Curieuse Island

Curieuse Island is a small granitic island in the Seychelles inner islands, lying just one kilometre north of Praslin across a marine park of turquoise shallows that is home to one of the most accessible populations of Aldabra giant tortoises outside Aldabra itself. Named after the corvette La Curieuse, which surveyed the island in 1768, this 286-hectare nature reserve was historically used as a leper colony (from 1833 to 1965) and a coco de mer plantation — the ruins of the Doctor's House, the leper colony's medical facility, now serve as the island's visitor centre and museum, documenting both the island's medical history and its ecological restoration.

The giant tortoise breeding program on Curieuse is the island's headline attraction. Approximately 300 Aldabra giant tortoises roam freely across the island — considerably more manageable for visitor encounters than the 100,000 on remote Aldabra. The tortoises are particularly concentrated around the ranger station and the mangrove boardwalk area, where they graze on grass and fallen fruit with the unhurried deliberation of animals that can live for over 150 years. The opportunity to observe these ancient reptiles at close range — watching them extend their wrinkled necks, feeling the rough texture of their domed shells, hearing the surprisingly loud exhalation as they retreat into their carapaces — is one of the most memorable wildlife encounters in the Seychelles.

The coco de mer palm, whose enormous double-lobed nuts are the largest seed in the plant kingdom (weighing up to 25 kilograms), grows wild on Curieuse — one of only two islands where the species occurs naturally, the other being neighbouring Praslin's Vallee de Mai. The suggestive shape of the nut, resembling a human pelvis, inspired centuries of mythology — sailors who found the nuts floating in the ocean believed they grew on submarine trees, and the "sea coconut" commanded astronomical prices in the courts of European and Asian monarchs. The coco de mer palms on Curieuse, while less dense than in the Vallee de Mai, can be observed along the hiking trail that crosses the island from Baie Laraie to Anse St. Jose.

The marine environment between Curieuse and Praslin is protected as a national marine park, and the snorkelling is excellent. The shallow, warm waters harbour hawksbill and green sea turtles, reef fish in abundance, and the blacktip reef sharks that patrol the sandy channels between coral formations with a casual elegance that is more photogenic than threatening. The mangrove wetlands on Curieuse's southern shore provide nursery habitat for fish and crustaceans, and the boardwalk trail through the mangroves offers birdwatching opportunities — Seychelles sunbirds, Madagascar fodies, and the occasional Seychelles black parrot from nearby Praslin.

Curieuse Island is visited by Emerald Yacht Cruises on Seychelles itineraries, with passengers arriving by Zodiac to Baie Laraie beach. The island is open daily with a park entrance fee, and guided walks are available. The calmest seas and best conditions are from April through October during the southeast monsoon, though the warmer northwest monsoon season (November through March) offers warmer water for snorkelling.