The sun started beckoning you shortly after 6 am. At first, it was like a whisper calling to you through the sheer curtains. Then it spread across the terrace, onto the dark-wood furniture in your room, and finally atop your duvet. It warmed your suite and taunted you for staying under the covers. It finally overpowered you. You slipped out of bed, pulled open the sliding glass doors, and embraced the bright light and the early morning.

That’s why you’re now standing at the edge of the clear water on Beau Vallon Beach. After deciding to get up, you could have moved to the terrace, sat on the daybed, and listened to the chirping birds in the tropical garden around you. But you want to spend every possible moment on the beach. Beau Vallon is lined with sandy-floored restaurants, little souvenir stands, and colorful fishing boats. Usually, it’s full of people, as well. Everyone, except for a few fishermen prepping their nets, is still asleep, though. You have Beau Vallon practically to yourself.

Beau Vallon Beach is the longest and probably the most popular beach on Mahé, the largest island in the Seychelles. It sits on the island’s wild northwest coast. Victoria, the island nation’s capital, is three kilometers to the east. Morne Seychellois National Park, home to the island’s highest peak and rare orchids, is seven kilometers to the west. While Beau Vallon Bay has calm, always-warm water and a vibrant reef that lies just offshore.

You didn’t have to go very far to reach this gorgeous beach. Your hotel, the H Resort Beau Vallon Beach, was built, as its name suggests, on the edge of the powdery white sand. The new boutique hotel’s suites and villas are positioned between takamaka trees. They have canopy beds, free-standing bathtubs, and a home-away-from-home feel.

The entire resort is a laid-back destination, actually. Kayaks, paddleboards, and snorkel gear are available at the beach. Candy-colored cocktails and lite bites are served by the pool. Yoga sessions are offered throughout the day. Spa treatments, like the skin-kissed sun-protection therapy, are, too. While the restaurants serve fresh seafood, Seychellois dishes, and Creole spices.

There are obviously plenty of activities to keep you occupied at both the resort and on Mahé. But, at least right now, you don’t need any of them. You have warm sunshine, an empty beach, and a view of the Indian Ocean. The only other thing you’re considering is a nap, thanks to your early wake-up call. But only if it’s on one of the beach’s sun loungers, of course.