Vallée de Mai & Praslin's Top Beaches

Praslin's UNESCO palm forest shelters the world's largest seed and a critically rare parrot — while five beaches within 20 minutes of each other range from world-class to wind-battered.

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Vallée de Mai: the UNESCO Palm Forest

Vallée de Mai is a UNESCO World Heritage site in the centre of Praslin, covering a dense forest of roughly 5,000 endemic coco de mer palms. The coco de mer produces the world's largest seed — a double coconut that can weigh up to 25 kg — and the forest is the last stronghold of the Seychelles black parrot, a nationally protected bird found nowhere else on Earth. Entry costs SCR 450 per adult; the site is open daily from 08:30 to 16:30 with last entry at 15:30, and payment is accepted in SCR, EUR, USD or GBP by cash or card. An optional guided tour is available for around SCR 1,000 per group.

Trail options and what to expect

Trail	Distance	Time
Purple	1 km	~1 hour
Green	1.7 km	~2 hours
Orange	2 km	~3 hours

The visitor centre has a large free car park, making it easy to stop for as long as your chosen trail requires. Best chances of spotting the black parrot are early morning or late afternoon, when the birds are most active in the upper canopy. Even on the shorter Purple Trail you will pass mature coco de mer palms whose leaves can span six metres.

Why a hire car makes the difference

Vallée de Mai sits roughly 10 minutes by road from Côte d'Or — a short distance on the map but genuinely difficult to reach without your own transport or a paid tour. Taxis are scarce and pricey; buses run infrequently and do not stop at the entrance gate. Having a hire car means you can arrive at opening time to beat the tour-group rush and return to the forest in the afternoon for a second parrot-spotting attempt. Read the Praslin road and driving conditions guide before setting off, as the cross-island road is narrow in places.

Anse Lazio: the Headline Beach

Anse Lazio sits at the north-west tip of Praslin and regularly appears in lists of the finest beaches in the world. Getting there is half the experience: the road narrows to a single-track lane for the final kilometre, with passing places cut into the hillside. It is not difficult to drive, but it is not suitable for nervous drivers unfamiliar with Seychellois road conditions.

Parking at Anse Lazio costs SCR 100 per car (card accepted) and the trailhead car park fills by 09:30–10:00 in peak season. Aim to arrive before 09:00 to guarantee a space. From the car park, a shaded path of about 200 m leads down to the beach.

Facilities and sea conditions

Two restaurants serve food at the beach — Le Chevalier Bay and Le Mabuya — but both close their kitchens by around 17:00–18:00. There is no ATM anywhere near Anse Lazio, so bring SCR cash for drinks, snacks or a meal. Sea conditions vary significantly by season: strong currents can develop, particularly on the northern end of the bay, so swim in the safer central or southern section when conditions are unsettled or the wind is up.

Arrive before 09:00 in peak season to secure parking
Pay SCR 100 parking fee by card or cash
Walk 200 m down the shaded path to the beach
Eat at Le Chevalier Bay or Le Mabuya — kitchens close 17:00–18:00
No ATM — bring SCR cash
Swim in the central or southern section to avoid stronger currents

Anse Georgette: Booking Through Constance Lémuria

Anse Georgette is legally a public beach, and many visitors rank it above even Anse Lazio for sheer seclusion. The complication is access: the only land route crosses the grounds of the Constance Lémuria resort, which means non-guests must follow a registration process before they arrive. Daily numbers for non-guests are capped at around 30 people, so planning ahead is essential.

Step-by-step access for non-guests

Phone or email the Constance Lémuria resort 24–48 hours before your intended visit to register
Confirm your arrival time — the daily non-guest cap is around 30 people
Drive to the resort entrance and park your hire car outside the gate (no charge for parking)
Sign in at reception and collect any required pass
Walk 15–25 minutes across the resort's golf course to reach the beach — the route is unshaded, so bring sun protection
Carry water and food — there are no facilities for non-guests at the beach
Plan to leave by around 17:00

Anse Georgette can also be reached by boat if you prefer to avoid the walk. However, having a hire car remains the most flexible option, as it lets you combine the beach with Anse Kerlan — a quieter roadside bay just nearby — on the same half-day. The north-west Praslin road and single-track approach requires some care, so read the driving guide before heading out.

Côte d'Or, Grand Anse and the Seaweed Season

Anse Volbert — known locally as Côte d'Or — is the main resort beach on Praslin. The water is typically calm, the beach is long enough to walk its full length without retracing steps, and parking is informal and free along the roadside. Its central location makes it an excellent base: around 10 minutes from the Vallée de Mai, 15 minutes from Baie Ste Anne jetty, and 20 minutes from Anse Lazio. Most car hire pick-up points and guesthouses cluster nearby.

Grand Anse and the trade-wind effect

Grand Anse, on the south-west coast, is a very different proposition between May and October, when the south-east trade winds push sargassum seaweed onto the shore in quantity. The beach can look and smell unappealing during this period, and the swell often makes swimming inadvisable. A hire car means you are never trapped — you can simply cross to the leeward side of the island and spend the day at Côte d'Or or Anse Lazio instead. Outside the trade-wind season, Grand Anse reverts to a wide, uncrowded beach.

Beach	Parking	Needs a car?
Anse Volbert / Côte d'Or	Free roadside, informal	Helpful but walkable from resort area
Anse Lazio	SCR 100 per car at trailhead	Yes — single-track lane, no reliable bus
Anse Georgette	Free outside resort gate	Yes — access via Constance Lémuria
Grand Anse	Free roadside	Useful for escaping seaweed season
Anse Kerlan	Free roadside	Yes — no public transport

Ready to check your options? Compare car hire deals to find the right vehicle for island-wide exploring. If you are arriving by air or ferry, the Praslin airport and ferry car hire guide covers pick-up logistics at both points.

A Round-Island Drive

A loop from Baie Ste Anne jetty around the island — covering Vallée de Mai, Anse Lazio and back to Côte d'Or — is about 36 km and roughly an hour of driving without stops. With beach time and a walk through the palm forest, the same loop makes for a satisfying full-day itinerary. Petrol stations on Praslin are limited, so fill up before you set off rather than hoping to find fuel mid-route.

What to include and watch out for

Start at Baie Ste Anne if you have arrived by ferry — the road west passes through the island's interior
Stop at Vallée de Mai first, ideally at opening time, then continue north-west towards Anse Lazio
Allow at least two hours at the Vallée de Mai if you want to complete the Green or Orange trail
Fill the petrol tank before departure — there is no guarantee of a forecourt on the northern circuit
Giant tortoises and occasionally tenrecs cross the road at dusk — drive slowly after dark
Return along the east coast through Côte d'Or to close the loop near Baie Ste Anne
The full circuit takes roughly a day when combined with beach stops

If you want to extend the adventure beyond Praslin, the day trips to La Digue and Curieuse guide explains how to combine a hire car with the inter-island ferries for a multi-island day out.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is entry to the Vallée de Mai?

Entry costs SCR 450 per adult. Payment is accepted in SCR, EUR, USD or GBP by cash or card at the visitor centre. The site is open daily from 08:30 to 16:30, with last entry at 15:30. An optional guided tour costs around SCR 1,000 per group.

Do I need a car to reach Anse Lazio?

In practical terms, yes. The final kilometre narrows to a single-track lane and buses do not serve the beach. Taxis are available but expensive and not always easy to book for a return journey. Having your own hire car gives you far more flexibility, including the ability to arrive before 09:00 to secure a parking space in peak season.

How do I visit Anse Georgette without staying at the resort?

Phone or email Constance Lémuria 24–48 hours before your visit to register as a non-guest. Daily non-guest numbers are capped at about 30 people, so early booking is wise in peak season. On arrival, park outside the resort gate, sign in, and walk 15–25 minutes across the golf course. Bring water and food — there are no facilities for non-guests at the beach.

Where should I park at Anse Lazio?

Use the official trailhead car park, which charges SCR 100 per car (card accepted). It fills quickly in peak season — typically by 09:30–10:00. From the car park, a 200 m shaded path leads down to the beach. There is no on-road parking beyond this point, so if the car park is full you will need to wait for a space or return later.

Which beach is best when it's windy?

Between May and October the south-east trade winds affect the south-west coast, making Grand Anse rough and often covered in sargassum seaweed. The leeward beaches — Côte d'Or and Anse Lazio — remain calmer during this period. A hire car lets you drive across the island in under 20 minutes to whichever beach has the better conditions on the day.

Can I see the Seychelles black parrot?

The Seychelles black parrot is found only in and around the Vallée de Mai. Your best chances are early morning or late afternoon, when the birds feed in the upper canopy. Listen for their distinctive call — a clear, hollow whistle — before you spot them visually. An optional guided tour (around SCR 1,000 per group) can significantly improve your chances, as guides know the birds' favourite trees.

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