Located by a large bay with two mountain peaks on each side, adorned by white powder-fine sand and caressed by calm turquoise water, the half-kilometre long beach of Anse Lazio located on the northwest coast of the second most populated island of Seychelles, Praslin, is considered as a ‘must’ on the list of to-do’s for visitors to the Indian Ocean islands, off the coast of mainland Africa.
The beach was recently graded as the 6th best beach in the world by Tripadvisor, following similar recognition from travel website Lonely Planet and numerous other travel websites and magazines.
“I like this beach because it has the finest of sands and at midday you are protected by these gigantic bodamier and takamaka trees,” said a German tourist.
“I am a regular here. I take the bus to Anse Boudin at the earliest hour and before the sun gets too high I walk the half-hour climb and perch on the mountain overlooking the bay of Anse Lazio,” another tourist says.
“After descending and arriving on the beach, I tend to avoid the main beach and walk instead to the narrow paths on the left-hand side where there are other small bays. There I find solitude in Seychelles and it is also the best place for snorkelling, with good visibility and a high density of fish.”
The worldly-wise tourist added that Anse Lazio is one of the rare sites where snorkellers can regularly find sea turtles feeding in the shallow calmness of the bay.
By the middle of April to August, Anse Lazio is also a beautiful sight for the romantics with a spectacular sunset over neighbouring islands such as Aride and Ile aux Four.
The tidal pools of Anse Lazio are a great hit among children. Warmed by the sun, the water awaits the arrival of big, cool waves to replenish the shallow waters.
“Unlike Anse Source D’Argent [on La Digue] and Cote D’Or [also on Praslin], the water here is not too shallow. It has a slope to it and the waves are not as big as Grand Anse [on La Digue] or Anse Georgette [on Praslin],” adds Alwyn Talma, who has been living on a property adjacent to Anse Lazio for the past ten years.
If you are not convinced yet, head over to TripAdvisor’s Seychelles category to have a look at what other travellers have to say, as well as hotel and car rental deals on this beautiful island so you too can enjoy the world’s 6th best beach.
