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Palms from Paradise Island
Praslin, the second largest Seychelles island, lies 40 km northwest
of Mahé and was named the Island of Palms by the first
recorded visitor, Lazare Picault, in 1744.
Measuring just 38 square kilometres in area and containing some 5,000
inhabitants, Praslin is many people's idea of paradise. The
coastline is scattered with large rocks and surrounded by
coral reefs teeming with life, while the interior is mainly
untouched forest. On the west coast of Praslin is one of the
world's most beautiful beaches, Anse Lazio.
Praslin contains three of the world's rarest birds as well as the
Vallée de Mai National Park, a Unesco National Heritage
site since 1984. The national park is home to the Coco de
Mer, an extraordinary and much prized palm tree whose fruit
– a double coconut in the shape of a female pelvis –
features in many Indian Ocean and even European legends.
An airstrip on the northwest coast provides access from Mahé
in just 15 minutes, while a boat trip will take 60 minutes.
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