Vallée de Mai: Visitor and Heritage Guide

What it is

The Vallée de Mai sits on the granitic island of Praslin and is a 19.5 hectare area of palm forest that UNESCO describes as remaining largely unchanged since prehistoric times. It is small. You can walk it in a couple of hours, and that is the point: almost nothing else like it survives.

The coco-de-mer

Dominating the forest is the world's largest population of endemic coco-de-mer, which UNESCO calls a flagship species of global significance as the bearer of the largest seed in the plant kingdom. The palms are tall, the fronds are enormous, and the seed is the distinctive double nut that became the emblem of the country.

Five other endemic palms grow here alongside it, with many endemic animals. The forest is also the stronghold of the black parrot, the national bird.

Why UNESCO inscribed it

Under criterion (vii), for a scenic mature palm forest whose natural formations have aesthetic appeal, dappled sunlight and a spectrum of green, red and brown fronds, and whose near-natural state is of interest even to visitors who know nothing of its ecology.

Under criterion (viii), as an outstanding example of an earlier and major stage in the evolutionary history of the world's flora, shaped by processes that took place millions of years ago and dominated to this day by its endemic palms.

Visiting

• Go early. The light through the fronds is the thing people remember, the forest is quietest before the day trips arrive from Mahé, and it is cooler.
• Allow two to three hours. The marked paths are short but you will stop constantly.
• Take the guided option if it is offered. Much of what is remarkable here is not obvious, and a guide is the difference between a pleasant walk and understanding what you are looking at.
• The paths are earth and granite and are slippery after rain, which is most likely during the northwest monsoon. Wear shoes with grip. See Seychelles Packing List.
• It is inland, so plan the transport rather than assuming a walk from the coast. See Getting Around Seychelles.

⚠ Taking a coco-de-mer home

The nut is a protected species. A lawfully exported one comes with an official permit and certificate, bought from a licensed vendor, and you should expect to declare it. Do not buy one without that paperwork, and do not pick anything up from the forest floor. See Seychelles Food Guide for the rest of that rule.

The other one

Seychelles has two World Heritage properties. The second is Aldabra Atoll, and unlike this one it is not somewhere you can simply decide to go: every visitor requires prior authorisation from the Seychelles Islands Foundation and must be accompanied by an SIF staff member at all times.

Sources

• UNESCO World Heritage Centre: the inscription of the Vallée de Mai, 19.5 hectares of palm forest on Praslin holding the world's largest population of endemic coco-de-mer. Accessed 14 September 2026.
• UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Seychelles's State Party record and its two inscribed properties. Accessed 14 September 2026.
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Seychelles safety and security: opportunistic crime, the drug law and its penalties, the coast-by-season swimming rules, rip currents at Beau Vallon and the shortage of lifeguards. Accessed 14 September 2026.