Anse Major: the Mahé beach you reach on foot

Anse Major is a small beach on Mahé’s north-west coast that you cannot drive to. You walk there on a 2.4 km trail from Danzil, above Bel Ombre, through the Morne Seychellois National Park. SPGA, the parks authority, rates it low difficulty with about 70 m of climbing, and it takes about 45 minutes to an hour each way. Non-residents aged 12 and over pay Rs 150. SPTC bus 21 runs from Victoria to the start.

It is the easiest of SPGA’s paid trails on Mahé, and the only one that ends on a beach.

The trail at a glance

Checked October 2026 (SPGA visitor information page and February 2024 trail list; SPGA Anse Major trail guide; SPTC weekday timetable effective August 2026).

Getting to the trailhead

The trail starts at Danzil, the settlement at the western end of Bel Ombre. SPTC bus 21 runs from Victoria’s bus station to Bel Ombre, and an SPGA brochure calls the end of the line the Danzil bus terminus, next to the sea. On weekdays the bus leaves Victoria roughly every 20 to 40 minutes. Buses are cashless, so carry a bus card or visitor pass.

From the bus stop, SPGA’s directions are simple: walk up the Bel Ombre-Danzil road for about 200 m, take the right fork through Danzil, and follow the yellow route markers. If you drive, SPGA’s map marks a car park at Danzil.

Staying at Beau Vallon? Bel Ombre is the next stretch of coast to the west, and the same bus 21 runs along it.

The walk

The path follows the coast west. SPGA describes slopes of granite rock, patches of woodland, small river valleys and exposed rocky ridges. In 2022 SPGA closed the trail for two months to cement the path, secure loose stones along the edges and add direction posts, so the surface is now in good shape for a wild coastal walk.

Silhouette Island and North Island sit out to sea on your right for most of the way. About three quarters of the way along you pass Ros Legliz, a cave formed by huge boulders that tumbled together long ago. Then the path drops toward the bay, and Anse Major opens up below, ringed by forested mountains.

Look out for wild Seychelles vanilla and endemic palms such as Latanier Millepatte. Seychelles blue pigeons and bulbuls are easiest to spot when the trees are flowering or fruiting. The area once grew vanilla, cinnamon, copra, citrus and patchouli, and the path itself dates from the 19th century.

At the beach

SeyVillas lists Anse Major as about 450 m long and lightly visited, with no toilets, shops or shade structures. One hotel blog mentions a drinks bar, but we could not confirm it, so carry all the water and food you need.

SPGA’s one warning is about the sea: during the north-west monsoon, roughly December to March, the water at Anse Major can turn rough and is not advisable for swimming. In calmer months the bay is a good swim after the hike. There are no lifeguards here.

Getting back

The reliable way back is the way you came, another 45 minutes to an hour. Travel blogs and a hotel page mention a boat taxi that runs from the beach back to Bel Ombre. We could not confirm it with an official source, and fares quoted online vary, so do not build your day around it.

Safety tips

• Start early. The trail opens at 8am and closes at 4pm, and an early start keeps you out of the midday sun.
• Wear proper shoes. Parts of the path cross bare granite. The guided hike below does not allow sandals or flip-flops.
• Take it slowly after rain. SPGA’s 2022 works were done because rainwater running over the boulders made loose stones dangerous.
• Do not swim alone, and skip the swim if the waves are breaking hard.

Going with a guide

You do not need a guide for Anse Major. The path is marked and rated easy. A guide adds plant and bird spotting and saves you the bus. The Private nature trail/hiking tour picks you up at your hotel and lets you choose Anse Major, Copolia, Morne Blanc or Lower Trois Frères. It is rated 5.0 from 53 reviews; the trail fee is paid separately, by card.

Plan the rest of your stay

Anse Major is a morning outing. For a harder climb with a view, try the Copolia trail above Victoria, which looks out over the marine park islands, Moyenne among them. To compare bases near the trailhead, see where to stay in Mahé, and for other beaches, our best beaches in Mahé list.