What are the best things to do on Praslin Island in the Seychelles? Praslin Island was one of three Seychelles islands that we visited during our two-week vacation in the small island paradise. Whether Mahé, Praslin Island or La Digue… each island has its own merits and its own atmosphere. What the best Praslin sights are you will learn in the following sections.
Where is Praslin Island Seychelles?
Praslin Island is the second largest island of the inner Seychelles with a length of 12 km and a width of 5 km. The island is divided into two districts Grand Anse and Baie Sainte Anne, which is separated by the mountain range in the middle of the island. The peculiarity of Praslin is that it is the home of the famous Seychelles palm Coco de Mer.
Although Praslin Island is the most densely populated Seychelles island and also has the most accommodations for tourists, the island has retained its original charm and is not overcrowded. On the small dream island you experience a mix of fine sandy beaches, huge palm trees in the dense forests, breathtaking hikes and crystal clear water.
How to get to Praslin Seychelles
You can reach Praslin Island from Mahé either by ferry or by plane. The ferry crosses several times a day, within about 1 hour to Praslin and costs 50 Euro per person. You can book the ferry in advance via Seyferry or buy a ticket on site at the port terminal. Depending on the season, it may be that the tickets are already sold out.
By propeller plane you can reach Praslin from Mahé airport within about 20 minutes. The flight costs about 100 Euro per person each way. The higher price brings of course a decisive advantage … If you arrive by plane to Praslin, you can see the beautiful Seychelles island from the bird’s eye view and enjoy the great view.
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#1 of Things to do on Praslin Island: Anse Lazio – Anse Georgette Hike
I had read a lot about this hike beforehand. Especially about whether you should do the route with or without a guide. Already the first info in advance … you can hike the route without a guide. Even if it is strenuous, the hike is worth it, because you have a fantastic view of the coast from the viewpoints of the hikes. You can find out all the details in the following Seychelles travelogue:
Hike Anse Lazio to Anse Georgette
#2 Anse Volbert & Cote D’or
Anse Volbert was our home beach on Praslin. During a beach walk, you can walk down to the right to Cote D’or . There are some rocks to which you can even walk over at low tide. Here we looked around a bit and also wanted to go snorkeling. Unfortunately, the sea was very churned up, so we hardly saw anything.
A better snorkeling spot is at the far left end of Anse Volbert. Despite a few waves, the water was clear and the current wasn’t too strong. Along the rocks, there were always a few colorful schools of fish, which we observed at their hustle and bustle.
Besides the snorkeling spots, Anse Volbert and Cote D’or are the perfect beaches for an extensive sunrise or sunset walk. Especially at sunrise, you have the beach almost to yourself while you wait for the sun to finally emerge from behind the hill.
Hotel Recommendation on Praslin Island
We stayed on Praslin in a small self-catering apartment on Anse Volbert. The apartment consisted of a small living room with kitchenette, a bedroom with air conditioning and a bathroom, and a terrace.
From the apartment you can reach the beach within about 5 minutes walk. There was a bus stop towards the street, so you could reach other parts of the island quickly. For us the apartment was the perfect and especially cheap alternative on Praslin.
The recommendable Coquillage Holiday Apartments on Praslin *
#3 Anse Boudin & Anse Takamaka
We actually planned to stay only a few hours, and then it turned out to be almost the whole day. Anse Boudin was beautifully quiet with lots of space, great photo opportunities, good snorkeling and few other tourists. For us just the perfect place to spend the day here.
We had packed enough food in our apartment, as there was neither a bar nor a takeaway or similar at Anse Boudin and Anse Takamaka. In the morning we went by bus within about 15 minutes first to Anse Boudin. Here we first took a few photos at the reddish granite rocks before it went to the first cooling and the first snorkeling experience.
Unfortunately, the sea was a bit churned up, so the visibility was not so good. Nevertheless, we saw many beautiful colorful fish especially along the rocks, so after a break we went directly to the next snorkeling trip at Anse Boudin.
If you walk past the granite rocks at Anse Boudin you come to Anse Takamaka. In front of the quiet bay is a small rocky island, which is also a nice photo motif and gives you the opportunity to look at Anse Boudin and Anse Takamaka from the view of the sea. You can reach the rock island on foot through the knee-high water. It is best to take your shoes with you, as there are sharp stones on the rocky island.
#4 Discover Praslin Island by Bus
Discovering Praslin Island by bus is not only the cheapest way to discover Praslin, but it also gives you an insight into the life of the locals. Since the island is relatively small, you can easily cover the distance around the island by bus.
However, the schedules and routes are not always very clear. It is best to ask the bus driver if the bus goes to the desired destination. Also, you should be quite flexible with the duration of the trip and the departure times. German punctuality does not exist here.
In one case, we actually waited so long for the bus that we shared a cab with other tourists after about 1 hour. But especially if you have to watch the money, the wait is worth it. A bus ride, regardless of the route, costs 7 SCR (about 0.50 Euro) per person. No other means of transportation is that cheap.
#5 Trip to Curieuse Island
Opposite Praslin Island is Curieuse Island, a small island of about 3 km². On Curieuse you have the opportunity to see the famous giant turtles of the Seychelles in the wild. Besides this animal experience, there is also another Seychelles dream beach to discover on Curieuse. At Anse Badamier you can simply relax and unwind.
The tours to Curieuse usually start at Anse Volbert, from where it takes about 20 minutes by boat to Curieuse. The landing stage on Curieuse is in most cases Baie Laraire. This is also the starting point of the approx. 1.7 km long trail, which leads partly over boardwalks to the bay of Anse St. Jose. The hike across the island leads through untouched nature, past mangrove forests, Coco de Mer palms and the one or other giant turtle.
Entrance fee: 200 SCR (approx. 13 Euro)
Opening hours: 9.00-17.00
#6 Vallée de Mai
If you’ve had enough of lazing on the beach on Praslin and want to see something different, the Vallée de Mai is the place for you. The small national park in the interior of Praslin Island is home to a part of the original palm forests of the Seychelles island and is one of the most visited sights on Praslin. In the Vallée de Mai National Park you can marvel at the famous Coco de Mer, which is only found in the Seychelles, and go on a discovery tour in the jungle of the national park.
Through the park Vallée de Mai lead a total of 3 paths that you can walk along. The outer path is the longest. In addition, there are 3 other paths that are a bit shorter. We walked all the paths comfortably in about 2.5 hours and had the National Park almost to ourselves. The paths lead uphill and downhill and are sometimes a bit slippery when it has rained before. Overall, however, the paths are paved and clearly recognizable. Getting lost here is almost impossible.
Unfortunately, there are not many animals to see in Valle de Mai. The fascination of the park comes more from the plants. On the one hand you can marvel at the extremely large Coco de Mer and the corresponding huge palm leaves. On the other hand, one should always pay attention to the small details. Many of the plants have the most different spines.
Also, there are always different shapes and structures on the trunks, branches or leaves, which you see so rarely. Even if the Valle de Mai is perhaps not a huge highlight, it is a nice change from the other days on the beach and therefore definitely worth a visit.
Entrance fee: 350 SCR (about 20 Euro)
Opening hours: 8.30-16.30
Guided tours: A free tour is offered at 9am and at 2pm each day.
#7 Fond Ferdinand Nature Reserve – Alternative to the Vallée de Mai
The untouristy alternative to the Vallée de Mai is the Fond Ferdinand National Park. The nature reserve was only opened in 2013 and is located in the south of Praslin Island, at Anse Marie-Louise. From here, a path leads to the small visitor center. The entrance fee of 125 SCR (about 8 Euro) is much cheaper than the Vallée de Mai, the guide is included in the price.
It is best to visit the park early, as the guided tours only take place until 1 pm. The hiking trail is mostly flat. But for the highlight of the Fond Ferdinand nature reserve you have to climb a hill. In about 2-3 hours you will reach the viewpoint, which offers you a fantastic view not only of Praslin itself, but also of the surrounding islands Curieuse, Sister, Round Island, La Digue, Coco Island and Felicite.
Entrance fee: approx. 10 Euro per person
Tours/Opening Hours: Mon – Fri: 9:30am, 11am, 12:30pm; Sat – Sun: 9:30am, 11:30am
#8 Snorkeling at the Stone Island Saint Pierre
The tiny rocky island of St. Pierre is located in the heart of the Curieuse National Park and can be reached from the Cote D’or within a few minutes by boat.
At the small private island you can jump directly from the boat into the water and discover the underwater world. Here you can not only snorkel, but also dive in the area around Ile St. Pierre.
How did you like the TOP 8 of Praslin Island Seychelles sights? Or do you know even more highlights that we should add? Then post them in the comments.