Sainte Anne Travel from Canada: The Complete Guide

Sainte Anne is the largest island of the Indian Ocean's first marine national park, created in 1973 about fifteen minutes by boat from Mahé, the main island of the Seychelles. From Montréal or Toronto, you reach it with one stop via Paris, Dubai or Doha to Mahé's airport, 19 to 23 hours of flying, followed by a short boat shuttle. Canadian citizens enter visa-free for stays of 90 days or less, with a digital travel authorization to secure before departure. A single property occupies the island: Club Med Seychelles, opened in 2021 and the archipelago's only large all-inclusive resort. All around, fishing has been banned for half a century, so turtles, rays and a thousand fish species thrive a few fin-kicks from the beaches.

The essentials at a glance

Why Sainte Anne

The island solves the hardest equation in the Seychelles: enjoying a private island without giving up the simplicity of a package. Elsewhere in the archipelago, one-island hotels charge premium rates à la carte; here, Club Med's all-inclusive formula bundles restaurants, bars, water sports, a kids' club and boat shuttles into a price known before departure. For families and couples who want the budget locked in ahead of time, the advantage over conventional resorts on Mahé or Praslin is clear.

The natural setting does the rest. Sainte Anne Marine National Park has protected six islands and their reefs since 1973: no fishing, no waterskiing, rangers on patrol. The result is hawksbill turtles, parrotfish and the occasional dolphin sighted straight off the beach, with the country's largest seagrass meadow spreading between the islands. Turtles still come ashore to nest on the island's sand during the southern summer, monitored by the resort's conservation team.

Location seals the case. Victoria and its market sit 15 minutes away by boat, the airport barely farther: there is no long inter-island transfer to absorb after 20 hours of flying. Day trips to Praslin, La Digue or Moyenne Island are easy to arrange, so you can taste island hopping while keeping the same room all week. Our Seychelles page details those island combinations.

When to go

How to get there from Canada

The journey has two stages. First, the flight to Mahé with one stop: from Montréal, Air France connects through Paris with a nonstop 10-hour Paris-Mahé segment, Emirates pairs its 12.5-hour nonstop to Dubai with a 4.5-hour hop to the islands, and Qatar Airways does the same via Doha. From Toronto, Emirates and Qatar Airways offer the smoothest one-stop routings, with total journeys of 20 to 23 hours. A morning arrival in Mahé lets you reach the island the same day, ready for a first dinner facing the lagoon.

Then comes the sea. The Club Med shuttle departs from the Eden Island marina, about fifteen minutes by road from the airport, and docks at Sainte Anne roughly 15 minutes later; transfers are timed to flights and included in the package. No cars run on the island: everything moves on foot or by electric buggy, and the background noise comes down to surf and green herons.

Highlights of Sainte Anne

The island's beaches

Sainte Anne lines up several beaches facing different directions, so there is always a shore sheltered from the prevailing wind. The main beach looks toward Mahé and its sunsets behind the Morne Seychellois ridge; the quieter eastern coves are reached by the island's trails. During the southern summer, some sections are roped off to protect turtle nests, and hatchings become part of the show.

Club Med Seychelles

Opened in 2021, the resort has the island to itself, with lagoon-facing rooms and suites, five dining and bar venues, a main pool and an adults-only Exclusive Collection space. The package covers sailing, paddleboarding, kayaking, group classes, a kids' club and evening entertainment; scuba diving and the spa cost extra. Guests mix families and couples, with a strong French-speaking presence that suits travellers from Québec particularly well.

Snorkelling the marine park

The channel between Sainte Anne and Moyenne Island concentrates more than 150 recorded species: butterflyfish, parrotfish, stingrays, hawksbill turtles and, with luck, spinner dolphins. Guided boat outings reach the best drop-offs, but wading in from the beach is already enough to find turtles grazing the seagrass. Visibility peaks in April-May and October-November.

Moyenne Island, the tortoise neighbour

A few minutes away by boat, Moyenne once belonged to an eccentric British newspaperman who turned it into a reserve; a one-hour trail loops past free-roaming giant tortoises, a tiny chapel and the sites of pirate treasures never found. The excursion pairs with a grilled-fish barbecue on the beach. It is the half day guests talk about most once home.

Cerf, Long and Round

The park's other islands round out the picture: Cerf counts a few hundred residents and Creole restaurants with tables in the sand, perfect for a grilled-fish lunch away from the resort; Round hosts a small hotel-restaurant; Long, a former prison island, makes a fine kayak run. These short boat hops give the week a sense of exploration without ever straying more than a few kilometres.

Victoria and Mahé, a shuttle away

The world's most modest capital deserves a half day: the covered Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke market for spices and fish, a brightly painted Tamil temple, the British-era clock tower and a botanical garden growing coco de mer palms. Resort excursions also head to southern Mahé's beaches or, as full-day trips, to Praslin and La Digue for Anse Lazio and Anse Source d'Argent.

The budget, in Canadian dollars

These ranges are indicative, based on rates and prices observed in 2025-2026. The most telling number is the overall package: an all-inclusive week at Club Med Seychelles generally runs CA$5,000 to CA$8,000 per person, flights included, depending on season and room category.

Entry requirements and health for Canadian citizens

• Visa: none required for tourist stays of 90 days or less in the Seychelles; a visitor's permit is issued on arrival in Mahé.
• Travel authorization: mandatory for all visitors; apply online through the official Seychelles platform, ideally at least 48 hours before departure (fee of about 12 €).
• Passport: valid for the entire duration of your stay.
• Official advisory: the Government of Canada recommends taking normal security precautions for the Seychelles, its lowest level; check travel.gc.ca before departure.
• Health: routine vaccines up to date and hepatitis A recommended; the islands are malaria-free, but protect yourself from mosquito bites, as dengue and chikungunya circulate.
• Swimming and reefs: follow the resort's guidance on currents; never touch the coral, and reef-safe sunscreen without oxybenzone helps protect the park.
• Travel insurance: strongly recommended, with medical evacuation coverage; the resort's nurse station handles routine issues, Victoria's hospital the rest.

One last tip: a full week on Sainte Anne fills easily thanks to the marine park excursions; curious travellers add two or three nights on Praslin or La Digue before the flight home. For honeymoons, a two-night stopover in Dubai or Paris on the way out makes a fine opening act.

Tempted by a private island where everything is settled before you leave? The advisors at Voyages AquaTerra build your custom itinerary. 450-628-6241 | 1-866-628-6241 | info@voyagesaquaterra.com

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