Just 8 km north of Praslin, these 73 hectares of unspoilt nature are a precious heritage where more seabirds lay their eggs than on the 31 other granite islands combined: around a million individuals at the time of laying, eleven species of seabirds and eight land birds enjoy this paradise for the winged gentry, without cats or rats. Only five islands in the entire archipelago enjoy the same privilege (Frégate, Cousin, Cousine, Bird and Denis). Terns are the most numerous, but fouquets, peacocks, warblers and frigate birds also nest in this Eden, where small island blackbirds, moorhens, Seychelles warblers and even the rare song magpie still flit about. Countless millipedes and lizards also live happily here, not even frightened by the rare visitors, who are always well-intentioned, nor by the nesting birds, which can be approached at close quarters. How many unofficial tête-à-têtes during the tough climb to the glacis near the summit (134 metres). A rewarding climb, because from up there, what a feeling of freedom and purity! From these steep rocks, you literally plunge into the intense blue sea, with Ile Denis in the distance. Discovered in 1756 by Nicolas Morphey, and only colonized in 1852, coconut plantations having soon replaced the forests, Aride may appear steep, with its imposing cliffs, but it is by no means a desert. On the contrary, the botanical richness of its wooded hills is all the more noteworthy as it is now the only place on the planet where the magnificent Wright's gardenias grow (the famous lemon wood), whose white flowers exude a fragrance reminiscent of the mimosa.The island is surrounded by a coral reef that makes it difficult to access. Visits by boat are only organized at certain times of the year (generally from October to April, weekends by appointment). As a result, tour boats have to drop anchor off the coast, with dinghies providing a sometimes bumpy ride to the end. Once they've paid the landing fee (SR 650 per adult and SR 300 per child), travellers can take the two- to three-hour guided tour, which wanders around the lowlands and in particular around the old garden, next to a huge banyan tree with giant tentacles. To reach the heights of this island, which is 1,500 metres long and 600 metres wide, you'll need to follow in the footsteps of a guide, who will help you make sense of the island.A natural island where pirate treasure has yet to be discovered! A former owner dynamited huge boulders in vain, hoping to lay his hands on the fabulous booty thanks to strange signs engraved in the stone. A skeleton buried in a sitting position and discovered some time earlier had obviously stimulated the imagination. Unfortunately... Treasure or not, the most northerly of the Seychelles granite islands is in any case a pure jewel of nature. Today, Christopher Cadbury's son, James, watches over this sanctuary. "A very simple man who comes twice a year. Not proud, he eats and drinks with the staff, and sleeps rough too", assures one of the three guides, as the island has five other employees and the curator. In short, an island of character where only two thousand visitors disembark each year, most of them from Praslin, some 10 km further south. This is where a number of tour operators and agencies offer day trips to this unique reserve. So don't miss this opportunity to discover this precious land, where you can only disembark by canoe, and disembarkation is even impossible on days of heavy swell, between May and September.

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Au sommet de l'île Aride. Barbara & Hartmut  - Office du tourisme des Seychelles
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