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Praslin was uninhabited when French navigators charted the Seychelles archipelago, although sailors, traders and explorers knew the islands before permanent colonial settlement. The island’s dense forests, granite terrain and sheltered coastal waters later attracted attention for their timber, palms and agricultural potential. Its earlier European name, Isle de Palme, reflected the abundance of palms that distinguished it from many other islands. This natural environment remains central to Grand Anse’s identity, particularly through the coco de mer forests preserved in the interior. The apparent isolation of Praslin should not be mistaken for cultural emptiness: its later society developed through movement across the Indian Ocean, bringing together African, European and Asian influences that became characteristic of Seychellois Creole culture.

French control of the Seychelles became established in the eighteenth century, and Praslin was named after César Gabriel de Choiseul, duc de Praslin, during the period of French administration. Permanent settlement expanded through plantations producing coconuts and other tropical crops, with the labour system relying heavily on enslaved Africans and people brought through Indian Ocean networks. Small coastal settlements developed around practical needs such as landing places, cultivation and trade. Grand Anse’s position on the western side of Praslin made it part of this wider island economy, although it did not become a large colonial town. The surviving landscape of palms, cultivated plots and scattered settlements reflects this plantation history as well as the island’s natural ecology.

Britain took control of the Seychelles during the Napoleonic period, and the transfer was confirmed by the Treaty of Paris in 1814. Plantation society continued under British rule, with coconuts, vanilla, cinnamon and other products supporting local commerce. The abolition of slavery in the British Empire in 1834, followed by emancipation in the Seychelles in 1835, transformed labour and social relations, though economic inequality did not disappear. Freed communities and later migrants contributed to the Creole society that emerged across Praslin. Coastal districts such as Grand Anse remained connected to agriculture, fishing and inter-island movement rather than developing as dense urban centres.

During the twentieth century, Praslin gradually moved from a predominantly plantation-based economy towards one shaped by conservation and tourism. Better maritime links and road improvements made the island more accessible, while Praslin Airport, opened in 1971, placed its western coastal districts within easier reach of Mahé. Grand Anse grew around the airport and the beach, with guesthouses, shops and services replacing some of the isolation associated with earlier island life. The expansion of tourism also made the protection of Praslin’s native forests increasingly important, particularly as the coco de mer became a symbol of the island’s environmental heritage.

Since Seychelles became independent in 1976, Grand Anse has developed as a small service and accommodation district within an island economy balancing tourism, conservation and local life. The airport remains an important practical landmark, while the beach and surrounding roads serve residents and visitors alike. Praslin’s identity is now closely connected with protected landscapes, including the Vallée de Mai and Fond Ferdinand, as well as with beaches that attract visitors from across the archipelago. Grand Anse retains a low-rise, dispersed character rather than a formal city centre, and its present-day atmosphere reflects the wider Seychellois blend of maritime livelihoods, Creole traditions and carefully managed natural resources.