Anse Volbert is the longest beach on Praslin Island and the main reason why most visitors choose this part of the Seychelles for their holiday. Stretched across 2.5 kilometres of the northern coast, it curves gently around the bay that locals call Côte d’Or, which translates to “Golden Coast” in French. The name fits: late afternoon light turns the sand a warm amber shade that photographs never quite capture.
Unlike some of Praslin’s more remote beaches, Anse Volbert has actual infrastructure around it. Restaurants, small shops, guesthouses, and a handful of resorts line the road behind the tree cover, all within a few minutes’ walk from the sand. That combination of a long, calm shoreline with everyday conveniences is exactly what sets this beach apart from quieter, harder to reach spots like Anse Georgette or Anse Lazio.
Whether you are planning a day trip from Mahé or spending a full week on Praslin, this beach will likely be your first stop and the place you keep coming back to. In the sections that follow, you will find everything from practical transport tips to the best snorkelling spots, so you can get the most out of your time at Côte d’Or.
What Makes Anse Volbert the Most Popular Beach on Praslin?
Most beaches on Praslin demand some trade-off. Anse Lazio has the looks but limited facilities and no nearby accommodation. Anse Georgette requires advance permission to access through a private resort. This beach skips all of that: a 2.5 km stretch of sand with calm water, a village right behind it, and a shoreline long enough that it rarely feels crowded even during peak season.
Where Exactly Is Anse Volbert Beach on Praslin Island?
The beach sits on the north-east coast of Praslin, roughly 4 kilometres from the ferry terminal at Baie Ste. Anne. As noted in U.S. News Travel, you can reach the beach by car, bus, or bike, and the drive from Baie Ste. Anne takes around 15 minutes. The bus also stops along the coastal road, so renting a vehicle isn’t strictly necessary. The beach wraps in a gentle crescent around a bay that faces north, with the small island of Chauve Souris sitting just offshore.
That positioning matters more than you’d think. Offshore reefs and the island itself shelter the bay from stronger currents, which keeps the water calm and shallow for most of the year. For families with younger children, that’s a genuine advantage over more exposed beaches on Praslin’s western side.
Why Is Anse Volbert Also Called Côte d’Or?
You’ll see both names used interchangeably on maps, hotel listings, and road signs across Praslin. Côte d’Or is French for “Golden Coast,” and the name refers to the way the sand shifts colour under low sunlight, especially in late afternoon and early evening. When the sun drops closer to the horizon, the normally white sand picks up a warm, golden tone that extends across the full length of the bay.
It’s worth pointing out that the two names don’t describe exactly the same thing. Technically, Côte d’Or refers to the broader coastal area and its small commercial district, while Anse Volbert is the beach itself. In practice, though, the distinction rarely matters. Locals, hotels, and taxi drivers all understand both names, so use whichever one comes to mind.
What Can You Do at Anse Volbert Beach on Praslin?
One of the reasons this beach draws more visitors than any other on Praslin is that there’s genuinely something to do here beyond lying on a towel. The calm, shallow water opens up a range of activities for all ages, and the village behind the beach covers everything from Creole restaurants to small grocery shops.
Swimming, Snorkeling, and Water Activities
The water at Anse Volbert stays shallow and warm well beyond the shoreline, with no strong currents and no sharp reef edges underfoot. For families with small children, that alone is a strong enough reason to spend the day here. Snorkeling is best in the area between the beach and Chauve Souris, the small island roughly 200 metres offshore. According to Snorkeling Report, the seabed is mostly seagrass and sand, with granite boulders near the island sheltering parrotfish, butterflyfish, and red-knobbed starfish.
Immature hawksbill sea turtles also feed on the seagrass in the shallows. For something more structured, two PADI-certified dive centres operate directly from this beach, offering guided dives, courses, and private boat charters to sites around Curieuse Island and St. Pierre.
One practical note: unlicensed vendors do approach visitors along the sand offering tours, so stick with operators who can show official accreditation.
Where to Eat and Shop Near Anse Volbert
You won’t go hungry at Côte d’Or. The village that runs parallel to this beach has a solid mix of restaurants, takeaway spots, and small shops. Most places serve Creole cuisine built around fresh fish, coconut curries, and grilled seafood, but there’s enough variety to keep things interesting over several days.
The area’s top-rated spot is Café des Arts, which sits directly on the sand and blends Creole, Mediterranean, and Asian influences with a focus on seafood. Pirogue Restaurant and Bar, also on the Côte d’Or strip, is a more relaxed option with solid Creole plates and occasional live music. Beyond restaurants, you’ll find small supermarkets, a bank with an ATM, and several souvenir shops along the main road.
Worth noting: prices along the Côte d’Or strip run higher than in less touristy parts of the island, so if you’re self-catering, stock up in Baie Ste. Anne before heading to the beach.
How to Get to Anse Volbert Praslin
Getting to Anse Volbert is more straightforward than most people expect. Whether you fly or take the ferry, the whole journey from Mahé to the beach itself takes under two hours, and the connections are frequent enough that you won’t need to plan your entire day around a single departure.
From Mahé to Praslin – Ferry and Flights
Most visitors to the Seychelles start on Mahé, the main island and home to the only international airport. It’s also where the bulk of accommodation, restaurants, and tours are concentrated, which is why many travellers choose to base themselves here and visit Praslin as part of a broader itinerary. If you’re looking for a practical starting point on Mahé, STORY Seychelles on Beau Vallon sits within easy reach of both the airport and the Victoria ferry terminal, which makes day trips or multi-day excursions to Praslin easy to organise.
From Mahé, you have two options. Air Seychelles runs around 20 domestic flights per day between Mahé and Praslin, and the flight takes just 15 minutes. It’s the fastest and most reliable option, especially during the south-east monsoon season (May to October) when seas can get rough. The alternative is the Cat Cocos high-speed catamaran, which departs from the Inter Island Quay in Victoria up to three times daily. The crossing takes around 75 minutes and arrives at Baie Ste. Anne on Praslin’s eastern coast. Ferries do book out during peak season, so reserving your tickets in advance is a good idea.
Getting Around Praslin to the Beach
Once you’re on Praslin, reaching Anse Volbert is simple. From the ferry terminal at Baie Ste. Anne, the beach is about 4 kilometres north, roughly a 15 minute drive. Taxis are available at both the ferry jetty and the airport, though it’s worth agreeing on a fare before you get in.
If you’d rather not depend on taxis, Praslin has a bus service that runs along the coastal road and stops near the Côte d’Or area. It’s affordable and runs regularly during the day, but service thins out in the late afternoon, so plan your return accordingly. Renting a car or bicycle is another solid option, especially if you plan to explore other beaches like Anse Lazio or Anse Georgette during your stay on the island.
Day Trips from Côte d’Or – Curieuse Island and Chauve Souris
Anse Volbert is also the main departure point for boat trips to two of Praslin’s most popular nearby spots, both reachable in under half an hour. Curieuse Island sits just one kilometre north of Praslin, and the boat ride from the Côte d’Or shoreline takes around 20 minutes. The main draw: hundreds of free-roaming Aldabra giant tortoises across the island’s beaches and grasslands. A boardwalk trail of about 1.5 kilometres leads through mangrove forest to Anse St. José, where you’ll find the restored Doctor’s House, a small museum from the island’s days as a 19th-century leper colony.
Keep in mind that Curieuse is a marine national park, so a landing fee applies and must be paid on arrival. Most full-day tours combine the island with a snorkeling stop at St. Pierre, a granite islet with clear water and solid reef fish diversity.
Closer to shore, Chauve Souris, the small island sitting just off the main bay, is reachable on foot at low tide. It’s a good snorkeling spot on its own, with granite boulders and marine life just metres out, and it doesn’t require a tour or a boat booking.
When Is the Best Time to Visit Anse Volbert Seychelles?
Temperatures in the Seychelles stay between 24°C and 31°C year-round, so there is no bad season as such. That said, the trade winds do affect conditions at Anse Volbert more than you might expect.
The transition months of April, May, October, and November are generally the best window. As noted by Expert Africa, these periods fall between the two monsoon cycles, bringing calmer seas, lighter winds, and underwater visibility that can reach 30 metres. The north-west monsoon from December to March tends to push seaweed onto the Côte d’Or shoreline, a natural occurrence that can make the beach less appealing for a few weeks at a time.
The south-east trade winds from May to September keep this stretch of beach relatively clear but bring rougher conditions to Praslin’s southern coast. If you’re planning around beach quality specifically, we’d suggest aiming for April or October when the water is at its calmest and clearest.
Plan Your Visit to Anse Volbert – Praslin’s Best All-Round Beach
Now that you have the full picture, the decision is mostly about timing. Hit April or October for the clearest water, book your Cat Cocos tickets early if you’re coming from Mahé, and don’t skip the 20-minute boat ride to Curieuse for the tortoises. Everything else, from finding lunch at Café des Arts to walking across to Chauve Souris at low tide, you’ll figure out with your feet in the sand.
What makes this beach worth the trip isn’t any single thing. It’s the fact that you can snorkel before breakfast, eat grilled fish for lunch three metres from the water, and still have time to catch a boat to St. Pierre in the afternoon, all without moving more than a few hundred metres along the same stretch of coast. That’s the real draw of Anse Volbert.
