Curieuse and St Pierre Full-Day Boat Trip with BBQ Lunch from Praslin

Grand Anse beach and the west coast of Praslin

The day starts at Grand Anse, the long beach on the south-west coast of Praslin where the speedboat is launched. After pickup from your accommodation (allow up to 45 minutes before the 09:00 departure) you check in with our team, listen to a short safety briefing and board the boat. Praslin is the second largest island of the Seychelles, and from the water you see its granite hills, the takamaka trees leaning over the sand and the small coves that cannot be reached by road.

The speedboat follows the west coast northwards, which is the most scenic way to reach the north of the island. The ride is lively and refreshing, so keep your camera in a dry bag. This Praslin boat trip is a shared departure, so you share the boat and the pickup with other guests, and it is one of the most popular things to do in Seychelles for anyone staying on Praslin.

Anse Georgette: a swim stop at one of Praslin's finest beaches

Before the snorkelling begins, the boat drops anchor off Anse Georgette for a refreshing dip. This small bay in the north-west of Praslin is framed by granite headlands and has powdery white sand and water that shades from pale turquoise to deep blue. There is no road to the beach for day visitors, so arriving by sea is the easiest way to enjoy it, and a swim here is often the moment guests remember most.

The stop is short, about twenty to thirty minutes, so wear your swimwear under your clothes and be ready to jump in. Is Anse Georgette worth visiting? It regularly appears among the most beautiful beaches of the Seychelles, and seeing it from the water, with no buildings behind it, shows why. Sea conditions decide how close the boat can go, and our skipper always chooses the calmest spot.

St Pierre islet: two snorkelling stops over coral

St Pierre is a tiny granite islet a few hundred metres off the Côte d'Or coast of Praslin, a cluster of smooth boulders topped by a few coconut palms. It is the best known snorkelling spot on Praslin because the water around the rocks is shallow, clear and full of life. You spend about one hour here with two snorkelling stops on different sides of the islet, so you see both the coral gardens and the sandy channels between the boulders.

Expect parrotfish, surgeonfish, clownfish in their anemones and sometimes a hawksbill turtle gliding past. Masks, snorkels and fins are provided and our guide stays in the water with beginners. St Pierre Island snorkelling is suitable for confident swimmers of all levels; if you prefer to float with a vest or hold a ring, just ask the crew. Keep fins off the coral and never stand on the rocks under water.

Curieuse Island: giant tortoises and the old doctor's house

Curieuse Island lies just north of Praslin and is a national park, which is why a park ticket is paid on arrival by card. It is famous for the giant Aldabra tortoises that were brought here in the late 1970s and now roam freely around the ranger station; you can watch and photograph them at very close range, but they are never touched or fed. Curieuse is also, with Praslin, the only place where the coco de mer palm grows naturally.

Near the landing beach stands the old doctor's house, a wooden colonial building from the time when Curieuse was a leper colony, today a small museum about the island's history. You spend about three hours on this side of the island, including the BBQ lunch of grilled fish, chicken and local salads with soft drinks. A Curieuse Island tour is only possible by boat from Praslin, and this trip includes the crossing and the guide.

The mangrove boardwalk and a secluded beach on Curieuse

After lunch, our guide leads a hike of about 1.7 km across the island on a boardwalk through the mangrove forest of Baie Laraie, then over a low hill to a quiet beach on the other side. The walk is easy to moderate and takes about forty-five minutes each way with stops; you walk between roots, rocks and shade, so comfortable closed shoes or sturdy sandals are better than flip flops. Along the way the guide explains the mangrove species, the fruit bats, the crabs and the turtle nesting beaches.

The reward is a swim at a beach with hardly anyone on it, before you retrace the route and board the boat. About two hours are set aside for this part. On the return journey to Grand Anse the guide points out landmarks along the coast and shares local history, and our driver takes you back to your accommodation.