Top 10 Historical Sites in Seychelles 2025

Seychelles isn’t just about postcard beaches it’s an archipelago of stories. From colonial quirks to pirate lore, these islands serve up history with a tropical twist. Ready to time-travel in paradise? Here are the ten must-see historical spots that blend cultural insight with pure island charm. (Yes, you can still wear flip-flops to most of them.)

1. Victoria Clock Tower (Lorloz)

This elegant miniBig Ben has been ticking at Victoria’s heart since 1903. Cast in iron and painted silver, the “Lorloz” (Creole for clock) stands proudly where Independence Avenue meets Francis Rachel Street essentially the junction of town. It’s a replica of London’s Little Ben, originally erected to honor Queen Vic herself.

Don’t be surprised if locals use it as a compass (“meet under the clock!”). It’s both a beloved landmark and the most popular backdrop for selfies in the capital.

Instagram experience at clock tower:

After a century of service (and a quick 2024 facelift by its original British makers, Victoria’s Clock Tower is gleaming anew.

Best part?

It’s completely free to enjoy just stroll by on your Victoria walking tour. Pro tip: visit at twilight when the street lights flicker on; the tower’s dapper Victorian details shine while the city buzzes around it. History has never looked so photogenic (or so conveniently located).

2. Mission Lodge (Venn’s Town Ruins)

Perched high in the misty Sans Souci mountains of Mahé, Mission Lodge hides the evocative ruins of a 19th-century school for freed slave children. Mossy stone arches frame knockout views of the turquoise coast far below no wonder even royalty once stopped here for tea. Wandering these jungle-clad remnants, you’ll feel a wistful serenity. It’s part lookout, part open-air museum, with songbirds providing the soundtrack at what was once called Venn’s Town ).

Bring a camera and a few rupees foreign visitors pay about SCR 100 (≈$7) to help maintain this national treasure. The panoramic gazebo is worth every cent, especially at sunset when fruit bats swoop above the canopy.

Local tip:

inhale deeply. The mountain air here is spiced with wild cinnamon and history. Mission Lodge isn’t just a viewpoint; it’s a poetic reminder of Seychelles’ resilient Creole heritage (with a killer view to boot).

3. Bel Air Cemetery

Seychelles’ oldest burial ground (est. 1778) sits unassumingly on a Victoria hillside but oh, the tales it tells. Crammed with weathered tombs and tangled frangipani trees, Bel Air Cemetery is essentially an 18th-century gossip column. Here lies the famed pirate Jean-François Hodoul, and nearby rests the “Giant of Bel Air,” a 9-foot-tall teenager whose growth spurt spooked the colony (legend says rivals poisoned him at age 14) nation.

Wandering the crumbling vaults and epitaphs, you get a spooky-cool glimpse into Seychelles’ earliest days, where fact and folklore intertwine.

Entry is free  just push open the creaky gate on Bel Air Road in Victoria. Pack some bug spray and respect (some spirits prefer privacy). A mid-morning visit yields eerie light for photos, but if you’re brave, swing by at dusk when the place truly feels like a Pirates of the Caribbean set.

Insider tip:

look for the lavwar (old wash-house) just opposite the cemetery another little monument to times gone. Creepy, fascinating, and oddly peaceful, Bel Air is a time capsule you didn’t know you needed.

4. Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market (Victoria Market)

A riot of color, scent, and sound since 1840, Victoria’s central market is as much a cultural experience as a historic site. Under its airy early-Victorian iron arches, fisherwomen haggle over red snapper, farmers stack pyramids of mangoes, and spice vendors beckon with curry and vanilla. Named after a former British governor but known to all simply as Victoria Market, this place is the pulsing heart of the capital. It’s a living museum of Creole life just one where you can also buy a fresh passionfruit smoothie.

Entry is free (bring cash if you plan to splurge on souvenirs or fruit). Get there early (7–8am) for the fullest frenzy of activity you’ll catch fishermen slinging tuna and locals bargaining loudly over chilies. The market was last spruced up in 1999 and is undergoing a 2025 upgrade for modern amenities, but fear not: its soul remains intact. Grab a packet of masala spice for a few SCR (pennies in USD) and chat up a vendor you’ll walk away with tasty cooking tips and a true taste of Seychellois daily life.

5. Kenwyn House

In the middle of Victoria stands a grand old lady of a mansion Kenwyn House, built in 1855 in all its French colonial finery. Think broad veranda, white arches, and a certain faded elegance that whispers bonjou. Once the abode of a British diplomat, later a cable company HQ, this house has stories. Today it’s been reborn as a chic art gallery and jewellery boutique (after a 2018 revamp by local culture aficionados). Stepping inside feels like stepping back in time, except now the rooms are filled with contemporary Seychellois art rather than aristocrats.

As Kenwyn House put it:

Entrance is free, and it’s open weekdays (roughly 9–5). Pop in for a quick break from the tropical heat the high ceilings keep things cool naturally. You can admire (or purchase) locally-made paintings, crafts and even diamonds, all while treading antique mahogany floors. Visitor tip: check out the rotating exhibits; recent shows have featured everything from vibrant Creole landscapes to avant-garde sculptures. Kenwyn offers a classy cocktail of history and modern creativity a perfect little culture fix in downtown Victoria.

6. Domaine de Val des Près (Craft Village)

Ready to time-warp to 1900s Creole life? Domaine de Val des Près in Au Cap, Mahé is a charming heritage village centered around a restored colonial plantation house (the Gran Kaz). This sprawling site feels like a film set: the big white planter’s house circa 1870, cute thatch huts housing artisans, and even a traditional kitchen smelling of coconut and cinnamon. It was opened as a cultural center in the late 1980s to showcase Seychelles’ artisanal soul. Think local weavers, woodcarvers, and moutya music drifting in the air.

“On 31 May 2025, the vibrant spirit of African heritage came alive at Domaine de Val des Près during FetAfrik  a celebration of culture, creativity, and community. Visitors gathered to enjoy local entertainment, traditional crafts, and sustainable creations, proudly embracing the beauty and unity of Africa through music, art, and shared stories.”

Stroll the grounds for free (it’s public), browsing twelve craft kiosks for handmade batik, coconut oil, and folklore-infused souvenirs.

Don’t miss the Coco de Mer workshop you might catch a demo of the famous double coconut being made into perfume. Prices here are fair: a hand-painted pareo might set you back SCR 300 (∼$21). Insider tip: visit around lunchtime and try the on-site café’s Creole curry you’ll dine in a recreated plantation parlour. Authentic, educational, and actually fun, Domaine de Val des Près lets you live a slice of Seychellois history (at least until closing time).

7. Grande Case (Silhouette Island Plantation House)

Haunted house, anyone?

Grande Case is the storied old plantation mansion on remote Silhouette Island  and it definitely comes with ghosts (or so say the islanders). Built by the wealthy Dauban family around the 1860s, this once-grand home has a red tin roof, wide verandahs and a jungle backdrop straight out of Scooby-Doo. Locals swear no one dares sleep inside; fresh green leaves in bottles are placed in rooms to ward off spirits. Visit by day, and you’ll find an eerie yet beautiful shell of a house, where nature is slowly reclaiming the walls. It’s insta-gold for those who love ruin porn with a tropical twist.

Reaching Silhouette requires a 45-minute ferry or chopper  not cheap, but the island’s wild allure (and Hilton resort) draw intrepid souls. There’s no formal tour of Grande Case, you simply wander up from La Passe village (free of charge). Imagine past parties on the lawn as you peek through cracked shutters.

A short walk away is the Dauban family’s mysterious mausoleum, with rusting cast-iron pillars amid coconut palms. Pack water, bug spray, and a sense of adventure.

Grande Case may be dilapidated, but it’s officially a National Monument a status well deserved for this slice of Seychellois lore and legend.

8. Moyenne Island

If Treasure Island and Galápagos had a baby, it would be Moyenne. This tiny isle (just 0.1 sq mi) in the Ste Anne Marine Park was uninhabited until a wily Brit named Brendon Grimshaw bought it in 1962 and moved in with giant tortoises and pirate myths. Now a national park, Moyenne is ringed by turquoise water and encircled by legend. Follow the gentle trails under cinnamon trees and you’ll stumble on two pirate graves from the 1700s  marked by skull-and-crossbones, naturally and Grimshaw’s own grave (he lived here till 2012, lucky man). Giant tortoises roam freely, often escorting visitors to the island’s tiny museum or onto its pristine beaches.

Accessible by boat tour from Mahé (many include lunch and snorkeling), Moyenne charges a modest entry fee of about SCR 200–300 (≈$15; often covered in tour packages). Those funds help maintain this “world’s smallest national park”.

Expect to spend a relaxed half-day here:

Snorkeling over coral gardens, picnicking with tame tortoises begging for fruit, and channeling your inner pirate as you hunt (in vain) for buried treasure.

Insider tip:

Bring sturdy sandals the trails are short but can be steep, and you don’t want to twist an ankle with only tortoises as your rescue team. Moyenne is pure magic for history buffs and nature lovers alike.

9. L’Union Estate & Old Plantation House (La Digue)

On sleepy La Digue island, L’Union Estate offers a delightful throwback to ye olde plantation days – complete with a copra mill, vanilla vines, and an adorable population of giant tortoises. The estate’s highlight is its Old Plantation House, a large Creole colonial residence with a wraparound porch that starred in movies (spot it in Goodbye Emmanuelle, 1977).

Strolling the grounds, you’ll see an ox-powered mill grinding coconuts, traditional drying sheds, and an ancient cemetery of the island’s original settlers hidden among palm roots. It’s like a heritage theme park, but authentically rustic.

There’s a SCR 150 (≈$11) entrance fee for non-residents, payable at the gate – but that golden ticket lets you come and go all day. And you’ll want to linger: the estate’s path leads directly to the legendary Anse Source d’Argent beach.

Top tip:

visit L’Union in late afternoon. Tour groups have left, the light is dreamy for photos, and you can watch the plantation’s resident Aldabra tortoises enjoy their veggie dinner.

Don’t forget to browse the on-site souvenir hut for cold coconuts or locally made coconut oil (nothing like bringing home the scent of Seychelles). Historic, educational, and a beach gateway all in one – talk about bang for your buck.

10. Curieuse Island

Once a leper colony (yep, really) and now a thriving nature reserve, Curieuse Island is a short boat hop from Praslin but a giant leap back in time.

From 1827 until 1965 this isolated island quarantined patients suffering leprosy you can still explore the eerie stone ruins of their quarters hidden in the woods. Today, Curieuse has flipped the script: it’s known for hundreds of roaming giant tortoises and lush mangrove forests.

The preserved colonial Doctor’s House still stands on Anse St. Joseph – now a small museum where you’ll learn about the island’s peculiar history and its unique ecology (think Coco de Mer palms and rare black parrots).

As part of a marine park, Curieuse charges about SCR 300 (≈$21) often handled by your tour operator. Most visitors come on half-day excursions that include a guided hike from one side of the island to the other (spotting those tortoises and mangroves en route) and a beach barbecue lunch.

Wear good shoes the trail is sandy and peppered with crabs playing tour guide.

Fun fact:

Curieuse’s leper history inadvertently conserved its wildlife, since development was taboo.

The result?

A weirdly wonderful island where past and nature coexist. Don’t leave without high-fiving a tortoise (figuratively) and contemplating how far this little island has come.

Past Perfect in Paradise

Who knew island-hopping could double as a history lesson?

In Seychelles, you can picnic next to pirate graves, buy fish in a 1800s market, and daydream in ruins that kings and commoners once knew. These ten spots prove that paradise has depth and a sense of humor about its past. So go forth, follow the whispers of folklore and footnotes, and make some memories of your own.

After all, you’re not just visiting history here you’re living in it. Now, off you go (and don’t forget the sunscreen).