Pierre Poivre Statue

Pierre Poivre was a French naturalist and administrator of Réunion and Mauritius. He is said to have had a strong-willed character.

Around 1771 he began expeditions to smuggle spice plants out of the Dutch East Indies, including cinnamon seedlings. Cinnamon is the key to Poivre's link with Seychelles. He took the smuggled seedlings back to Mauritius to plant them in the Jardin des Pamplemousses.

When he heard that Mahé had the perfect climate and fertile soil, he wanted to set up a spice garden in Seychelles. He sent his trusted associate Antoine Gillot to Mahé to lay out a spice garden (today's Jardin du Roi). Cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon grew there until the garden was destroyed in May 1780. Fortunately, nature found wonderful ways to spread the seeds across the whole island, so cinnamon trees now grow almost everywhere in the islands. In 1908 Seychelles exported a full 740,123 kilos of cinnamon and had 67 cinnamon oil distilleries on the island.

The bust was unveiled on 2 October 1972 to mark 200 years since the introduction of cinnamon. Ironically, it portrays a man who never set foot in Seychelles.

The bust stands right next to the Clocktower and in front of the National Museum, on Independence Avenue in central Victoria.

From the bus terminal, head west onto Palm Street. At the junction turn left, heading south, onto Albert Street. At the Clocktower, cross the road to the National Museum.

All routes of the state bus company SPTC run through the Victoria Bus Terminal, which is only a few minutes' walk from the Clocktower. Cash is no longer accepted on the buses. You need a bus card, available from many small shops, at the airport and from SPTC. For visitors, SPTC also offers multi-day passes. Current prices and timetables are on the SPTC website.

The centre of Victoria is small and easy to explore on foot. The walk from the market, the Hindu temple or the bus terminal to the Clocktower takes just a few minutes. You can also get close by taxi or hire car, but parking in the town centre is scarce. It is easier to stop at the edge of the centre and walk the last stretch.

We know of no separate opening hours or fee for the bust in the garden. Whether the garden is accessible outside museum hours cannot be confirmed with certainty. It is best to plan your visit within the museum's opening hours.

10 to 15 minutes is enough for the bust, including a photo and reading the inscription. Allow one to two hours for the museum. Mornings are cooler in Victoria. The museum is closed on Sundays and on public holidays. The visit combines well with a walk around town, as all the sights are close together.

If you would like to follow the story of cinnamon further, head to the Jardin du Roi in the south of Mahé. That is where the spice garden laid out by Poivre's associate once stood. The museum garden also contains the Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Fountain.

Within walking distance you will find, among others:

• Victoria Clocktower
• Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market
• Seychelles National Botanical Gardens
• Bicentennial Monument
• St Paul's Cathedral
• Hindu Temple Arul Mihu Navasakthi Vinayagar

According to the National Museums, the Natural History Museum is currently closed for renovation. You can read more about the island on the Mahé page.