North Island: The Art of "Barefoot Luxury"
There are places where true luxury lies in being able to forget everything. North Island embodies the essence of barefoot luxury: a private island with lush natural surroundings, just 11 extraordinarily spacious villas, and an approach to hospitality where privacy, freedom, and personalized service take the place of any formality.
Here, luxury comes to life
barefoot and in tune with the island's rhythm: Enjoying breakfast overlooking the ocean, discovering a deserted beach, sharing the island with giant tortoises, or deciding where and when to have dinner. With no rigid schedules or unnecessary formalities, North Island offers an exceptionally exclusive yet deliberately relaxed experience, where
nature, conservation, and sophistication coexist in perfect harmony.
What Makes North Island Unique
- A private island with just 11 villas, where privacy and exclusivity take on a whole new dimension.
- The barefoot luxury philosophy : extraordinary sophistication, but without formalities, rigid schedules or ostentation.
- 450 m² oceanfront villas, designed as authentic private homes with a pool and direct access to the beach.
- An island transformed into a nature sanctuary, where conservation is part of the experience.
- Share the island with giant tortoises and sea turtles, and learn about their conservation alongside the Environmental Rangers.
- The freedom to experience North Island your way: choose where to have breakfast, throw together a picnic on a secluded beach, go sailing at sunset, or simply disappear for a few hours.
The Hotel
The hotel features 11 villas spread across a 200-hectare property:
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10 Beachfront Villas
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1 Villa North (Villa 11)
The resort has only 11 villas, all with direct access to the ocean and surrounded by lush greenery to ensure exceptional privacy. They are built primarily of wood, stone, and natural materials, many of which come from the island’s own restoration program.
The hotel features a main restaurant, The Piazza, as well as other, much more flexible dining concepts that are very much in line with its “barefoot luxury” philosophy.
- The Piazza – East Beach: This is the main restaurant. It features an open-air setting facing the ocean and Creole-inspired cuisine with European influences.
- Sunset Bar – West Beach: a more casual spot, right on the sand. It serves light bites, wood-fired pizzas, as well as cocktails, salads, and tapas- and barbecue-style dishes. It’s especially charming at sunset.
- Destination Dining: This is one of the highlights of North Island. Guests can choose virtually any spot on the island’s 201 hectares to host a private dining experience: a picnic on Honeymoon Beach, dinner under the stars, champagne and canapés by the fire, dinner by the pool, a private wine tasting, and more.
- In-Villa Dining: They also offer in-villa dining services. You can even arrange for a private barbecue at the villa with a private chef.
Activities and excursions
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North Island Technical Specifications
No two islands are alike, and each island has its own hidden gem, must-see attractions, beautiful beaches, and unique experiences. The Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 wild islands, have an incomparable natural charm and offer endless places to visit.
The first time I visited the Seychelles Islands, I knew that, like a first love, I would never forget them, and just like that, I return repeatedly thanks to the proximity of my home, Madagascar.
What is so special about this archipelago? Thousands of adjectives could answer this question: beaches with turquoise waters, white sands, colorful fish, huge palm trees, luxurious accommodations where we swear eternal love... indeed it is, but what struck me most about these islands is their ability to make us forget the rest of the world and mortals. Worries, stress or anxiety disappear from the moment you set foot on the islands and the magic operates.
A PRIVATE ISLAND IN THE HEART OF THE SEYCHELLES
North Island is part of the Seychelles’ inner granite islands and spans approximately 201 hectares of tropical wilderness. Granite mountains, forests, white-sand beaches, and coral reefs make up the landscape of an island that is home to just 11 villas, where privacy is absolute.
But North Island is much more than just the setting for an exclusive tropical retreat. Its history, its extraordinary environmental restoration project, and the wildlife that now calls it home are an essential part of the experience.
AN ISLAND WITH A RICH HISTORY
North Island holds a special place in the history of the Seychelles. In 1609, the first documented landing on an island in the archipelago took place here, when Captain Sharpeigh and the crew of the Ascension, belonging to the English East India Company, reached its shores. Their accounts already mentioned a significant population of giant tortoises.
Beginning in 1826, the island came into the possession of the Beaufond family and operated as a plantation for approximately 150 years. Among other crops, vanilla, cinnamon, ylang-ylang, fruits, and coconut palms—used for copra production—were cultivated on its fertile lands.
Following the collapse of this industry, the mine was abandoned in the 1970s, and North Island's natural environment was profoundly altered by introduced plants and animals.
RETURN THE ISLAND TO NATURE
In 1997, one of the most fascinating chapters in North Island's history began: the restoration of the island's original ecosystem.
This goal gave rise to the Noah's Ark Program, an ambitious restoration project that has made it possible to eliminate invasive species, restore the native forest, and create the conditions necessary for threatened species to return to the island.
The process continues to this day. Conservation here is not just a hotel philosophy: it is part of everyday life at North Island, and guests can get an up-close look at the work of the environmental team and even participate in some of their initiatives.
THE KINGDOM OF THE TURTLES
Turtles are some of North Island's most iconic inhabitants.
The island is an important nesting site for green sea turtles and hawksbill sea turtles, which have been monitored for decades. Every morning, the conservation team patrols the beaches looking for tracks, identifying nests, and monitoring reproductive activity. When conditions permit, guests are welcome to join them.
On land, the stars of the show are the Aldabra giant tortoises. Among them is the famous Brutus, one of North Island’s best-known inhabitants: a massive tortoise weighing approximately 200 kg that has been peacefully roaming the island’s trails for decades.
A SANCTUARY FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES
Habitat restoration has also made North Island a refuge for some extremely vulnerable species.
In 2007, 25 Seychelles White-eyes—a small, endemic bird that was critically endangered at the time— were relocated to the island. The population thrived, and North Island is now home to more than a hundred of these birds.
At the same time, a comprehensive forest restoration program continues, involving the removal of invasive vegetation and the planting of native trees and plants.
THREE MOUNTAINS, FOUR BEACHES, AND 201 HECTARES TO EXPLORE
North Island isn't just a beach island. Its interior is mountainous, offering trails that wind through tropical vegetation and large granite formations.
The island features several hills, including Spa Hill, Bernica, and Grand Paloss, as well as four beaches that are patrolled daily by the conservation team as part of their sea turtle monitoring efforts.
An interesting fact: its beaches are living landscapes. At East Beach, for example, ocean currents and seasonal winds naturally shift enormous amounts of sand from one end of the coast to the other throughout the year.
AN ISLAND SHROUDED IN LEGENDS
The history of North Island also includes episodes worthy of an adventure novel.
In 1783, a Portuguese ship, after drifting for weeks following a violent storm, eventually ran aground on North Island. The survivors had to make do with the scarce resources they found while trying to build a rudimentary boat that would allow them to leave the island.
And there is even a legend about a hidden treasure. In the 1920s, a man named Peter claimed to have discovered a jar full of gold medallions. He died before revealing its location, and despite subsequent searches, the supposed treasure was never found.
Whether it's history or legend, the mystery continues to be part of North Island's collective imagination.
DID YOU KNOW THAT...?
North Island was conceived as one of the finest examples of the “barefoot luxury” concept: extraordinary spaces and exceptional service, yet experienced in a relaxed manner and deeply connected to nature.
Here, the privilege isn’t just about staying on a private island. It’s about having
201 hectares shared among just 11 villas, walking barefoot along virtually deserted beaches, and discovering a landscape that, after decades of human intervention, is gradually being returned to nature.
WHAT TO VISIT IN SEYCHELLES
Mahé, La Digue and Praslín
These are the three islands with the most hotel infrastructure in the archipelago, although there are also small private-hotel islands of international luxury chains. The largest and most lively is
Mahé, where the capital Victoria and the paradisiacal beaches of Anse Intendance or Anse Major are located. It is also the one that receives all international flights arriving in the country.
The second largest is the island of
Praslin, undoubtedly the one with the most natural attractions such as the Vallée de Mai Natural Park, famous for the “Coco de mer”, the largest seed on the planet. It is also renowned for housing the beaches of Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette, which are ranked among the most beautiful on the planet.
And finally, a small treasure,
La Digue the most paradisiacal island of the three. Beaches such as Anse Cocos, Anse Severe, Petite Anse and of course I don't forget Anse Source d'Argent, undoubtedly the most famous in Seychelles and which was named the most beautiful beach on the planet in 2020. It is also famous for its rich seabed where you can snorkel or dive.
Beau Ballon Beach in Mahé
It is one of the largest and most popular beaches in Mahé that has not lost an iota of its charm. It is the place with the most hotel infrastructure and tourist services on the island. It is easy to find good restaurants where you can enjoy good Creole, Indian or Italian cuisine.
Vallée de Mai in Praslin
Home to the “Coco de mer” (
Lodoicea Maldivica), the largest seed in the world, the Vallée de Mai Reserve was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and extends over 19 hectares.
Upon payment of an entrance fee, we will find properly signposted trails that run between palm trees and numerous endemic plants.
Anse Lazio Beach in Praslin
It must be said that in the Seychelles, the competition is tough when it comes to beaches, but this one is considered the second best in the archipelago. Lush vegetation that flows into the sea, large granite rocks with ocher tones, white sands, and turquoise waters: one of the best postcards of the Seychelles.
Visit some of the deserted islands
115 islands form the Seychelles archipelago, and although it is common to visit Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue, there are other small uninhabited islands such as the island of
Curieuse, north of Praslin, famous for being one of only two places where the "coco de mer" grows (the other is Praslin in the Vallée de Mai). The tiny island of
Saint Pierre is an idyllic deserted island for snorkeling.
Also worth a visit is the island of
Cousine, a refuge for the Aldabra giant land tortoise, one of the emblems of the archipelago. This conservation center currently houses 78 giant tortoises.
Diving in the Seychelles
It is said that these islands are paradise on earth, and I add that it is also paradise under the sea. Any time is good for diving in the Seychelles, although the months of April, May, October, and November are especially recommended thanks to the good visibility.
Sea turtles, sharks, rays, puffer fish... as well as intense corals are easily visible. Those who do not dive can still enjoy the magnificent seabed by snorkeling in the Sainte Anne Marine Park, or the Coco Island or in practically any place in the archipelago.
Trekking to Anse Major beach
One of the mountain trails that is worth exploring leads to the remote beach of Anse Major, undoubtedly the best beach in Mahé. The route is spectacular, alternating open spaces with others of dense humid forest totally covered by vegetation and immense blocks of granite.
Hiking in Morne Seychelles National Park
The Morne is the highest peak in the archipelago with an altitude of 905 meters. We can ascend by three different routes, the
Trois Frères is quite simple and you get fabulous views from the maximum point (699 meters). The
Morne Blanc of little difficulty although in continuous ascent offers scandalous views. These routes can be covered in approximately 2 hours. For those who wish to reach the peak (905 meters) it is necessary to foresee about 5 hours and a raincoat in case the rain surprises us.
Anse Source d’Argent, the most beautiful beach in the world.
This is how it was cataloged in 2020 and it does not surprise us. To access it you have to pay admission to the Union State coconut and vanilla plantation that will lead us directly to the beach. A picture that will remain in our memory throughout our lives.
