Yacht Charter Praslin

Yacht Charter in Praslin, Seychelles

Praslin is the second-largest island in the Seychelles and, for many visitors and charter sailors, the most beautiful — a granite island of lush tropical vegetation, extraordinary beaches, and the remarkable Vallee de Mai, a UNESCO World Heritage forest that is one of only two places in the world where the extraordinary coco de mer palm grows in its natural state. Located 44 kilometres northeast of Mahe, Praslin is large enough to offer several days of exploration by yacht — its coastline is studded with excellent anchorages, its interior is crossed by walking trails through ancient forest, and its restaurants and hotels, while fewer in number than Mahe, are of excellent quality and much more intimate in scale.

Anse Lazio

Anse Lazio, on the northwest tip of Praslin, is consistently rated as one of the finest beaches in the world — a crescent of white sand, perhaps 400 metres long, sheltered at either end by massive, rounded pink granite boulders draped in verdant tropical vegetation, with turquoise water and excellent snorkelling on the reef at the eastern end of the bay. The beach is accessible by road from Praslin and by dinghy from charter yachts anchored in the bay, and a small restaurant above the beach serves grilled fish and fresh salads under the trees. In the early morning, before the day-trip boats arrive from Mahe, the beach is one of the most peaceful and beautiful places in the Indian Ocean.

The Vallee de Mai

The Vallee de Mai is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of extraordinary botanical significance — a valley of ancient forest dominated by the coco de mer palm, whose massive double coconuts (the largest seeds in the plant kingdom, weighing up to 25 kilograms and taking 7 years to mature) were believed by medieval Europeans to grow on a mythical underwater tree, washed up on beaches across the Indian Ocean with no known source. The valley also contains four other palm species found only in the Seychelles, as well as the rare Seychelles black parrot. Walking through the valley's cool, dark forest — the canopy of coco de mer fronds forming a cathedral overhead, the enormous seeds scattered on the forest floor — is one of the most unusual and memorable botanical experiences in the world.

Anse Volbert and Diving

Anse Volbert, on the northeast coast of Praslin, is the island's main beach resort area — a long, relatively calm beach with several hotels, restaurants, and watersport operators. The boat service from Anse Volbert to La Digue takes 15 minutes and is one of the most scenic short crossings in the Seychelles, passing through the narrow channel between Praslin and the nearby island of Curieuse — a national park with a population of Aldabra giant tortoises and an important mangrove system. The dive sites around Praslin and Curieuse include some excellent shallow-water coral gardens and the chance to encounter hawksbill turtles, nurse sharks, and a remarkable variety of reef fish.