The island of Praslin is the second largest island of the Seychelles. It is located at 44 kilometers from Mahé and is divided into two districts: Grand’Anse and Baie Sainte-Anne. It has a population of more than 6500 inhabitants.
The island is known for its ecological reserve, the Vallée de Mai, which was classified as a world heritage site. The Vallée de Mai is well-known for being one of the largest forests of coco-de-mer palm trees, an endemic species than cannot be found outside the Seychelles.
Apart from the coco-de-mer known as the Lodoicea Maldivica, five other endemic species of palm trees can also be found there such as the Deckenia Nobilis, the Phoenicophorium borsigianum, the Verschaffeltia splendid, the latanier millepattes (Nephrosperma vanhoutteanum) and the Roscheria melanochaetes.
The forest of the Vallée de Mai is home to several animal species such as the Seychelles kestrel, black parrot (Coracopsis nigra barklyi), bronze geckos, blue pigeons, sunbirds, swifts, endemic skinks, Pamelaescinus Gardineri, chameleons, day geckos, caecilians, frogs, freshwater fish and many invertebrates, among others.
Among the popular beaches of the island of Praslin you will find: Côte d’Or which can be found in the East, Anse Georgette which can be found in the North-West, Anse Volbert which can be found in the East and Anse Lazio which is known worldwide for its pink granite rocks and which can be found in the Northwest.
The other beaches of the island of Praslin are Anse Petite Cour, Anse Possession, Anse Takamaka No. 1, 2 and No. 3, Anse Cimitière Praslin, Anse Boudin, Anse Kerlan, Anse Cirton and Anse Batau, Anse Bois de Rose, Anse Madge, Anse Saint Sauveur, Anse Consolation and Anse Marie-Louise, among others.
Around the island of Praslin you will find several little islands all round the main island. These are: Curieuse in the North, Cousin and Cousine in the South-West, Ile Ronde in the Bay of Sainte-Anne, Félicité, Petite Soeur, Grande Soeur, Aride, Marianne and La Digue.
