Curieuse Island

Curieuse is a small island in the Seychelles archipelago located a mile north of Praslin Island.

Earlier the island was called Ile Rouge (Ile Rouge in French means "red island") because of the color of its soil. In 1768, the island received its present name in honor of a schooner under the command of Marion-Dufresne who declared the territory a French possession. In 1771 sailors set fire to the island to facilitate the harvesting of palm fruit. Traces of the fire are still visible today. In 1827 the government of Mauritius arranged a leper colony on the island and until 1965 the inhabitants of Curieux were only doctors and the sick. In 1979 the island and coastal waters were included in the Curieuse Marine National Park.

In addition to the National Park Curiez is interesting for yachtsmen with its sheltered during the winter north-west monsoon anchorage in Laraie Bay.