La Digue and Inner Islands: Nature and Island Experiences

The Veuve Special Reserve gives La Digue a distinct natural highlight. Visitors can follow the nature trail and watch birds, including the Seychelles Black Paradise Flycatcher. A visitor exhibition in the reserve focuses on flycatchers and the environment of the Seychelles. This offers two different ways to explore the subject: observing birds outdoors and learning about flycatchers and their environment in the exhibition. When planning your trip to La Digue, you can choose to visit the site based on your interest in birdlife and nature.

The Veuve Special Reserve and its landscape

The reserve lies on the western side of La Digue and covers 21 hectares. It is also part of a 200-hectare plateau. The two figures refer to different geographical units: 21 hectares describes the Veuve Special Reserve, while 200 hectares describes the plateau. This allows you to view the natural site at two scales: as a reserve in its own right and as part of the larger plateau.

The nature trail and birdwatching give the visit a specific focus; the exhibition complements this with information about the environment of the Seychelles. Those particularly interested in birds will find the Seychelles Black Paradise Flycatcher specifically named as a species to look out for. The exhibition, on the other hand, focuses on flycatchers and their environment. Both highlights are part of the Veuve Special Reserve on La Digue.

Explore La Digue by bicycle

There is another way to get your bearings on the island: La Digue can be explored by bicycle, and a road runs across about three quarters of the island. These details describe the island as a whole and are on a different scale from the 21 hectares of the Veuve Special Reserve. When planning, you can therefore distinguish between the nature trail and exploring La Digue more broadly by bicycle.

More nature and history across the Seychelles

The wider setting of the Seychelles includes other sites on specific islands. On Curieuse, a mangrove swamp borders Baie Laraie. A raised boardwalk runs through the swamp and provides access to the mangrove habitat even at high tide. Curieuse also has a historical dimension: the island was used as a quarantine site for people with leprosy for almost a hundred years. The landscape and the island’s past use offer different ways to learn about the place.

On Praslin, plants and wildlife take centre stage. Praslin National Park is home to endemic, indigenous and native plants, as well as various insects and other animals. These include the Black Parrot, which is found only on Praslin and the surrounding islets. The park has several short paths; Glacis Noire is its only official trail. Also on Praslin is the 19.5-hectare Vallée de Mai. It is one of the smallest natural UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world and the only area in the Seychelles where all six species occur together.

Ste. Anne Marine Park comprises six islands. Moyenne Island is home to the remains of early settlers’ houses, pirate graves and a small thatched chapel. These three landmarks point to different aspects of the island’s history: early settlement, pirate graves and a small chapel building.

Aldabra represents a different scale within the Seychelles. It is the country’s largest island; the atoll measures 35 by 15 kilometres. The land area is about 155 square kilometres, while the protected area, including the lagoon and terrestrial and marine protected areas, covers a total of 2,559 square kilometres. In 1982, Aldabra was inscribed as a UNESCO Marine World Heritage Site. Its size, protected area and UNESCO inscription offer a distinct perspective alongside the nature and history sites on La Digue, Curieuse, Praslin and Moyenne Island.

Discover more destinations: Silhouette, La Digue, Aride, Anse aux Pins, Mont Buxton, Anse Royale, Port Glaud, Takamaka.

For the main travel overview: Seychelles.