Anse Royale: Le Jardin du Roi

Le Jardin du Roi gives Anse Royale a distinctive character: the spice garden is nestled in the hills and overlooks Anse Royale Beach. At the same time, it traces its roots to the district’s original spice garden. For your trip planning, it is a specific point of interest if landscapes, Creole culture, and nature are among your interests. The garden, museum, wildlife, and cuisine each reveal a different side of the same place.

A historic spice garden

Jardin du Roi was established around 1779 as a spice garden during the French colonial period. A fire destroyed it; the site was later redesigned as a place for recreation and discovery. Its history thus links its original use as a spice garden with its later redesign.

The Creole house at the entrance

At the entrance to Jardin du Roi, an old Creole house serves as a museum. It displays old photographs and household items and appliances from the past. The pictures and objects explore domestic life in earlier times and add a cultural and historical perspective to the garden. This adds a distinct focus to the plants and the garden itself.

A walk among plants and animals

You can easily allow half a day for a visit to Jardin du Roi. The walk takes you through a sugar cane plantation, with spices such as cinnamon, pepper, and nutmeg along the way. There are aviaries housing hundreds of birds beside the path, and the garden includes a park for giant tortoises. Plants and animals are just as much at the heart of the experience as the history of the spice garden. The time estimate helps you plan Jardin du Roi as a separate activity rather than treating it as just a quick look at the spices.

Creole cuisine adds another highlight

In addition to the museum, a restaurant may serve lunch with a typically Creole menu and other dishes. Crêpes with fruit and spices from the Domaine are also among the foods associated with Jardin du Roi. If the restaurant is important to your day’s plans, check in advance what is currently on offer.

In the wider destination of Seychelles

Those looking beyond Anse Royale to the wider destination of Seychelles will find other distinct nature and culture experiences. On Curieuse in Seychelles, a raised boardwalk leads through the mangrove swamp at Baie Laraie and provides access to the mangrove habitat even at high tide. Curieuse in Seychelles was used as a quarantine site for people with leprosy for almost a hundred years. The landscape and history offer different perspectives on the same island.

On Praslin in Seychelles is the 19.5-hectare Vallée de Mai, one of the world’s smallest natural UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is also the only area in Seychelles where all six species occur together. On La Digue in Seychelles, the Veuve Special Reserve covers 21 hectares and forms part of a 200-hectare plateau on the western side of the island. Reserve staff answer questions and help visitors find the birds. On Moyenne Island in Seychelles, the Ste. Anne Marine National Park contains the remains of early settlers’ houses, pirates’ graves, and a small thatched chapel. The marine parks in Seychelles can be reached by boat; Port-Launay is also accessible on foot.

Discover more destinations: Anse Etoile, Les Mamelles, Mont Fleuri, Pointe La Rue, Plaisance, Mont Buxton, La Digue And Inner Islands, Grand Anse Mahe

View the broader travel guide: Seychelles.