Curieuse Island lies 1.5 kilometres north of Praslin, the only place in Seychelles where coco de mer palms grow wild beyond the Vallée de Mai. The island was a leper colony from 1829 to 1965, and the restored doctor's house now anchors a tortoise sanctuary hosting more than 300 Aldabra giants, some weighing 250 kilograms and exceeding a century in age. The marine park around Curieuse and the granite islet of St Pierre was gazetted in 1979 as part of Seychelles' founding marine conservation strategy, protecting shallow coral reefs that reach within two metres of the surface and shelter hawksbill turtles, parrotfish, and blacktip reef sharks. A Praslin Curieuse & St Pierre full day boat trip with lunch departs from Côte d'Or or Anse Volbert between 08:00 and 09:00, crossing the channel in fifteen minutes aboard a fibreglass catamaran or traditional schooner. The route threads through the sister islands of Praslin's northern archipelago, where granite boulders the size of houses rise from water so clear the anchor chain is visible at eight metres. St Pierre, a 400-square-metre granite outcrop crowned by a single takamaka tree, sits in the centre of a marine reserve where snorkelling permits close encounters with surgeonfish, angelfish, and the occasional octopus retreating into crevices at low tide. The reef here remains healthy because the park restricts boat moorings to fixed buoys and prohibits fishing within the 1.5-kilometre boundary. Curieuse itself covers 286 hectares, much of it mangrove forest that lines a tidal creek navigable by dinghy at high water. The ranger-led trail from Baie Laraie to Anse St José crosses the island in forty minutes, passing through takamaka woodland where Seychelles sunbirds feed on nectar and tortoises graze on fallen leaves. The conservation fee collected at the landing supports both the tortoise breeding programme and the restoration of native hardwood forests cleared during the colonial leprosy quarantine. The island's red laterite soil, stained by iron oxides, contrasts with the white coralline sand of the beaches, and the absence of vehicle access has left the interior trails silent except for the scrape of tortoise shells on rock. Operators include barbecue lunch in the standard itinerary, served on the beach at Anse St José under casuarina trees, with grilled fish, chicken, rice, and Creole salads prepared onboard during the morning snorkel stop. Departure times align with the marine park's opening hours of 08:00 to 17:00, and the conservation fee of 300 SCR per adult is charged separately at the ranger station. The crossing between islands can be rough when the southeast trade winds blow from May to September, and operators cancel departures when swells exceed one metre at the channel mouth.