Victoria

Seychelles is a republic where the capital city is Port Victoria or simply known as Victoria. This small city is named after Queen Victoria when British stepped as the colonial government. Victoria is located in the largest island in Seychelles – the Mahe Island. Although it is the capital city, the area of Victoria is not very big compared to the other capital cities in the world. As a matter of fact, Victoria is considered as the smallest city worldwide. But even though Victoria is not as huge as other cities, the eight districts of Seychelles are located here. This includes the Plaisance, La Riviere Anglaise, Les Mamelles, Mont Buxton, Roche Caiman, Saint Louis, Mont Fleuri, and Bel Air. There are at least twenty-five thousand people living in Victoria according to the census made in 2002. Victoria will be your first destination once you get out of the Seychelles International Airport.


Even if the capital city of Seychelles is quite small, it still has a lot of tourist attractions where tourists would love to strike a pose and have their cameras flashing all over the spot. If you haven't been in London, you will feel like you've been there if you will visit the clock tower in Victoria. They call it the Little Ben, a miniature of the Big Ben which is a famous landmark in London. This replica was built in Victoria during 1903. The court house of the capital city is also a great tourist attraction.

If you want to see the exotic flowers and different kinds of plants growing in the island of Mahe, particularly in the capital city of Victoria, you may go to the Mont Fleuri Botanical Gardens Seychelles. It is more popular as the Victoria Botanical Gardens. It was built by Paul Evenor Rivalz Dupont having several objectives in mind such as eco-tourism, plant conservation, environmental education, landscape management, and passive recreation. As of the moment, the Mont Fleuri Botanical Gardens Seychelles is also the home for the headquarters of the Agricultural Services and Naturalist department in Seychelles.

To know more about Victoria and the capital's past and of the whole Republic of Seychelles as well, you may visit the Seychelles National History Museum located in the capital city. This is where you can see exhibits of the wrecked ships, bones of the extinct animals, and more.

Local handicrafts are also available all through out the capital city. Visit the market and try to haggle for the best price. The prices of products such as vegetables, fruits, meat, and crops are very cheap. But don’t go to the market during Sundays because most of the establishments and stalls are closed. This is the time when most locals are spending their day at the beaches or with their families. They consider Sunday as their rest day.

Buildings, cathedral, and several houses will still remind you of how Victoria used to be. You can still see traces of the British and French era at some areas of Victoria.