Travel Guide

The Amirante Group is an archipelago of coral atolls lying 143 miles (230 km) west of Mahe. The main areas for diving are around Desroches, a large coral atoll. To the west,  the chain of coral islands consists of D’Arros and St. Josheph.  To the south are the islands of Poivre, Etolle, Boudeuse, Marie Louise, and Desnoeufs.  The pristine beauty of the neighboring islands of Alphonse and Bijoutier, located 249 miles (400 km) southwest of Mahe are indeed worth a visit.  These islands, located at the southern tip of the archipelago complete the circle of the Amirante group of islands.

Aerial view of D’Arros

D’Arros: The Heart of the Amirantes

The island of D’arros and its neighboring atoll of St. Joseph with its magnificent lagoon were acquired in 1975 by the son of the late Shah of Iran.  Prince Chahram Pahlavi, a dedicated ecologist has maintained the pristine beauty of the islands and has built an extraordinary home on D’arros that is perhaps the most unique in all the islands.  The home is available for rent during long periods of absence of the owners.  The price of this paradise is about $7,500 a day, all inclusive, from the drinks and the full pension to the boat trip to the nearby coral islands, for fourteen persons.  Add another $7,500 for the fourteen seat charter plane for the flight from Mahe to D’arros or for a more adventurous time, the island may be reached in twenty hours of sailing on a catamaran.  If you never want to leave this island and you have 20 million to spare, then you may buy it, lock, stock and coconut tree.

This area of the Seychelles plateau in the Indian Ocean is very different from the granitic islands. These islands are flat coral atolls with beautiful beaches and, beginning from the high water mark, are backed by large coconut palm groves. These are classic tropical atolls full of sea life and dense hard coral formations. There are many caves which attract large schools of fish who like to congregate around the mouths of the caves.  Sleeping nurse sharks can often be found within these caves.  At Alphonse you can find coral drop-offs with black and fan corals and it is one of the nicest diving areas in the entire Seychelles. There is a beautiful lagoon at Alphonse. Next to Alphonse is a beautiful little island called Bijoutier which looks just like a picture postcard.  The reefs off the east coast of Bijoutier are very rich in fish life and corals. To the south is St. Francois which is littered with wrecks of tuna boats. From St. Francois, the Aldabra Group lies to the southwest, 395 miles (635 Km) away.

The Amirante Group is an experience that is rich in marine life, enjoys good underwater visibility and warm water. For the diving enthusiast,  these islands offer massive granite reefs and colonies of coral.  Giant rock formations pocked with caves and tunnels offer sanctuary to a rainbow of sea life. Brilliant tropical fish, pastel colored anemones together with rays and small reef sharks make this underwater labyrinth their home. Whale sharks, dolphins, manta’s and schools of pelagic predators are often spotted cruising between the islands of this tropical paradise.

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