Accommodation in this Area

At a Glance

Area Description

Praslin lies 44 km north east of Mahe and is the second largest island of the Seychelles at 38 km² with a population of just 6,500 people. It is comprised of two administrative districts; Baie Sainte Anne and Grand' Anse. Praslin is an island with a rich history and fascinating legends , it was first named Isle de Palmes by explorer Lazare Picault in 1744. During this time it was used as a hideaway by pirates and Arab merchants. In 1768 it was renamed Praslin in honor of French diplomat César Gabriel de Choiseul, duc de Praslin. Praslin is accessible by boat in two hours or arrive at Praslin’s own airport in just 15 minutes.

Praslin is a special island for many reasons; in its limited space it has richness and variety. Throughout Praslin you will find huge, fantastically shaped rocks, which look like vast Henry Moore sculptures. Inland, the island is virtually virgin forest, featuring the exquisitely beautiful Vallée de Mai, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984, is the home of the unique coco de mer and vanilla orchids. Coco-de-mer palms are extremely rare, they produce the world's largest nuts—they can weigh as much as 40 lb./18 kg. The nuts got their name—"fruit of the sea"—hundreds of years ago when they washed up on the islands. This strange object was much prized over past centuries; philosophers believed it was the fruit of the tree of knowledge, and that it grew under the sea, on account of the fact that it floated as far as the Maldive islands. Coco-de-mer were thought of as an aphrodisiac as when its outer shell is removed, the nut looks amazingly like a woman's pelvis, both fore and aft, which explains the nut's status as collector's item (The "male" part of the tree looks appropriately phallic, leading to predictable iconography to signify ladies' and mens' restrooms).

It has been reported that General Charles George Gordon of Khartoum (1833-1885) was convinced that Vallee de Mai was the Biblical "Garden of Eden". The Vallee de Mai is also home to some of the world's rarest birds and species of lizards, such as the black parrot, fruit pigeon and Seychelles bulbul. A self-guided stroll around the Vallee de Mai which is located in the south-central part of the island will take least two hours (it can take a full half-day if you walk every trail).

Some of the most striking beaches of the archipelago are found on Praslin including the widely acclaimed Anse Lazio. The sea offers a breathtaking spectacle of about 900 species of brightly coloured fish swimming among six to eight thousand years old coral reefs and sea shells, providing an excellent place to snorkel and dive. Praslin is also the ideal place from which to visit many of the islands. Please see Things to See and Places to Go for further information on this.

Resorts In Luxury in association with Ski In Luxury