Bel Air Cemetery
The oldest cemetery in the Seychelles, on a hillside above Victoria. Weathered tombs, early settlers and the legend of a giant make it a quietly fascinating stop for anyone curious about the islands’ past.
Where the islands’ history is buried
On a slope of the Bel Air district, a short way up from central Victoria, lies the oldest cemetery in the Seychelles. It dates back to the earliest days of settlement in the late eighteenth century, and among its weathered, leaning tombs rest some of the first settlers, planters and notable figures of the young colony. For anyone with an interest in how these islands came to be, it is a quiet and atmospheric open-air history book.
It is a modest, slightly overgrown place rather than a grand monument, and that is part of its charm. Time and the tropics have softened the stones, and walking among them gives a real, tactile sense of the small, precarious world of early colonial Seychelles.
Corsairs and the giant
The cemetery is wrapped in island legend. Some of the graves are said to belong to the corsairs and adventurers who haunted these waters in the age of piracy, feeding the enduring stories of buried treasure that still cling to the Seychelles. The most famous tale belongs to the grave of a man remembered as a giant, whose unusually large tomb and unsettling local legend have made it the cemetery’s best-known feature.
It takes only a short visit, and it sits close enough to the centre to fold into a wander around Victoria for travellers who like their sightseeing with a little history and a little mystery.
Know before you go
| Where | Bel Air, on the hillside above central Victoria, Mahe |
| Type | The oldest cemetery in the Seychelles, late 1700s onward |
| See | Early settlers’ tombs, the legendary giant’s grave, corsair stories |
| Cost | Free, a quiet historic site |
| Etiquette | A resting place, visit quietly and respectfully |
| Time to allow | A short visit, easily added to a Victoria walk |
What visitors say
★ 4.1 · 10 Google reviews★★★★★In Seychelles long history
Bernley pierre Jean · via Google
★★★★★Mysterious place to visit
Saliha Simsir · via Google
★★★Bel Air Cemetery was opened in the early 1780s, making it the oldest burial ground in the Seychelles. Here lie the graves and vaults of the first French settlers and founding families of the country. Unfortunately, the c…
Finn Thomsen · via Google
★★It would be a beautiful place if it were well-kept. Dirt is everywhere: bottles, clothes, food… Furthermore, many graves are open and broken.
emy nax · via Google
The old cemetery is a short, atmospheric detour from central Victoria, easily joined to the market, the clock tower and the temple. Stay in the capital to see its quieter historic corners on foot.
See the capital on footPrivate Victoria city walking tourfrom €69 per groupBook this tourTours via Viator, stays via Booking.com. We may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Nearby Victoria Clock Tower · Sir Selwyn-Clarke Market · St Paul’s Cathedral
Go with a little curiosity about the island’s history. The legend of the giant’s grave and the corsair stories make this modest, overgrown cemetery one of Victoria’s most quietly intriguing corners.
