Mont Fleuri: Gardens and heritage history

Mont Fleuri can be explored through two distinct themes: heritage history and experiences in nature. One cultural landmark is Le Palmes Theatre, which is among the national monuments of the Seychelles and is associated with Mont Fleuri. The Botanical Garden is listed as a national monument of the Seychelles and is associated with Mont Fleuri. At the National Botanical Garden, visitors can feed giant tortoises. Mont Fleuri therefore brings heritage history and a tangible experience of nature together.

Local points of reference for planning your trip

Victoria Hospital is located in Mont Fleuri and serves as a practical point of reference for finding your way around. When looking for a holiday apartment, the main theme may be important: would you like to focus more on heritage history or on experiencing nature in the Botanical Garden? This consideration can help you decide what kind of stay you are looking for. You can then choose Mont Fleuri based on the interests you want to shape your trip.

Other nature and history themes in the Seychelles

Looking beyond Mont Fleuri when considering the Seychelles as a destination, you will find different nature and history themes on other islands as well. The Seychelles’ marine parks can be reached by boat; Port-Launay can also be reached on foot. On Curieuse, a mangrove swamp borders Baie Laraie. A boardwalk on stilts passes through the swamp, allowing access to the mangrove habitat even at high tide. Curieuse was used for almost a hundred years as a quarantine site for people with leprosy. Curieuse thus brings together a specific mangrove habitat and a chapter in the island’s history.

Moyenne Island, in Ste. Anne Marine National Park, is home to the remains of early settlers’ houses, pirates’ graves and a small thatched chapel. Ste. Anne Marine Park comprises six islands. On La Digue, Veuve Special Reserve forms part of a 200-hectare plateau on the western side of the island; the reserve itself covers 21 hectares. Reserve staff answer questions and help visitors find the birds. Moyenne brings historical remains into focus, while the information provided at Veuve Special Reserve helps visitors look for birds.

Praslin is home to the 19.5-hectare Vallée de Mai, one of the world’s smallest natural UNESCO World Heritage sites. At the same time, Vallée de Mai on Praslin is the only place in the Seychelles where all six species occur together. There are several short paths in Praslin National Park; Glacis Noire is the only official trail. The park is a habitat for endemic, native and indigenous plants, as well as various insects and other animals, including the Black Parrot, which is found only on Praslin and the surrounding islets. Praslin therefore combines a World Heritage site with trails and a distinctive habitat.

A different scale defines Aldabra. The Seychelles’ largest island is an atoll measuring 35 by 15 kilometres. Aldabra covers around 155 square kilometres of land; the protected area covers a total of 2,559 square kilometres, including the lagoon and the terrestrial and marine protected areas. In 1982, Aldabra was inscribed as a UNESCO Marine World Heritage Site. Compared with the hectare figures for Vallée de Mai and Veuve Special Reserve, this illustrates the wide range of landscape and protected-area sizes in the Seychelles.

Discover more destinations: Mont Fleuri, Victoria, Au Cap, English River, Saint Louis, Grand Anse Praslin, Outer Islands, Port Glaud.

For the overview of the Seychelles: Seychelles.