Hiking on Praslin

In addition to the tours already described in the Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve and in the Fond Ferdinand Nature Reserve, Praslin is home to a few other interesting hikes, allowing you to experience the unique beauty of the island's nature.

From Anse Lazio to Anse Georgette

This spectacular hiking trail joins two of the most beautiful beaches on Praslin with each other. From Anse Lazio, you will climb through some palm tree forest, enjoying beautiful views of the ocean and nature. From the top of the last hill, enjoy panoramic views of Anse Georgette, before heading to the beach itself and spending some time on the sand.

The Hike in Detail

Even the start is spectacular: Anse Lazio. This beautiful beach on Praslin has served as the backdrop for numerous films and advertisements, and attracts numerous visitors every year with its powdery-fine white sand and turquoise water.

The hike itself starts from a path to the left of the beach. This path leads to the back part of the beach, where you can also find Honesty Bar, where you can enjoy a cool refreshing drink before your hike. After that, set off into the tropical forest. Follow the well-signposted path and enjoy the palms, vines, ferns and trees that surround you.

After the first hill, you’ll reach a house with a driveway leading to it. Simply walk in front of the house towards the road. To the right, beside the street, you’ll find a small path where you’ll have to take the right hand fork after 15 metres or so. Here, you’ll find proper signposting, unlike most of the rest of the trail, leading you to Anse Georgette.

Now it’s time to head further into the lush greenery, beside thousands of palm trees! Cross the small streams and enjoy the shade before you start climbing to the top of the next hill. Once you’ve arrived at the top, you can look out over the ocean, the surrounding islands, and even back to Anse Lazio.zurückblicken.

After around 2.5 km, take the right hand fork in the path, and now you’re nearly done. Simply follow the path to get closer and closer to Anse Georgette, following the arrows that you will sometimes see along the way.

You’re almost at the most beautiful part of the hike now, with a stunning view of Anse Georgette awaiting you. Time to stop to take some photos and enjoy the stunning view. After that, follow the path that snakes down from the hill. At the end you can find a swing, from which you can once more enjoy a fantastic view.

Finally, the last few steps to the beach are easy to find and you’ll see the shimmering ocean water, just waiting for you to dive in.

After your well-deserved beach break, you can either head back the way you came, or cross the beach to the estate of the Constance Lémuria Hotel, where you can be picked up from.

From Anse Kerlan to Anse Lazio

From Anse Kerlan you can reach the beautiful Anse Lazio. There are some easy routes which take two to three hours starting at Castello Beach Hotel. The first one can be found on the road heading towards the eastern part of the island, after which you simply follow the path. This trail leads through the valley of the Anse Kerlan rivers, before winding to the left. Here, it goes through a wooded ridge, before you walk downhill into Chevalier Bay and finally to Anse Lazio.

From Grand Anse to Anse Lazio

There are also several walks that you can try from Grand Anse leading across the island. That said, some of these paths are seldom-trodden, so can be difficult to detect. However, anyone looking for solitude in nature should consider, for example, the 90-minute walk to Anse Lazio.

Heading north on the coastal road after passing the airport on the right, you can see a road leading uphill and to the east. Take this road on foot to the end. Here, visitors can see the Anse Kerlan river and views of surrounding islands. After reaching the level crossing of the bridge across Anse Kerlan river, follow the other path to the left heading north. The forest here offers plentiful shade, and you can see a little house every now and then. The path becomes steeper at one point, before leading downhill to Bay Chevalier and Anse Lazio.

Salazie & Pasquière Track

A second variant of Grand Anse is the approximately 9 km and four hour-long Salazie Track which winds along the Côte d'Or and can be combined with the Pasquière track to create a circular trail.

This path has less hilly terrain and there are no extreme gradients. Starting in Grand Anse you must head north of the church into the island's interior. The Britannia Restaurant, which can be found along the way, acts as a waypoint of sorts. Following the paved road for around thirty minutes, then the adjoining lane, you stay right at the juncture, remaining on Pasquière. Soon, you will cross three small wooden bridges and a green area where you can admire ferns and various palm tree species. After another short climb, finally you will reach the end of the trail and enjoy a magnificent view of the Cousin islands.

Descend into the bay of Anse Volbert, where the path then extends to the coast. The main road resumes in the west, leading past some small shops and restaurants. Behind the Paradise Sun Hotel, the sea disappears briefly behind the headland, before revealing the south end of Anse Petite Cour. Beautiful granite formations contour the coastline until reaching the centre of Anse Possession. The junction to the Pasquière trail soon leads to the island's centre again, and, after 1.5 km, back to the Salazie track. Here, take a right and you'll arrive back in Grand Anse.

If you want to only commit to the Salazie Track, pass through the valley of Salazie Rivers and on. It is possible to reach Baie St. Anne after around two hours, and you can head back to Grand Anse at thirty-minute intervals using the bus.

The pure Pasquière Trail, following the fork with the Salazie Trail, heads to the north to Anse Possession. The Raffles hotel has taken it upon itself to maintain this path, so it is one of the best on the island. Near to the hotel, the path splits into two, with one leading to the south-west into the hills, following the Pasquière river at its narrowest point. After a slight 2-km incline, the path heads over the top of the pass before heading to the west and steeply down into Grand Anse. This tour takes around 90 minutes in total (in one direction). From Grand Anse, you can easily take a bus or taxi round the south of the island to get back to Anse Takamaka.