The Bay Seychelles Boutique Hotel and Apartments

Forty kilometres of Indian Ocean coastline frame Mahé, and The Bay Seychelles Boutique Hotel occupies one of its most sheltered points at Anse à la Mouche on the island's southwest shore. The calm bay here stays swimmable year-round, protected from the southeast trades that roughen the eastern beaches.

Apartments alongside the boutique rooms give longer-stay guests kitchen access and added space. A rating of 9.8 from 347 reviews places it among the highest-rated properties on the island — a consistent signal across an unusually high volume of guest feedback for a small boutique address.

Anse à la Mouche village keeps a handful of local restaurants and a small marina. Victoria, the capital, lies roughly a half-hour drive north along the west coast road.