Earthly paradise, unique experience, unforgettable journey... When it comes to telling the story of the Seychelles, compliments rain down. And for good reason! From the plane's window, the spectacle is extraordinary. Of course, you can see immaculate white sand, turquoise water bordered by giant palm trees and rounded rock piles, but you can also easily see lush vegetation of an impenetrable green appearance... Because in the Seychelles, lovers of long walks and hikes will be able to enjoy themselves in an idyllic setting. Follow the guide.
Jurassic Park atmosphere
On the Mahé side, we will quickly rise to the top as we attack the Morne Seychellois National Park. On the program, a beautiful hike in a lush jungle for an arrival at an altitude of 906 meters. That's the highest point within... 1,600 km radius! And it is better not to have forgotten your camera, because the view is obviously breathtaking! Created in 1979, it covers 3,045 hectares and above all it twists the blow in the image of Épinal, which would make the Seychelles only a relaxing destination with its postcard beaches. With its primary forest that covers nearly 20% of the territory, you are immersed in an atmosphere worthy of Lost or Jurassic Park. While the park has nearly a dozen different itineraries, some excursions and hikes are unforgettable.
Also worth seeing is the Botanical Garden in Mont Fleuri for its large collection of palm trees, including the six endemic to the Seychelles: palm kernel, cable-stayed palm tree, latan tree, latan tree, fey latan tree, centipede latan tree and sea coconut tree. Many other species of exotic trees and plants, and many animals that feel at home, from blue pigeons to gecko to giant tortoises, have found refuge here. Finally, the King's Garden in Anse Royale offers a superb stroll. Around the old mansion, converted into a small museum (with a detailed map of the island in 1890), you can now freely stroll for an hour through a pleasant tropical garden with fragrant scents. No less than fifty varieties of trees and shrubs with magical names for some: patchouli, cardamom, nutmeg... From avocado to cocoa and pepper to cotton, a didactic plant mixture with centuries-old sea cocos (three females and two males)
The sanctuary of the famous sea coconut
But to really admire the star of Seychelles' nature, the famous sea coco, it is in Praslin, in the May Valley, that it happens. All botanists on the planet know this palm cathedral where the sea coconut tree has had fun imitating the human being, or more precisely his attributes. Some seven thousand coconut palms and these sea coconuts have taken up residence there and have become part of the legend. Justifying alone the classification of this exceptional forest as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. More than 50,000 tourists are caught up in this vault of foliage and tangled roots, vines, mosses, dead leaves and rocks every year. All you can hear is the murmur of the streams (the valley has seven springs) and the whistling of the black parrots, who come back to nest there after walking several miles around. Don't miss the ravine of the circular path, this grove comprising five of the six endemic palms of the Seychelles and three of the four species of vacoas found in the granitic islands. Here, one can imagine what the tropical world must have been like millions of years ago, when palm trees predominated and flowering trees, birds and mammals did not exist. Botany enthusiasts will be delighted. Especially since they will also be able to observe the mango tree, jackfruit, capuchin, pope's chalice, traveller's tree, breadfruit tree, albizzia, filao, hardwood, red wood and cocoa tree. But the most important thing is not to see, feel, listen and let yourself be enveloped by the protective vegetation of this fascinating and well named Palm Island! We emerge a little transported from these trails that it is better to discover early in the morning, before the groups of hikers come to disturb their serenity.
Less touristic to observe the famous sea coconut, the Ferdinand Bottom opened its doors in 2015 and offers a walk that leads to the heights of the island for an incredible view of the surroundings.
Finally, at La Digue, you can go for a walk in the "widow's reserve", a small forest and one of the last four places in the world where you can find the black flycatcher of paradise, a bird locally called "black widow".
Get the binoculars out!
But if a first trip to the Seychelles is often limited to the Mahé-Praslin-La Digue tierce, the archipelago harbours a good number of heavenly pebbles whose nature is just as breathtaking. Or even more... Near Praslin, you will have to dock on Cousin Island to admire its ornithological reserve of marine birds, between coconut turtledove, singing pie, frigate, black shoemaker and straw-tail, to name but a few. This charming kingdom of feathers also welcomes lizards, crabs, turtles.... Then, you can keep your binoculars close at hand to discover the 73 hectares of unspoilt nature on Île Aride. Here, more than a million seabirds lay eggs! Unless you opt for Bird to recharge your batteries with some three million feathered neighbours... over a square kilometre. Finally, a few minutes by boat from Praslin, Curieuse Island is the sanctuary of a hundred land turtles that roam near a mangrove rich in six varieties of mangroves at the mouth of the highly photogenic Laraie Bay. Beautiful days ahead! And the desire already to come back, to push further the discovery of these pieces of land with unaltered beauty...
Smart info
Useful. To prepare your stay in the Seychelles as well as possible.
OFFICE OF TOURISM OF SEYCHELLES - More information on the website
