Discovered in 1742 by the famours explorer Lazare Picault, Sainte Anne was the first island to be settled by the early French settlers before taking up residency on Mahé. The island was later home to a commercial whaling station and World War II gun battery.
Sainte Anne, the largest island in the Sainte Anne Marine National Park, lies 4km off the east coast of Mahé and in close proximity to its neighbours, Cerf Island, Round Island and Moyenne Island. Apart from its countless coconut palms, among which may be counted three Coco-de-Mer, cinnamon plants grow wild on the lush hillsides as do casuarinas and many of the same species of plants, trees and shrubs found on neighbouring islands. Sainte Anne is home to Beachcomber’s 5-star Sainte Anne Resort, an 87-villa property that opened in 2002.