Where the bank drops away
Denis
Island · Private coral island
Denis in short.
Denis is a flat coral island sixty kilometres north of Mahé, at the northern edge of the Seychelles bank. A few hundred metres offshore the seabed falls from forty metres to over a thousand, which is why it has the reputation it has for big-game fishing.
Can you go?
Open, with one resort. Everyone arrives by light aircraft.
Denis, in 4 frames.
Every frame below was found in this island's own Commons category and its own title names the island. Captions are the file's title, so you can check the call.
Photographs, under Creative Commons: Adrian Scottow, CC BY-SA 2.0 Adrian Scottow from London, England, CC BY-SA 2.0 Adrian Scottow from London, England, CC BY-SA 2.0 Adrian Scottow from London, England, CC BY-SA 2.0 Adrian Scottow, CC BY-SA 2.0
The edge
The drop-off is the island's defining feature. It brings large pelagic fish within a short run of the beach and it is the reason Denis appears on fishing itineraries that ignore the rest of the country.
The island is 1.4 square kilometres, covered in coconut, takamaka and casuarina, and ringed by fine white sand. A lighthouse built in 1910 still stands on the northern edge.
A working island
The resort keeps a farm that supplies its own kitchen, which on an island this far out is a practical necessity rather than a flourish. In 2004 Seychelles fodies from Frégate and Seychelles warblers from Cousin were moved here as part of a conservation project, and both have established.
Turtles nest on the beaches and giant tortoises live on the island. It was named for Denis de Trobriand, the French naval officer who charted it in 1773.
How you arrive
About thirty minutes by light aircraft from Mahé, arranged by the resort.
The sheet.
Checked 2 September 2026 against the sources named in our island file.
- Area
- 1.4 km²
- North of Mahé
- 60 km
- Lighthouse
- built 1910, still standing
- Named after
- Denis de Trobriand, who charted it in 1773
What people ask.
Can we visit Denis?
Open, with one resort. Everyone arrives by light aircraft.
How do you get to Denis?
About thirty minutes by light aircraft from Mahé, arranged by the resort.
What we do arrange.
We do not sell islands, and most of these could not be sold to anybody. What we do arrange is everything that gets you to them and around them once you land.
Car hire, from €45 a day
Ten cars, no deposit, handed over at the airport, the jetty or your hotel.
Days out and excursions
Island tours, boat days, snorkelling and walks, with real ratings and free cancellation to twenty-four hours.
Airport transfers
A driver who watches your flight number and waits with your name on a board.
The terminal photograph above: Remi Jouan, CC BY-SA 3.0
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