In the south of the island, in Le Tampon, could the Parc des Palmiers be the largest in the world? With an area of 20 hectares, it is home to more than half of the planet’s palm species, including endemic species.
With more than 15,000 palm trees planted, it is a true haven of peace.
At the end of the 1990s, the history of this park began with a friendship between two men, André Thien Ah Koon, the mayor, nurseryman and horticulturist, Thierry Hubert
“The latter read in the newspaper that the mayor of the buffer was considering the creation of a palm tree park. That interested him and very quickly the project was put in place. Mr. Hubert was already associated with a nursery in the salt pond and very quickly we will vote with the municipal council of the commune, a space to create a palm tree park.says Enis Rockel, speaker and former professor at the university.
Originally, the project was modest with two hectares, then 5 then 7. Today it covers more than 20 hectares with more than 1200 species. This park becomes the largest in the world, far ahead of that of Mauritius, Miami or Thailand.
“We have more than half of the world’s existing species” adds Enis Rockel.
