Travel Guide Eden Island

The 115 islands of the Seychelles... no, the 116! Here's one that has risen from the ocean along the expressway linking the airport to Victoria, on the east coast. A new land reclaimed from the sea, born of what the Seychellois call "filling in". A 116th island linked to Mahé by a bridge, a link between the public domain... and private property. Facing Morne Seychellois on one side and the National Marine Park, from which the green peaks of Cerf and Sainte-Anne stand out on the other, this new flat, fish-shaped island seems to float in a symphony of turquoise blue and emerald green. Perfect for an exotic American-style second home, the projections of this ambitious private village are reminiscent of New World marinas. Ambitious indeed, since the 40 hectares of virgin land, irrigated by 16 hectares of private canals, are home to several hundred apartments, the vast majority of which are managed by the Eden Island Development Company Limited, a South African company that has invested over $350 million in this urban development project. A veritable marina for pleasure boats, each apartment has its own ring. Eden Island's deep, calm waters are home to classic yachts and even small local boats 10 to 15 m long. All benefit from the services offered by the long Marina House, the real hub of the site. With its focus on yachting, this is also a stronghold of the art of living, with architect Raymond Alexander having drawn inspiration from old planter's houses for the neo-Creole architecture of this operetta village, whose red-roofed wooden houses are already a naïve setting in themselves, with their varangue perfect for lounging in front of the palm trees. While apartments and duplexes are already a perfect pied-à-terre on this well-guarded island, it's the villas that are the highlight of this Eden. Airy and very open, with floor areas ranging from 250 to 600 m², on one or two floors, they feature from two to six bedrooms. High ceilings, wood and tiled floors, wide accordion doors opening onto the veranda and sometimes the private swimming pool... In short, it's almost enough to forget about the surrounding leisure activities (tennis, gymnastics, diving...): bars, restaurants, boutiques, a supermarket, a casino and a business center are also gradually emerging in this seaside village, a new lifestyle hub accessible to Seychellois (excluding housing).