Travel Guide Alphonse

A sublime blue-white-green chain of islands that one would like to fly over for hours before landing the IDC Beechcraft, which connects Mahé to Alphonse in just one hour, five times a week (any stay should, in principle, last at least three nights). From the start, you will be serene. Discovered on January 28, 1730 by the knight Alphonse de Pontevez, commander of the frigate Le Lys, this small coral island, triangular in shape and a little more than 1 km long, is the archetypal tropical island, surrounded by white sand and covered by a thick coconut grove. Fishing and diving are on the agenda. The village also has its Indian quarter. About forty vegetarian Malabars live there in their own way, as soon as their work is finished. These workers, to whom we owe the construction of the hotel, are now employed in the maintenance of the island and the collection of coconuts. Blue Safari Seychelles, which manages the island on behalf of the Island Development Company (IDC), is also responsible for ensuring that the electricity generators and the seawater desalination plant are working properly. He is also responsible for the supply of the island, which is served by two cargo boats each month, one for the hotel, the other for the workers who can buy supplies every afternoon at the store. One only has to look around to understand that life in Alphonse is based on a few essential products, such as rice and SeyBrew. What a contrast with the profusion of the resort! On this island at the end of the world, where nature offers only fish, papayas and coconuts, the word "privilege" takes on even more weight. The active Westerner will only have to choose between the bicycle and the pedal boat, the canoe or the tennis, the swimming pool or the lagoon... Fins, mask and snorkel are provided by the house. But how can you stay at Alphonse without going fishing or diving? The only truly divine beach is the one in Tamatave, at the northern tip of the island, at high tide. Although it is fringed with a sand that is inviting to tanning, Alphonse is indeed not very suitable for swimming, due to the lack of bottom. It is therefore understandable that the swimming pool is quite successful. The diving center offers divers a dozen sites, at most 20 minutes away. Abyss, Oasis and Napoleon Point are among the most captivating. Whether you go down to 6 meters or 35 meters, there is something for everyone! From the neighboring coral garden to the edge of the big drop-off (which, at 1 km from Alphonse, dives to 3,500 m!), the show is guaranteed, even if the coral has also suffered from the post-El Niño warming, half of it having survived, against only 15% in Mahé. For experienced divers, there are many small animals: big trevally or manta rays, grey sharks or whale sharks (in November and December), which can be seen on every dive. Sometimes a sailfish appears. Equipped with a 230 HP catamaran and recent equipment, the Alphonse Water Sports (PADI) is not only for lovers of the great ocean fauna. The coral aquarium is even perfect for those who want to discover the world of silence with a tank on their back It is also perfect for those who want to fish for big fish for the first time, because Alphonse's atoll is well worth the trip, the best periods being October-November and April-May. However, it is out of the question to come there from mid-June to mid-September, as the swell, sometimes violent, prevents any trip outside the lagoon on certain days. But when the sea is good, there is plenty to enjoy: marlin, sailfish, tuna, barracuda, wahoos, dorado, bonito and other big size jacks, in waters so full of fish that we have to release them. The fishing spots are located less than half an hour from the island. It is also possible to fish with a longline and, especially, with a fly on the sandy flats of Saint-François. Fans of this popular sport know that the lagoon of Saint-François, a half-hour boat ride from Alphonse, can be considered the must for fly fishing in tropical waters around the world. There are always only twelve lucky anglers at a time to maintain the balance of the site Excursions. However, you don't necessarily need a fishing rod to wade into the dazzling lagoon of St. Francis, as excursions are offered to this island honoring the memory of St. Francis de Sales. Uninhabited, it is difficult to access, since a boat cannot land there. It is therefore necessary to walk a good fifteen minutes in 30 cm of water before touching the land, which seems to have colonized large blue sea crabs. It is still a wild land, without any coconut tree. There are, of course, some filaos, covered with frigate birds, but this landscape of mangroves and groves reminds us that we are getting closer to Aldabra. We are far from the coconut island whose archetype, nearby, is called Bijoutier. This round island is a pure wonder. It is accessible from Alphonse in about twenty minutes, when the sea allows it (avoid July and August). Being hardly a mass of white sand covered with a bunch of coconut palms and velvet trees, and a big filao tree, it is in fact the island of cartoons and adventure movies. A quarter of an hour is enough to go around this life-size postcard where there is nothing to change. Even the herons and frigate birds are there! In a wonderful setting, take the most beautiful bath of your life. Note: for a last emotion, seen from the plane, sit on the left side of the plane for the return flight.