Baie Laraie is the broad, sheltered bay on the south coast of Curieuse, directly across the channel from Praslin. It is the island’s front door: the ranger station of Curieuse Marine National Park stands beside the beach, almost every boat trip lands here, and it is where the island’s most famous residents — the Aldabra giant tortoises — are easiest to see.
Curieuse once had giant tortoises of its own, but like those on most of the granitic islands they were wiped out by sailors and settlers. Between 1978 and 1982 a conservation project brought Aldabra giant tortoises here from the remote atoll of Aldabra, and the population has since grown to more than 300. Some stay around the station, where the lawns and shade suit them; others roam the rest of the island. Hatchlings and juveniles are raised in pens at the station until they are large enough to be safe from predators, and seeing a row of tiny tortoises the size of a fist beside adults weighing as much as a person is one of the joys of a visit.
What to see and do: Baie Laraie & the Giant Tortoises
Meet the giant tortoises
Around the ranger station you will find tortoises grazing, wallowing in the shade or plodding across the lawn. They are wild animals living freely, used to visitors but not pets. Walk among them quietly, keep a respectful distance from their heads, and let them come to you; many will happily stretch out their necks. Rangers and guides can tell you which are the old-timers. Please do not feed them food you have brought, never sit or stand on a shell, and keep children from chasing them.
See the tortoise nursery
Young tortoises are raised in protective pens beside the station. The difference in size between a hatchling and an adult Aldabra tortoise — which can live for well over a century and grow to a shell length of around a metre — is extraordinary. Guides usually explain the breeding programme and how the young are released into the island once they are big enough.
Look at the bay itself
Baie Laraie is shallow and fringed with mangroves at its head. Across the mouth of the bay you can make out the remains of an old stone wall, built in the early twentieth century to turn the bay into a pond for keeping sea turtles — a reminder of the days when turtles were harvested rather than protected. Today hawksbill turtles nest on Curieuse’s beaches under the park’s protection.
Pay the park fee and pick up a map
If you arrive independently, the ranger station is where the national park entrance fee is collected. Organised boat trips usually include the fee in their price — check the listing. Rangers can tell you the state of the trails and roughly how long the walk to Anse José will take.
Start the walk to Anse José
The trail across the island begins near the station and follows the edge of the bay to the mangrove boardwalk. Most boat trips drop you here, let you walk across, and collect you on the other side at Anse José, where lunch is served.
How to get to Baie Laraie & the Giant Tortoises
- There is no public ferry to Curieuse. The simplest way is a boat trip from Praslin, which lands at Baie Laraie and includes the tortoises, the walk and usually lunch. The crossing from Côte d’Or takes only a few minutes.
- Taxi boats and private charters from Côte d’Or and Anse Volbert can drop you here and pick you up later; agree times and price before you leave, and confirm whether the park fee is included.
- Catamaran day cruises from La Digue and some from Mahé also include a stop on Curieuse. See our tours page.
Insider tips
- Come in the morning if you can: the tortoises are more active before the midday heat, and the light is softer for photographs.
- The station area has little shade on the beach itself. Bring sunscreen, a hat and water, even if your tour provides drinks later.
- Hands off the hatchlings — the pens exist to protect them, and rangers may ask you not to lean in.
- Mosquitoes can bite near the mangroves, especially on still days; a little repellent in your day bag is useful.
- Wear sandals with a strap or light shoes rather than flip-flops if you plan to walk across to Anse José.
Best tours & tickets for Baie Laraie & the Giant Tortoises
These top-rated experiences pair well with a visit to Baie Laraie & the Giant Tortoises:
Full-day boat trip from €79 Praslin: Curieuse & St. Pierre Full-Day Boat Trip with Lunch
The most-reviewed Curieuse trip on GetYourGuide, with close to 1,900 reviews. The classic day: snorkel off the granite islet of St Pierre, land at the ranger station to meet the tortoises, walk through the mangroves to a quiet beach, then eat a barbecue lunch and swim before the boat takes you back to Praslin.
- Giant tortoises and the mangrove walk on Curieuse
- Snorkelling at St Pierre, gear included
- Barbecue lunch on the beach
Full-day guided boat trip from €82 Curieuse Guided Tour, St Pierre, BBQ & 2 Snorkel Stops
A full-day guided cruise from Praslin to Curieuse with two separate snorkelling stops rather than one, a guided walk among the tortoises and a barbecue lunch with local drinks. Rated 4.9 from more than 1,100 reviews.
- Two snorkelling stops
- Guided visit on Curieuse with the giant tortoises
- BBQ lunch with local beer and rum
Full-day boat trip from €75 Praslin: Curieuse & St Pierre Island Day Trip with Barbecue
Another well-established full-day outing with nearly 900 reviews: tortoises and the nature trail on Curieuse, a Creole barbecue and time on the beach, and a snorkel in the clear water around St Pierre on the way back.
- Meet the giant tortoises
- Nature trails and a swim on Curieuse
- Creole barbecue, then snorkelling at St Pierre
Half-day boat trip from €48 Curieuse and St Pierre Snorkeling Half-Day Trip No BBQ Lunch
Four hours instead of seven: the mangroves, the tortoises’ habitat and a snorkel at St Pierre, without the long beach lunch. A good choice with young children, in hot weather, or if you want the afternoon for Anse Lazio or the Vallée de Mai.
- Mangrove swamp and giant tortoises
- Snorkelling at St Pierre
- Back in time for lunch or an afternoon on the beach
