Anse Matelot
Anse Matelot is an isolated cove on Praslin's north-east coast, east of Anse Gouvernement, lined with granite boulders and usually empty. Easiest by boat, about 10 minutes from Anse Volbert; nothing is mapped reaching the sand and the nearest bus stop is about 1.1 km away in a straight line. The water is fairly deep without a sharp drop-off, and seaweed is present all year.
Aerial location · zoom to explore
The beach
Anse Matelot is a short cove of about 200 m on Praslin's north-east coast, beyond Anse Gouvernement. Granite boulders line the sand, and SeyVillas describes it as empty at nearly all times because it is hard to reach. The OpenStreetMap contributor who last edited the beach, on 25 May 2018, gave it the English name "Anse Matelot (access by boat only)".
Getting there
SeyVillas recommends arriving by boat or canoe; it puts the cove about 10 minutes by boat from Anse Volbert. Its beach page describes the land route as dangerous, involving rock climbing, and advises against it unless you are an experienced climber with a guide. Its north-east Praslin page, by contrast, mentions a trail of about 15 minutes from the eastern edge of Anse Gouvernement. Given the conflict, take local advice before attempting the walk.
Nothing is mapped reaching the sand. The nearest mapped road of any kind ends about 371 m away in a straight line, and no footpath is drawn to the beach (OpenStreetMap, checked 20 September 2026). The nearest bus stop, L'Archipel Hotel, is about 1.1 km away in a straight line (node 9257945075, mapped 16 November 2021), on SPTC routes 61 and 62; SPTC publishes timetables for Mahé routes only, so confirm Praslin times locally, and the UK FCDO says most public buses do not run after 20:00 (updated 21 January 2026). Anse Gouvernement is about 250 m west and Anse Volbert about 630 m, both in a straight line.
Not in the marine park
Unlike the beaches west of here, Anse Matelot is outside the Curieuse Marine National Park. The park's 1979 designation order carries its boundary to a point on the Praslin mainland on the eastern coast of the Pointe Zanquilles promontory and then westwards along the coast; Anse Matelot lies about 2.8 km east of that point. The park's rules on taking shells, sand and marine life therefore do not apply here, although the Beach Control Regulations, which the regulations state apply to the beaches and inshore waters of the whole of Seychelles, do.
In the water
The water is fairly deep, but SeyVillas says there is no sharp drop-off, so it is safe for swimming, and it rates the cove good for snorkelling. Currents passing the bay leave seaweed on the sand throughout the year, and the tide changes quickly, so keep an eye on the water level: the Seychelles Meteorological Authority's tide table for September 2026 gives low waters of 0.4 m to 1.0 m and high waters of 1.0 m to 2.0 m. There is no lifeguard - Tourism Seychelles states that lifeguards are stationed at Beau Vallon, Anse Lazio and Côte d'Or only - and its Beach and Sea Safety Guide advises against swimming alone, particularly at isolated beaches, and suggests telling someone which beach you are going to. Regulation 5 of the Beach Control Regulations bars motor boats and water-skiing within 400 feet of the seashore except in a marked lane. St Pierre islet, which Tourism Seychelles' Beach and Sea Safety Guide names among Seychelles' snorkelling sites, is about 2.2 km away in a straight line.
Facilities
SeyVillas describes no facilities beyond some natural shade, and nothing is mapped at the cove - no toilets, no drinking water, no parking (OpenStreetMap, checked 20 September 2026). Bring what you need.
Best for
- Solitude, as the cove is usually empty (SeyVillas)
- Swimming and snorkelling from a boat trip (SeyVillas)
- Walkers who accept that nothing is mapped reaching the sand and that the nearest bus stop is about 1.1 km away in a straight line (OpenStreetMap, checked 20 September 2026)
Getting there
Best reached by boat or canoe, about 10 minutes from Anse Volbert (SeyVillas beach page). SeyVillas describes the land route as dangerous and involving rock climbing, advising only experienced climbers with a guide to attempt it; its north-east Praslin page mentions a trail of about 15 minutes from the eastern edge of Anse Gouvernement. Nothing is mapped reaching the sand: the nearest mapped road of any kind ends about 371 m away in a straight line and no footpath is drawn to the beach, and the nearest bus stop, L'Archipel Hotel on SPTC routes 61 and 62, is about 1.1 km away in a straight line (OpenStreetMap, checked 20 September 2026). Anse Gouvernement is about 250 m west and Anse Volbert about 630 m, both in a straight line.
Facilities
No facilities described, and nothing mapped at the cove - no toilets, no drinking water, no parking; natural shade only (SeyVillas; OpenStreetMap, checked 20 September 2026).
Swimming
Fairly deep water with no sharp drop-off, considered safe for swimming; the tide changes quickly; seaweed present all year because of passing currents (SeyVillas). The Seychelles Meteorological Authority's tide table for September 2026 gives low waters of 0.4 m to 1.0 m and high waters of 1.0 m to 2.0 m. There is no lifeguard: Tourism Seychelles' Beach and Sea Safety Guide, 2nd edition, states that lifeguards are stationed at Beau Vallon, Anse Lazio and Côte d'Or only, and it advises against swimming alone, particularly at isolated beaches, and suggests telling someone which beach you are going to. Regulation 5 of the Beach Control Regulations bars motor boats and water-skiing within 400 feet of the seashore except in a marked lane. The cove is outside the Curieuse Marine National Park: the 1979 designation order takes the park boundary only as far east as Pointe Zanquilles, about 2.8 km west of here.
Snorkelling
SeyVillas rates Anse Matelot good for snorkelling. The cove is outside the Curieuse Marine National Park, whose eastern limit on the Praslin mainland is Pointe Zanquilles, about 2.8 km west (Designation Order S.I. 55 of 1979). St Pierre islet, which Tourism Seychelles' Beach and Sea Safety Guide names among Seychelles' snorkelling sites, is about 2.2 km away in a straight line (OpenStreetMap, checked 20 September 2026).
Map of Anse Matelot
Beach
Anse Matelot
The 36 places on this map
- Acajou Beach Resort Place to stay
- Anse Gouvernement Beach
- Anse La Blague Beach
- Anse Matelot Beach
- Anse Volbert / Côte d'Or Beach
- Balcons Sur Mer Apartments Place to stay
- Berjaya Praslin Resort Place to stay
- Coco Bay Villa Place to stay
- Côte d'Or Footprints Place to stay
- Exotic Guest House Place to stay
- Fond B'Offay Lodge Place to stay
- Heliconia Grove Place to stay
- Hotel Côte d'Or Lodge Place to stay
- Hotel L'Archipel Place to stay
- Joan Eco Relais Place to stay
- L'Hirondelle Self Catering Guest House Place to stay
- LA Apartments Place to stay
- Le Duc de Praslin Place to stay
- Le Vasseur Eco Resort Place to stay
- Leo Self Catering Place to stay
- Les Lauriers Eco Hotel Place to stay
- Les Villas D'Or Place to stay
- Mango Lodge Place to stay
- Paradise Sun Hotel Place to stay
- Pirogue Lodge Place to stay
- Praslin Paradise Holiday Apartments Place to stay
- Sahaj Holiday Apartments Place to stay
- Saria Self Catering Place to stay
- Sky Blue Guest House Place to stay
- Treasure Villa Place to stay
- Villa Bananier Guest House Place to stay
- Villa Bedier Place to stay
- Villa Marthe Place to stay
- Village du Pêcheur Place to stay
- Vinc.Villa Place to stay
- Wyn Villas Place to stay
Praslin or La Digue for beaches?Every beach on Praslin and La DigueWhy the granite boulders are shaped like thisWhat lives on the reef here
Open stays with live Booking.com links near Anse Matelot
Distances are measured in a straight line from the beach; the walking or driving route may be longer.
Hotel L'Archipel
Hotel in Anse Gouvernement, Praslin
401 m straight-line from Anse Matelot
Hotel L'Archipel is a 32-room hotel at Anse Gouvernement, at the eastern end of Côte d'Or bay on Praslin's north-east coast, with a beach reserved for hotel guests. It has an infinity pool, two restaurants and a hillside garden, and offers in-room spa treatments instead of an on-site spa.
- Beachfront
- Luxury
- Families
- Pool
Hotel Côte d'Or Lodge
Hotel in Côte d'Or / Anse Volbert, Praslin
1.2 km straight-line from Anse Matelot
Hotel Côte d'Or Lodge is a hotel at Côte d'Or in Anse Volbert bay, Praslin, close to Anse Gouvernement. The booking agent SeyVillas lists rooms in four categories, a pool and a restaurant, and puts the beach about 50 m away.
Treasure Villa
Self-catering in Cap Samy / Marie-Jeanne, Praslin
1.2 km straight-line from Anse Matelot
Treasure Villa is a set of self-catering apartments at Cap Samy on Praslin, about 1 km from the Côte d'Or beaches, built around a pool with a slide, swim-up bar and barbecue area.
- Families
- Self-catering
- Pool
Villa Marthe
Self-catering in Marie-Jeanne Estate, Baie Sainte Anne, Praslin
1.3 km straight-line from Anse Matelot
A single self-catering unit for two people on the Marie-Jeanne Estate in the Baie Sainte Anne district on Praslin's east side. It has air conditioning, wifi, a full kitchen and daily maid service.
- Couples
- Self-catering
Vinc.Villa
Guesthouse in Côte d'Or (Marie-Jeanne Estate), Praslin
1.3 km straight-line from Anse Matelot
A two-room guesthouse on the Marie-Jeanne estate near Anse Volbert (Côte d'Or), Praslin, with king-size beds, free wifi, flexible check-out and help booking excursions.
- Families
- Self-catering
Leo Self Catering
Apartment in Marie Jeanne Estate, Baie Ste Anne, Praslin
1.4 km straight-line from Anse Matelot
Four self-catering apartments with a shared pool in the Marie Jeanne Estate at Baie Ste Anne, Praslin, about 2 km from the ferry jetty. SeyVillas lists a billiard table and table football, and gives beach distances of between about 500 m and 1 km.
- Couples
- Families
- Self-catering
- Pool
Les Villas D'Or
Self-catering in Anse Volbert (Côte d'Or), Praslin
1.4 km straight-line from Anse Matelot
Les Villas D'Or is a group of ten Seychellois family-owned self-catering villas in a garden by the sea on Anse Volbert, Côte d'Or, Praslin, with a pool, daily housekeeping and optional breakfast. Restaurants, shops and takeaways are a short walk away.
- Beachfront
- Families
- Self-catering
- Pool
Le Vasseur Eco Resort
Resort in Anse Takamaka, Praslin
1.5 km straight-line from Anse Matelot
Le Vasseur Eco Resort, formerly Iles des Palmes, is an eco resort of 18 Creole-style beach bungalows at Anse Takamaka, towards the eastern end of Praslin. It sits on an old plantation of more than 180 acres and has an adults' pool, a children's pool, kayaking and the La Buse restaurant.
- Self-catering
- Pool
Acajou Beach Resort
Resort in Côte d'Or / Anse Volbert, Praslin
1.6 km straight-line from Anse Matelot
Acajou Beach Resort is a four-star resort on Côte d'Or beach, Praslin, that describes itself as Praslin's green hotel. It says solar panels provide half its power, and it has garden and beachfront rooms, self-catering apartments, an infinity pool and a restaurant and bar.
- Beachfront
- Families
- Self-catering
- Pool
Wyn Villas
Villa in Anse La Blague, Praslin
1.7 km straight-line from Anse Matelot
A three-bedroom self-catering villa for up to six guests at Anse La Blague, on Praslin's quiet east coast. It has a barbecue area, the owners offer transfers and car hire, and the listing suggests walking out to Anse La Farine.
- Families
- Self-catering
Sky Blue Guest House
Self-catering in Côte d'Or, Praslin
1.8 km straight-line from Anse Matelot
Two self-catering apartments, each for up to four guests, in a garden in the Côte d'Or area of Praslin. The tourism board listing puts the beach about a five-minute walk away.
- Families
- Self-catering
Côte d'Or Footprints
Chalet in Côte d'Or / Anse Volbert, Praslin
1.8 km straight-line from Anse Matelot
Twelve family-owned, solar-powered self-catering chalets in a garden directly on Côte d'Or beach, Praslin, with a salt-water pool and a manager on site.
- Beachfront
- Luxury
- Families
- Self-catering
Questions
- How do I get to Anse Matelot?
- SeyVillas recommends a boat or canoe, about 10 minutes from Anse Volbert. It describes the land route as dangerous and suited only to experienced climbers with a guide.
- Is there seaweed at Anse Matelot?
- SeyVillas says seaweed is present on the sand all year because of the currents passing the bay.
- Is Anse Matelot in the Curieuse Marine National Park?
- No. The park's 1979 designation order carries its boundary to a point on the Praslin mainland on the eastern coast of the Pointe Zanquilles promontory and then westwards along the coast. Anse Matelot lies about 2.8 km east of that point, so the park's rules on taking shells, sand and marine life do not apply here. The Beach Control Regulations, which the regulations state apply to the beaches and inshore waters of the whole of Seychelles, do.
- Is there a lifeguard at Anse Matelot?
- No. Tourism Seychelles' Beach and Sea Safety Guide, 2nd edition, states that lifeguards are stationed at Beau Vallon on Mahé and Anse Lazio and Côte d'Or on Praslin only, and at no other beach. It advises against swimming alone, particularly at isolated beaches.
Sources
- Seychelles Public Transport Corporation timetablesOfficial website, checked 20 September 2026
- SeyVillas travel guide – Anse Matelot beach pageBooking site, checked 16 September 2026
- SeyVillas travel guide – The North-East of PraslinBooking site, checked 16 September 2026
- GOV.UK Foreign travel advice, Seychelles: Safety and securityGovernment, checked 20 September 2026
- Laws of Seychelles, Beach Control Act, Chapter 14 and subsidiary legislation, 1991 revised edition (Department of Environment) — regulation 5, 400 feetGovernment, checked 20 September 2026
- Seychelles Meteorological Authority – Tide Movement, September 2026 (SMA/OPS/FM/034)Government, checked 20 September 2026
- Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority – National Parks and Nature Conservancy Act (Cap. 141) subsidiary legislation, incl. National Parks (Curieuse Marine) (Designation) Order and Curieuse Marine National Park RegulationsGovernment, checked 20 September 2026
- Tourism Seychelles – Beach and Sea Safety Guide, 2nd edition (PDF, tourism.gov.sc)Government, checked 20 September 2026
- OpenStreetMap – Anse Matelot beach (way 301666958)Other, checked 16 September 2026
- OpenStreetMap: bus routes 61 and 62 to Mont Plaisir (relations 13449336, 13449330)Other, checked 20 September 2026
Details last verified 16 September 2026.