A semiconductor light-emitting element includes a first semiconductor layer having a first conduction type, a second semiconductor layer having a second conduction type, an active layer provided between the first and second semiconductor layers, a polarity inversion layer provided on the second semiconductor layer, and a third semiconductor layer having the second conduction type provided on the polarity inversion layer. Crystal orientations of the first through third semiconductor layers are inverted, with the polarity inversion layer serving as a boundary. The first and third semiconductor layers have uppermost surfaces made from polar faces having common constitutional elements. Hexagonal conical protrusions arising from a crystal structure are formed at outermost surfaces of the first and third semiconductor layers. The first through third semiconductor layers are made from a wurtzite-structure group III nitride semiconductor, and are layered along a C-axis direction of the crystal structure.