Easter in the Indian Ocean: Seychelles by Catamaran

> Dreaming of the Seychelles? Here is a Sailing Trip with a Catamaran Cruise in the Seychelles... a one-week holiday in this paradise aboard a very comfortable 14-metre catamaran! Individual Boarding or Cabin Charter for a unique journey between land and sea among Mahe, Praslin, Cousin and La Digue. Contact us for information and programmes: info@catamranocaraibi.com

Cabin Charter on a Catamaran with an instructor skipper > > The 115 Seychelles islands lie in the Indian Ocean, north-east of Madagascar, and are divided into the Mahé Plateau, made up of granitic islands, and the Amirantes Group, composed of coral islands and atolls. The granitic islands (Inner Islands) include Mahé, the largest of the Seychelles (over 150 sq km), Victoria, Silhouette, North Island, the Praslin archipelago, La Digue and Frégate. These islands, unique in the world, rise on a granitic ring that extends for about 400 km. Some coral atolls have very ancient origins and often formed around the craters of submerged volcanoes. The sea offers ideal conditions for the formation of coral, and the reef is the natural habitat for fish of vivid colours and complex patterns.

The climate is equatorial, tempered by winds and with periodic rainfall, favoured by oceanic influences and the absence of cyclones. The seasons depend on the trade winds, which blow from the south-east from May to October. Praslin, the second island in size and with lush vegetation, offers longer beaches and is surrounded by the coral reef. From Praslin you reach Grande Sœur, an uninhabited island which, together with Petite Sœur, forms the 'Les Sœurs' group. The stretch of sea separating the two islands is loved by divers for its splendid coral reef. Curieuse is part of the national park and lies 2 km from Praslin. La Digue (2000 inhabitants) is the fourth island of the Seychelles, separated from Praslin by a 5 km-wide channel.

Urbanisation is reduced to a minimum and cars are rare: the traditional means of transport, still the most widespread, are the bicycle and the ox-drawn cart, also used as a taxi. It is the most photographed island for its evocative beaches with reddish rocks, which offer an extraordinary spectacle at sunset. > > SPECIAL FLIGHT + CRUISE OFFER

> BOARDING AND DISEMBARKATION BASE: Eden Village on Mahé, the largest of the Seychelles islands and also the most convenient, where all international flights arrive. >

> ITINERARY one-week sailing cruise by catamaran: > SATURDAY: 2 p.m. Boarding at the Marina of Mahé, provisioning and departure for Sainte Anne, an incredible marine park just 10 miles from the sailing base. (alternatively, overnight stay in port included in the price) > > SUNDAY: Breakfast and course towards Praslin, first swim at Île Cousin (nature reserve), lunch at anchor and course towards Anse Lazio, where we will spend the night. > > MONDAY: A day devoted entirely to visiting Île Curieuse (nature reserve), snorkelling in the marine reserve and a visit to the island, where we will meet the giant tortoises that inhabit it. For lunch it will be possible to organise a barbecue on the beach by arrangement with the locals. > > TUESDAY: Bow towards Îlet de St. Pierre, the most photographed islet in the world, for a day of snorkelling and relaxation.

After lunch we will move to Anse Volbert in the famous Côte d'Or. > > WEDNESDAY: Amid paradise landscapes we will sail between Grande Sœur, famous for its sea turtles, and then towards Île Coco, a real aquarium in the open sea, to end our day at La Digue. > > THURSDAY: At La Digue it will be possible to rent bicycles and tour the island; we can thus reach the famous Source d'Argent, the setting of countless Hollywood films, and the other enchanting beaches which, because of the very wide coral reef surrounding the island, are accessible only by land. > > FRIDAY: We will move towards Mahé for another swim at Sainte Anne in the reserve and return to the incredible Eden Village, where we will spend the evening and the night. > > SATURDAY: Breakfast and disembarkation in the morning.