The Beauty Of Yachting In The Seychelles: Cruising Onboard M/Y ICON

Charter itineraries in the Seychelles start in Eden Island Marina. The port’s name is particularly apt, because the main island of Mahé is an eco-paradise where red-billed tropicbirds sing from frangipani trees. Come evening, cast anchor at Silhouette Island. Once again, the island’s title rings true as mountain peaks rise into darkening forest mist, before tumbling into shallows tinted blood-orange in the setting sun. The dawn chorus aboard M/Y ICON, which promises to be one of the largest yachts in the Seychelles waters this winter, hums with kestrels, sunbirds and black parrots. Expect mango smoothies and hot croissants to kick start your day.

By day two, guests will forget the 21st century. The Seychelles become unplugged at Grand Anse, where work worries are washed away in tropical seas that seldom fall below 28°C (83°f). Here powder white beaches appear dusted with snowfall, not sand, such is their virgin luminescence. Snorkel with rainbow wrasse. Paddle a kayak over gorgonia gardens. Or indulge in Robinson Crusoe fantasies - albeit of a luxury nature - with a hiking trail around the Four Seasons Resort.

Coco-de-mer, Seychelles

On day three, guests may stroll in a land that time forgot. On prehistoric Praslin island, primordial valleys are emblazoned by breadfruit and jellyfish trees, and haunted by the Seychelles warblers’ cries. Praslin is also home to the Instagram-must: the Coco-de-Mer, a suggestive coconut formed like a female derrière. Curieuse Island, a short sail away, is another curiosity. Seychelles’ giant tortoises plod with the grace of a Buddhist sage. Having lived for 250 years, they are rarely in a rush.

La Digue, Seychelles

Days four, five and six open up endless possibilities: the exact reason one opted to charter a luxury yacht. M/Y ICON’s limitless range means guests have the choice between snorkelling off La Digue, ornithology at Bird Island, or a visit to the preserved wilderness of Aride Island, which boasts a resident population of just six. En route the sea is alive. Spot cetaceans from the deck, the tender or via a flotilla of toys. Or hook up a fighting marlin or sailfish - a battle made more likely by the Seychelles pioneering tag and release fishing code. With so few yachts in the region, everyone is an explorer.

The hardest task of the week is to agree on which of the 43 inner islands to finish on. Each granite and palm paradise is Caribbean in its allure, yet boasts the coraline beaches and crystalline seas of the Maldives. Many have never hosted humankind for longer than a sunset stroll on the beach.

To discuss your Seychelles charter itinerary onboard M/Y ICON, please contact the Bluewater Charter Specialists.