Curieuse Island: A Tiny Granitic Island In The Seychelles
Beach tickles, Curious Marine National Park It is on a small island called Curieuse Island. Granite Island covers 1.13 square miles (2.9 km2) in the Seychelles and is located close to the northern coast of Praslin Island. Curieuse Island can only pique your curiosity as it surprises you with the wonderful sight of beautifully bare red earth lined with lined coco de mer palms, the rarest of the rare sea coconuts native to the geography, which only Found in Seychelles. The whole wide world. The coco de mer palm is also one of the most famous cultural symbols of Seychelles. These palms grow only on two neighboring islands.
About Curieuse Marine National Park
A visit to the small island of Curieuse Marine National Park will add a much-needed hint of nature and wildlife to your Seychelles holiday. Here are the things you should know about the place before going there.
History of Curieuse Island
It was originally named “Ile Rouge” because of its bright red soil. In 1768 the French took over the land and claimed the island. He named it after the schooner “La Curies”, a ship under the command of the famous explorer Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne. This location and geography is famous for its native giant tortoise population which soon became extinct.
Then came 1771 when sailors with good intentions set fire to the island to help harvest coco de mer nuts. But the fire was a disaster and completely destroyed much of the islands’ native vegetation. What is even more shocking is that even today, after about 250 years, marks of fire are visible at many places. During 1829, Curieuse Island emerged as a leper colony and continued to function until 1965. This had a positive impact on the planet’s ecosystem and protected it from human influence.
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Best time to visit Curieuse Island
Curieuse Island is blessed with warm comfortable weather throughout the year. The average temperature remains around 80. But the best time to plan a trip to Curieuse Island is around spring through autumn. You can easily avoid the huge crowd of tourists visiting the island during the months of December, January, July and August.
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How to reach Curieuse Island?
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by plane: Fly into Seychelles International Airport on Mahe Island. The distance from the airport to the island is 49.2 km.
by boat: Board a ferry to reach Curieuse Island. Visitors are prohibited from setting foot on the island in order to preserve the island’s ecosystem, its flora and fauna. Tour operators usually take visitors to the islands of Cousins, Cousins and Curies in one day. A guided tour of Cousin Island usually lasts about 90 minutes.
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Flora and Fauna of Curieuse Island
The rich soils and warm climate of the Curieuse Marine National Park are perfect for a diverse diversity of flora and fauna. The most famous of these are the Coco de Mer palms and the incredibly giant tortoises.
Flora: Coco de Mer Palms
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Home to various species of flora, it is famous for its coco de mer. You can also explore mangrove forests. The island also has a so-called coral garden (Pointe Rouge) on the eastern coast of Curios. Most of the plant species found on the island are native and endemic to Curieuse. These include Porcher (Cordia subcordata), Bois Chandel (Dracaena), and Lalianne Dyle (Secemon schimperiana), Bava Bannan (Gastonia sechellarum) and Bois Cassant de Bord Mer (Guettarda speciosa).
watch out for: Coco de Mer, Mangrove
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Fauna: Giant Tortoise Sanctuary
The clear waters of the beach are inhabited by parrot fishes and if you are a nature lover then you can definitely spot sea snails, skinks, geckos and birds that inhabit the rich marine life. But above all, what you cannot ignore in the Curieuse Marine National Park is the huge population of giant tortoises on the island. You will most likely find another rare species that frequents the island, it is called the Seychelles black parrot, Coracopsis nigra barkleyi, this is a special species of parrot found only here.
watch out for: free-roaming giant tortoises
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Highlights of Curieuse Island
- The second and only natural forest of Coco de Mer palms: Curieuse Island is the only island with a unique natural forest of Coco de Mer.
- The island where Aldabra giant land tortoises roam freely: Curieuse Island is home to more than 300 Aldabra giant tortoises, which roam freely around the island.
- A former leper colony: The island was a leper colony in 1829 and it remained so until 1965.
- A Coral Restoration Marine Park: The Curies Islands and its surrounding waters were declared the Curies Marine National Park in 1979.
- Endemic Species: Home to many endemic species, the island is inhabited by a variety of marine life and flora.
- Interesting nature trails and hikes: Explore a little hiking, following nature paths, to feel the core of Curieuse Island. You can hike from Baie Laraie to Anse Saint-José on the other side.
- Beautiful rock formations: huge granite rocks are one of a kind
- One of the most spectacular views of the Seychelles: from Mont Caiman, you can have a 360 degree view of the silhouette, Île du Nord, Île au Foix, Île Aride, Denis, Grande Sour, Petit Sour, Île Round, Saint Pierre and above. To Point Chevalier in Praslin.
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Are you ready to explore the vibrant marine wildlife of Curieuse Marine National Park? Rest assured that there is a completely different world waiting for you out there. So what are you waiting for? Plan a trip to Seychelles right away and head to the Curieuse Marine National Park for a wild and crazy vacation.
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