The manicured botanical gardens, full of streams and birdsong, are about a 10-minute walk south of the centre. Star attractions are the coco de mer palms lining the main alley. There's also a spice grove, a pen of giant tortoises, a patch of rainforest complete with fruit bats, and a cafeteria.
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Botanical Gardens
Victoria
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
28.82 MILES
Anse Lazio, on the northwest tip of the island, is picture-perfect everywhere you look and often turns up in lists of the world's most beautiful beaches…
28.49 MILES
Gorgeous World Heritage–listed Vallée de Mai is one of only two places in the world where the rare coco de mer palm grows in its natural state (the other…
0.5 MILES
Housed in Victoria's restored colonial-era Supreme Court building (1885), this terrific museum opened in late 2018. While the architecture itself is worth…
Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market
0.66 MILES
No trip to Victoria would be complete without a wander through the covered market. It's small by African standards, but it's a bustling, colourful place…
7.79 MILES
On this popular tour you learn the story behind the island's main distillery and about the rum-making process. The tour runs for between 30 and 45 minutes…
29.62 MILES
This long, gently arching beach is among the most popular strands on the island. It's great for safe swimming and sunbathing, and it's also good for water…
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2.1 MILES
A beautiful semi-circle of sand backed by palms and takamaka trees, Beau Vallon beach is Mahé's most popular. The swimming is excellent, but there can be…
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7.91 MILES
The idyllic little beach of Anse Soleil is a pocket-sized paradise. You can pause here for lunch – there's a beach restaurant – but beware, you may never…
Nearby Victoria attractions
1. Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa Mosque
0.36 MILES
Tucked away from the main drag is this modern mosque, which serves Victoria's small Muslim community. It's at its busiest for Friday noon prayers.
0.44 MILES
Unveiled in 2014 to mark 38 years of independence, this eye-catching bronze sculpture is the work of British-born Seychellois artists Tom Bowers.
0.5 MILES
Housed in Victoria's restored colonial-era Supreme Court building (1885), this terrific museum opened in late 2018. While the architecture itself is worth…
0.52 MILES
The focal point of the city centre is this downsized replica of the clock tower on London's Vauxhall Bridge. It was brought to Victoria in 1903 when the…
0.53 MILES
The rather ramshackle Natural History Museum is worth a quick visit to learn about the islands' geology, fauna and flora.
0.56 MILES
Taking pride of place in the centre of town is the simple Anglican church, with its renovated facade and elegant tower.
0.63 MILES
This gallery, in a traditional Creole wooden structure built in 1915 and restored in the 1980s, exhibits the work of George Camille, one of the Seychelles…
8. Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market
0.66 MILES
No trip to Victoria would be complete without a wander through the covered market. It's small by African standards, but it's a bustling, colourful place…