Mahe is the largest island of the Seychelles, lying in the north east of the nation. The population of Mahé is 80,000. It contains the capital city of Victoria and accommodates 90% of the country's total population. The island was named after Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais, a French governor of Mauritius.

Although Mahe is the largest of the islands, it is paradoxically the least known. Yet it offers some enriching experiences for those who are able to understand and love it. Even when it rains, there is always some spot in Mahé where it is sunny: usually, all you have to do is cross to the other side of the island to find fine weather.

Mahé's tallest peak is Morne Seychellois at 905 m, which lies in the Morne Seychellois National Park. The northern and eastern parts of the island are home to much of the population and the Seychelles International Airport which opened in 1971. The southern and western parts have Baie Ternay Marine National Park and Port Launay Marine National Park. The Ste Anne Marine National Park lies offshore, as do Conception Island, Thérèse Island, Anonyme Island and Silhouette Island.

Mahé was first visited by the British in 1609 and not visited by Europeans again until Lazare Picault's expedition of 1742. Mahé remained a French possession until 1812 when it became a British colony. It remained a colony until 1976 when Seychelles became an independent nation.

Mahé's forests have rare endemic plants found only in the Seychelles, such as the critically endangered Medusagyne oppositifolia (the "Jellyfish tree"), the carnivorous Seychelles and many species of unique orchids.

Mahé is currently undergoing a huge land reclamation project due to housing problems