Discover Cascade on Mahé

The district of Cascade lies on the east coast of Mahé, 7 km from Victoria. This information helps you get your bearings on Mahé. If you are considering Cascade as a place to stay, compare the specific location of a hotel with your travel plans. This helps distinguish choosing a district from selecting an individual property.

Heritage and daily life along the Cascade River

Saint Mary’s Chapel (Anse Dejeuner) is one of the national heritage sites in the Cascade district. If you would like to include the chapel in your travel plans, check in advance whether it is possible to visit. It is a named point of reference for anyone interested in the cultural history of Cascade.

The history of the Cascade Mission is also linked to a chapel: Father Edmond Dardel built a chapel in 1882 on land that Mrs Charles Button had given to the mission. The year and the story of the land provide a specific historical context for the mission’s history.

The Cascade River is also part of the district’s history of everyday life. For decades, Cascade residents relied on its steady flow, especially the washerwomen. This recollection draws attention to recurring work and the river’s practical importance in the community’s past. It complements the history of the chapel with a different perspective: alongside religious sites, the communal use of water also shaped life in Cascade.

The Seychelles in the wider travel picture

Across the wider destination of the Seychelles, nature and cultural experiences can be found on different islands. The Seychelles’ marine parks are accessible by boat; Port-Launay can also be reached on foot. These examples give an impression of the different ways to get around the destination.

On Curieuse, a mangrove swamp borders Baie Laraie. A raised boardwalk runs through the swamp and provides access to the mangrove habitat even at high tide. The island also has a distinctive history of use: for almost a hundred years, Curieuse was used as a quarantine site for people with leprosy. The landscape and history offer two distinct perspectives on the same place.

On Praslin, the 19.5-hectare Vallée de Mai is one of the world’s smallest natural UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is also the only area in the Seychelles where all six species occur together. Its compact size and this distinctive distribution reveal different aspects of the area.

Praslin National Park has several short paths; Glacis Noire is the only official trail. The park is home to endemic, native and indigenous plants, as well as various insects and other animals, including the Black Parrot, which is unique to Praslin and the surrounding islets. The paths and habitat describe two sides of the national park.

On La Digue, the Veuve Special Reserve covers 21 hectares and is part of a 200-hectare plateau on the western side of the island. Reserve staff answer questions and help visitors find the birds. The landscape’s scale and practical guidance for visitors go hand in hand here.

Ste. Anne Marine Park comprises six islands. Moyenne Island is home to the remains of early settlers’ houses, pirates’ graves and a small thatched chapel. This combination of traces of settlement, graves and a chapel gives the island a layered historical character.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Providence, Grand Anse Mahe, Takamaka, English River, Port Glaud, Mont Fleuri, Anse Royale, Les Mamelles

Return to the main travel overview: Seychelles.