Seychelles Unique by a Thousand Miles

Tweet

Seychelles is made up of 115 islands which falls under two groups, the granite and the low-lying coralline cays. The inner islands which are mostly granite lies around the principal islands of Mahe, Praslin and La Digue, forming the cultural and economic hub of Seychelles as well as the centre of its tourism industry. There are 43 inner islands in total - 41 granitic and 2 coralline. The outer islands comprises of 72 low-lying sand cays and atolls lying anywhere between 230km and 1150km from Mahe. They are less visited than their granitic cousins due to their relative remoteness. Seychelles can be described as a young nation. Its first settlement was in 1770 when the islands were settled by the French, the islands remained in French hands until it were ceded to the British in 1814. Seychelles achieved independence from Britain in 1976 and became a republic within the commonwealth. Seychelles is a living museum of national history and a sanctuary for some of the rarest species of flora and fauna on earth. With almost 50% of its landmass set aside as national parks and reserves. Nowhere else on earth will you find unique endemic species such as the fabulous coco-de-mer - the largest seed in the world, the Seychelles' Paradise Flycatcher and the Seychelles' warbler. Seychelles is also home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Aldabra - the world's largest raised coral atoll and Praslin's Vallee de Mai - once believed to be the original site of the Garden of Eden. From the smallest frog to the heaviest land tortoise and the only flightless bird of the Indian Ocean, Seychelles nurtures an amazing array of endemic species within surrounds of exceptional natural beauty