Article primarily for tourists planning to vacation here. Learn interesting facts about Seychelles that will better help you understand the country, its climate, and cultural features. The information in this article won’t save you money, but it will definitely give you an understanding of what to expect on the Seychelles islands.
Interesting Facts about Seychelles: Top 25
All interesting facts about Seychelles will be presented in a general list. Where explanations are needed, or if there’s more to tell, there will be links to useful articles.
- Seychelles is in Africa.
- The capital of Seychelles is Victoria, the least populous capital among all 54 countries in the African continent, with only about 25,000 residents. It ranks in the top 3 smallest capitals globally.
- Moreover, Victoria is the only city in the country; all others are villages.
- Seychelles is located near the equator in the southern hemisphere. For those planning a vacation here, be aware that you’ll be crossing the equator—an uncommon event for our citizens.
- The absolute minimum temperature ever recorded in Seychelles was +21 degrees Celsius. Generally, the air temperature never drops below 25 degrees Celsius throughout the year.
- The annual temperature variation between the coldest and hottest months is only 2 degrees Celsius. Read all about the seasons and weather in Seychelles.
- The country has only two traffic lights, not counting semaphore lights placed on narrow road sections during repairs.
- Interesting fact about Seychelles: the country’s banknotes regularly make it into various rankings as the world’s most beautiful money. More details in the article: currency in Seychelles, exchange rates, where to exchange, what to bring.
- Seychelles is one of the few countries in the world that is entirely visa-free. This means that for tourism purposes, and with compliance to certain rules, citizens from any country worldwide do not need a visa to visit. Learn all about entry permits for Seychelles and entry rules.
- The entire country has only one full-sized grocery store, similar to what we are accustomed to, and which our cities have dozens of. There are small shops, but the supermarket is only one, and it’s in the capital.
- Most islands in the Seychelles archipelago are granite. This is the oldest terrestrial rock over the ocean, with Seychelles granites dating back 650 million years! Very few islands in the world are entirely granite, and Seychelles comprises almost all of them.
- On Seychelles islands, there’s a rare palm tree whose fruit takes more than 10 years to ripen, with each fruit weighing around 20-30 kg. These nuts, called Coco de Mer, are endemic to Seychelles and symbolize the country.
- Each Coco de Mer palm is under state protection. Each nut is assigned an inventory number in its first year of ripening on the palm and is monitored. You cannot simply pick such a nut or take it out of Seychelles.
- Seychelles was a colony of England, so the country has British-type electrical outlets and left-hand traffic, with the steering wheel on the right side of the car.
- Seychelles is one of the largest global offshore centers. With 95,000 residents, there are over 150,000 international companies registered in Seychelles. You can establish a company with favorable taxation without having a single employee, not even a director. Currently, 5 of the top 15 largest cryptocurrency exchanges are registered in Seychelles.
- Giant land tortoises, commonly known worldwide as Seychellois, are native to Aldabra Island in the Seychelles archipelago. They can be found on every island, and on some, they roam freely among people, such as the popular tourist islands La Digue and Curieuse. Read about Seychelles flora and fauna.
- The largest and oldest terrestrial tortoise in the world, Esmeralda, among those currently living, resides in a reserve on Bird Island in Seychelles. Weighing over 300 kg and aged over 170 years, some sources claim she’s over 200 years old. Even among zoologists, there’s no consensus on her age.
- Another interesting fact about Seychelles: the most photographed beach in the world is located here, again on La Digue Island. Learn more about the small La Digue, all you need to know for tourists.
- Seychelles produces tea with real vanilla; there are tea and vanilla plantations. Only two places in the world produce vanilla tea without flavorings: Seychelles and Mauritius. You can buy this tea in any store on the islands, making it an excellent souvenir to bring home. Find out what else you can bring from Seychelles.
- Hummingbirds, which usually pollinate vanilla flowers, do not inhabit Seychelles. Therefore, all vanilla on the islands is manually pollinated by people using brushes.
- As Seychelles remained uninhabited until the 18th century and was on the sea route to India, pirates settled here, regularly plundering trade caravans. Seychelles locals have numerous legends about hidden treasures on the islands, and people still search for them today.
In conclusion, I hope these interesting facts about Seychelles have helped you better understand the country. You now have a certain picture of what to expect from a vacation on these paradise islands.
IMPORTANT: essential links to organize your dream trip to the Seychelles:
- FLIGHTS: Aviasales – direct flights and best deals.
- CAR RENTAL: Mahe and Praslin, no deposit required – DiscoverCars.
- TOURS and EXCURSIONS:
- GetYourGuide – 75+ activities on land and water in the Seychelles.
- Viator – 150 + activities in Seychelles.
- TRAVEL INSURANCE: EKTA.
- HOTELS, VILLAS, APARTMENTS:
- PACKAGES: from budget to luxury – Expedia.
- AIRPORT TRANSFER: Intui.
- INTERNET: eSIM of local telecom operator – Airalo.