Waves on granite boulders, Anse Patates Beach, La Digue, Seychelles

Seychelles sunrise

Witness sunrise on sultry Seychelles, a tropical island nation just south of the equator in the Indian Ocean, roughly 900 miles off the eastern coast of Africa. The gorgeous shore seen here is Anse Patates Beach on La Digue, one of 115 islands that make up this tropical republic. Anse Patates is a favorite of photographers drawn to its large, dark granite rocks ('patates' means potatoes, perhaps referring to these bulbous boulders) and views of several other Seychellois isles. Beachcombers and sun worshippers also flock to Seychelles because of the consistently great weather—daily high temperatures almost always stay in a comfortable range between 75 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit all year round.