesting MCSS has recorded on Mahé. We could not confirm whether the protection is now in force, so treat the whole season as sensitive.

The proposal’s aim was to cut disturbance to nesting turtles, especially in the daytime. If you see a turtle or a nest on the sand, give it plenty of space.

Getting to Anse Intendance

The beach is reached by a 1.7 km concrete road from the Quatre Bornes police station. SeyVillas says there are parking spaces next to the beach and a bus stop a few minutes’ walk away.

Checked October 2026 (SPTC weekday timetable effective August 2026; SPTC visitor cards page). SPTC publishes weekend times in a separate timetable.

A car or a driver is easier if you want more than one beach. Driving is on the left, and the roads in the south are narrow and winding. The Seychelles Mahé Island Tour is a private driver-guide who builds the day around what you ask for, so Intendance, Anse Royale and the Takamaka rum distillery can go in one loop. It was from $155 per group of up to 3 on GetYourGuide, rated 4.8 from 203 reviews.

What is at the beach

Not much, which is the point. SeyVillas lists a small beach bar selling snacks and cold drinks, and shade from palm trees (watch for falling coconuts). Bring water and sun cover.

Intendance and a Moyenne trip

Intendance is about as far from the marine park boats as you can get on Mahé. Boats to Moyenne Island leave from Victoria and Eden Island in the northeast. Keep them for separate days: the south coast by car or bus, and Moyenne by boat from the north.

For somewhere to stay with easy access to the boats, see where to stay in Mahé. For a quick list of what else is worth a day on the island, see our things to do in Mahé.