An up-to-date travel guide to Anse Lazio on Praslin Island, the Seychelles. Includes details on how to get here, what to expect, and some inspiring photography.
Nestled on a cove on Praslin’s northwest coast is one of the most breathtaking beaches you’ll ever find. Anse Lazio, Praslin Island’s most famous beach, is an epic tropical paradise complete with a row coconut-filled palms above pristine white sand and turquoise water.
In this guide, I’ll detail everything you need to know about visiting Anse Lazio beach, including how to get here and what to expect. I’ve also included photos from my recent trip that I hope will inspire you to visit this gem!
Featured in: 8 Best Beaches on Praslin
- About Praslin’s Most Beautiful Beach
- How to Get to Anse Lazio
- Where is Anse Lazio?
- What to Expect at Anse Lazio
- More Things to Know About Anse Lazio Beach
- Anse Lazio Hotel – Can You Stay in a Resort Near the Beach?
- More Recommended Places to Stay on Praslin
- More Photos from Anse Lazio
- More Seychelles Travel Inspiration
About Praslin's Most Beautiful Beach
Anse Lazio is often referred to as Praslin's most beautiful beach. While slightly different, it's the island's answer to Anse Source d'Argent on the amazing La Digue Island. Since Praslin is also a granitic island, you'll also find beautiful granite rock formations that are unique to the Seychelles.
However, unlike many of the beaches on La Digue, Anse Lazio is not protected by a row of coral reef. Instead, you'll find a deep drop-off into clear water with a sandy bottom.
How to Get to Anse Lazio
You are free to visit Anse Lazio beach any time and visiting is completely free. Getting here is quite easy as it's connected via the main coastal road which is sealed and quite well maintained. You can take a taxi or ride a bike or motorbike. However, just know that the hills leading up to Anse Lazio get super steep towards the end.
Additionally, there's a long descent down to the beach just before you arrive, so make sure you're prepared for the trip back up on the return!
If you're visiting Praslin and want to make the most of your time on the island, then one of the best option is to visit Anse Lazio as part of a combined day-trip to Vallée de Mai. This will save you money on transport and is honestly one of the best ways to spend a day on Praslin.
Book online in advance: Combined ticket on Get Your Guide
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Featured in: Praslin Island Travel Guide – 15 Best Things to do
Where is Anse Lazio?
Anse Lazio is located on the northwest coast of Praslin Island, the Seychelles. Of course, if you're planning a visit to this incredible beach, you'll first have to get to Praslin Island from the main island of Mahe.
You'll find Anse Lazio roughly 11 kilometers (7 miles) from the Baie Sainte Anne where Praslin's ferry port is. If you're staying on the popular Cote D'Or Beach, it's a shorter 8 kilometer distance (5 miles).
Below I've pinned the exact location of the beach to help you find it.
What to Expect at Anse Lazio
As soon as you arrive at Anse Lazio, you'll find a large car parking area in a semi-shaded area beside the restaurant. If you continue onto the beach, you'll find a long stretch of white sand and of course, some of that incredibly rich light-blue water you've undoubtedly seen on postcards already.
And that's because Anse Lazio on Praslin truly is a postcard scene. With sky-reaching palms, takamaka trees and gentle forested hills as a backdrop, it's difficult not to take a good photo of this incredible beach!
Continuing from the car park, there's plenty of beach on your right. However, I suggest taking the short trail down on your left which leads to some beautiful secluded beach sections hugged between jungle flora and large granite boulders.
There's also a small beach-bar hut on the way serving delicious fruits and drinks.
Tip: If you're planning to spend some time at Anse Lazio, I suggest either coming early or coming in the afternoon. That's because if you arrive at midday, chances are there won't be much space for you to find a secluded spot. Being rated one of the best beaches in the world, you can expect Anse Lazio to be very popular!
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Can you snorkel at Anse Lazio?
The water at Anse Lazio is quite clear, making it a good beach to snorkel at. However, don't expect to spot many corals as the bottom is mostly sand. If you're visiting Praslin and want to do some snorkeling, a good alternative is a snorkeling day trip out to St Pierre Islet and Curieuse Island. These are the two best snorkeling sites on Praslin.
Anse Lazio Restaurant
There's a big restaurant next to the parking area at Anse Lazio. However, when I visited it seemed to have closed. I'm not sure if this was due to the pandemic or if they were planning to reopen.
Additionally, there is a large construction project going on right on the beach. I spoke to a local Seychellois from Praslin and they told me that it is a new resort. He also wasn't too impressed with the fact that they got rights to build it right on the beach. I tend to agree with him and it seems that it has spoiled the untouched nature a little.
If you visit this beach and you find that the restaurant has opened, please let me know in the comments.
anse lazio to anse georgette trail
While Anse Lazio is officially Praslin's most beautiful and consequently, most popular beach, there is another amazing beach accessible via a nature trail from Anse Lazio. This trail begins at the west end of Anse Lazio and climbs a hill before dropping back down to Anse Georgette.
This hike is nothing dramatic but make sure to come prepared. I'd say it'd take most people roughly an hour to reach Anse Georgette from Anse Lazio at a leisurely pace. Just remember that it gets hot in the tropics and to bring some water with you for rehydration.
Once you arrive, the perfect backdrop more than makes up for the lost sweat. And, the crystal clear waters are the perfect reward to cool off!
Petite Anse Lazio
Yes, that's right. There's a tiny little secluded beach on the northern end of Anse Lazio. This is called Petite Anse Lazio. Getting here is a little difficult requiring a traverse through the jungle on unmarked trails.
Instead, I visited this beach as part of a quick stop on an island hopping trip to Curieuse Island (a must do!).
More Things to Know About Anse Lazio Beach
Below are some more things to know about visiting Anse Lazio Beach on Praslin Island, the Seychelles.
- You can't fly a drone at Anse Lazio - the beach is within the no-fly airport zone. My DJI drone didn't even let me take off. It's a real shame because those rock formations would look amazing from the air. I've seen a few drone shots at Anse Lazio and I'm assuming they flew their drone illegally– probably not a good idea.
- The stretch of beach is roughly 400 meters long. However, many tourists make their way here daily and it can still get very busy.
- At high tide, the water can get quite close to the shore.
- The currents and deep waters in the bay at Anse Lazio can make this a dangerous place to swim. It goes without saying but don't go in the water if you don't know how to swim and monitor the conditions even if you do.
When is the Best Time to Visit?
Since the Seychelles archipelago is within the subequatorial climatic zone, you'll find stable, sunny weather year-round. This means no cyclones but seasonal rainfall periods with a constant temperature range between 25-35°C.
The best time to visit the Seychelles to see world-class highlights like the beautiful Anse Lazio Beach is between April and May and October and November. In saying that, I visited in December and the weather was absolutely perfect as you can see from the photos.
Anse Lazio Hotel - Can You Stay in a Resort Near the Beach?
Besides the new construction project, there are a few places you can stay that are really close to the beach. This is a good choice if you're looking for a relaxing hotel option in one of Praslin's most scenic locations.
Below are the three Anse Lazio Hotel options to choose from:
- Anse Lazio Lodge (4-star, 9.4/10 reviews)
- Le Chevalier Bay Guesthouse (3 star, 8.7/10 reviews)
- Villa Manoir (3 star, 8.5/10 reviews)
More Recommended Places to Stay on Praslin
Praslin is the second largest of the inner islands and flaunts some incredible hotels and resorts. Being a little sleepier than Mahe, Praslin caters to the more relaxed crowd.
The main area to stay in Praslin is along Cote D'Or Beach. This is the main tourist strip with plenty of hotels and beachside resorts. However, there are also great resorts and accommodation options all over Praslin, including Anse Lazio.
- Amazing Beachside Resort on Cote D'Or: Acajou Beach Resort - Acajou is a beautiful resort offering 4-star accommodation right on the doorstep of the white sands of Cote D'Or. I had the pleasure of staying here and honestly, it was one of the best resorts I've ever stayed at. Acajou offers ocean views rooms, a swimming pool, and some of the best fine dining on the island.
- Luxury Honeymoon Suites: Constance Lemuria - Tucked away between 3 of the best beaches on Praslin, this luxury, 5-star resort is ranked as one of the best honeymoon resorts in the Seychelles. Attached is a luxury spa center complete with a hot tub and sauna set in a palm and bamboo forest.
- Budget Self Catering: Treasure Island Retreat - Those looking to enjoy nature and save a few pennies on accommodation and food, opting for a self-catering stay on Praslin is a good bet. The best one you'll find on the island is Treasure Island Retreat. This hotel offers seafront apartments on Anse Kerlan, each complete with king-sized beds and a fully-equipped kitchen, and a furnished terrace or balcony.
- ...7+ More Top Picks in this Praslin Accommodation Guide
More Photos from Anse Lazio
Before I sign off, here are some more photos that I hope you'll enjoy!
More Seychelles Travel Inspiration
I hope that you've enjoyed this travel guide to Anse Lazio on Praslin Island, the Seychelles and it has inspired you to visit this world-class tropical beach. For more travel guides and inspiration for your Seychelles trip, check out one or two of the guides below!