Copolia trail: Mahé's short climb to a granite summit

The Copolia trail is the short climb above Victoria that ends on a bare granite summit. SPGA, which runs it as part of the Morne Seychellois National Park, gives it as 1.2 km with about 180 m of climbing, roughly 1 hour 30 minutes, rated medium to high difficulty. It starts on the Sans Souci road about 6 km from Victoria. Non-residents aged 12 and over pay Rs 100, and the trail is open 8am to 4pm.

The reward is the view: the east coast, Victoria’s harbour, the airport and the islands of the Ste Anne Marine Park, all from one rock.

Copolia at a glance

Checked October 2026 (SPGA visitor information page; SPGA Copolia trail guide; SPTC weekday timetable effective August 2026).

Getting to the start

Drive or take a taxi up the Sans Souci road, the mountain road that climbs out of Victoria toward the west coast. After about 6 km, SPGA says, you will see sign boards and a ticket office at the start of the trail. You can park along the roadside near the entrance, as long as you do not block traffic.

By bus, SPTC’s route 12A runs between Victoria and a stop named Copolia. Buses are cashless, so get a bus card or visitor pass before you travel, and check the current times on the SPTC timetable.

The walk

Copolia surprises people by going down before it goes up. SPGA’s guide describes a descent through secondary woodland of Takamaka and Calice du Pape trees, across small streams, then a climb into an area burned by an old fire. Here you get your first look at the summit and the east coast.

A river runs beneath the rocks below the path, and you will usually hear it before you see it. Then the real climb starts. SPGA advises taking this steep section “slowly and carefully”. It is short, but it is the part that earns the medium-to-high rating.

Near the top the forest changes to endemic trees and shrubs such as Bois Rouge and Bois de Natte, and the Seychelles bulbul often comes to see who is passing. SPGA also notes a tiny frog at Copolia whose tadpole stage happens inside the egg.

The view from the summit

The trail ends on a wide sheet of bare granite, which SPGA calls a glacis. Pitcher plants, Mahé’s carnivorous endemic, grow on the rock. SPGA’s tip is to walk across the glacis for photos of the east coast, the Ste Anne Marine Park and the inner islands in the distance.

From here you can pick out Victoria’s harbour, the airport runway on the east coast and the marine park islands offshore. One of them is Moyenne Island, where giant tortoises roam free. If the view makes you want to go, a marine park boat trip takes about 10 minutes to reach the park from Victoria.

Return the way you came.

Tips for the hike

• Carry a card. The ticket office takes cards, not cash.
• Wear shoes with grip. The summit is bare rock, and the climb is steep.
• Bring water. The climb is short but hot work.
• Watch the clock. Allow about two hours before the 4pm closing.

Going with a guide

You can walk Copolia on your own. A guide adds the plant and bird names and solves the transport. The Copolia Trail Guided Hike with Hotel Transfer is a private four-hour trip with a local guide, bottled water and transfers from central Mahé hotels. It is new on GetYourGuide, with no reviews yet. If you want a track record, the Private nature trail/hiking tour also offers Copolia, rated 5.0 from 53 reviews, with the Rs 100 fee paid separately.

Combine it with

The Sans Souci road has more to see. Further along it, Mission Lodge stands on the site of Venn’s Town, a 19th-century school for the children of liberated slaves, and the Tea Factory marks the start of the Morne Blanc trail. Our things to do in Mahé guide has both. For an easier walk that ends on a beach, try Anse Major.

Copolia is about 6 km from Victoria, so any base in north Mahé works. See where to stay in Mahé to compare Victoria, Eden Island and Beau Vallon.