Praslin () is the second largest island (38.5 km²) of the Inner

Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, ...

, lying northeast of Mahé in the Somali Sea. Praslin has a population of around 7,533 people and comprises two administrative districts: Baie Sainte Anne and Grand' Anse. The main settlements are the

Baie Ste Anne Baie Sainte Anne () is an administrative district of Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting ...

Anse Volbert Anse may refer to: Places * Anse, Belgium, a municipality in Belgium * Anse, Rhône, a commune in France * Anse-Bertrand, a commune in Guadeloupe * Anse-Bleue, New Brunswick, a community in Canada * Anse, Mississippi, an unincorporated community i ...

and Grand' Anse. It was named ''Isle de Palmes'' by explorer

Lazare Picault Lazare Picault (fl. mid-18th century) was a French explorer known for his exploration of islands in the Seychelles.

in 1744. During that time it was used as a hideaway by

pirates Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

and Arab merchants. In 1768 it was renamed ''Praslin'' in honor of French diplomat César Gabriel de Choiseul, duc de Praslin. Praslin is known as a tourist destination with several hotels and resorts, as well as a number of beaches such as

Anse Lazio Anse Lazio is a beach situated in the northwest of Praslin Island, Seychelles, considered by Lonely Planet to be the "best beach on Praslin", and one of the "best in the archipelago".http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/seychelles/sights/104861 L ...

and

Anse Georgette Anse may refer to: Places * Anse, Belgium, a municipality in Belgium * Anse, Rhône, a commune in France * Anse-Bertrand, a commune in Guadeloupe * Anse-Bleue, New Brunswick, a community in Canada * Anse, Mississippi, an unincorporated community i ...

. It has substantial tracts of tropical forests with birds such as the

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

Seychelles bulbul and the Seychelles black parrot. The

Vallée de Mai Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve ("May Valley") is a nature park and UNESCO World Heritage Site on the island of Praslin, Seychelles. It consists of a well-preserved palm forest, flagship species made up of the island endemic coco de mer, as well ...

Nature Preserve, established in 1979,reserve info
/ref> is known for the unique coco de mer and vanilla

orchids Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

. It has been reported that General

Charles George Gordon Major-General Charles George Gordon CB (28 January 1833 – 26 January 1885), also known as Chinese Gordon, Gordon Pasha, and Gordon of Khartoum, was a British Army officer and administrator. He saw action in the Crimean War as an officer in ...

of Khartoum (1833-1885) was convinced that Vallée de Mai was the Biblical "

Garden of Eden In Abrahamic religions, the Garden of Eden ( he, גַּן־עֵדֶן, ) or Garden of God (, and גַן־אֱלֹהִים ''gan-Elohim''), also called the Terrestrial Paradise, is the Bible, biblical paradise described in Book of Genesis, Genes ...

". Praslin is home to Praslin Island Airport, while surrounding islands include Curieuse Island, La Digue, Cousin Island, Cousine Island and Aride Island. There are a few near offshore islets including Round Island (0.193 km²) and

Chauve Souris Chauve or Chauvé may refer to: * Chauvé * Mount Chauve People with the surname * Darlyne Chauve See also * ''La Cantatrice Chauve'' * ''La Chauve-Souris ''La Chauve-Souris'' (French: ''The Bat'') was the name of a touring revue during the ...

(0.007 km²), both of which have hotel accommodations. A large area in the south of the island has been designated as

Praslin National Park and surrounding areas Important Bird Area The Praslin National Park and surrounding areas Important Bird Area lies in the southern part of the island of Praslin in the Seychelles archipelago of the western Indian Ocean. Description The 700 ha Important Bird Area (IBA) extends fr ...

Gallery

File:Traumstrand Anse Georgette, Praslin Seychellen (27839767139).jpg, Beach Anse Georgette, Praslin File:Beach Anse Lazio Praslin Seychelles.DNG (38720879125).jpg, Beach Anse Lazio, Praslin File:Anse Lazio Beach, Seychelles (38720921075).jpg, Beach Anse Lazio File:Coco de Mer (39638784082).jpg, Coco de Mer from Praslin File:Insel Praslin, Seychellen (38908943104).jpg, Praslin, Seychellen File:Strand Petite Anse Kerlan, Praslin Seychellen (38908986064).jpg, Beach Petite Anse Kerlan, Praslin File:Seychelles large map.jpg, Praslin within Seychelles File:Praslin.svg, Map of Praslin File:Shorts360airsey.jpg, Praslin airport File:Seychelles praslin anselazio.jpg,

Beach on Praslin File:Seychelles bulbul.jpg, Seychelles bulbul (''Hypsipetes crassirostris'') on Praslin File:Valleé de mai2.jpg, The

on Praslin Island. File:Coco de mer leafs.jpg, Coco de mer File:Praslin island seen from La Digue.JPG, Praslin seen from the east File:Praslin von Anse Sévère.jpg, View of the second largest island of the Seychelles, Praslin, from Anse Sévère, La Digue, Seychelles

References

External links

* *
Maps of Praslin

Gallery of Praslin

Praslin Reptiles List

Praslin Fish List
{{DEFAULTSORT:Praslin, Seychelles Islands of Praslin Islands Somali Sea