A vertical cavity light-emitting element comprising: a gallium-nitride-based semiconductor substrate; a first multilayer reflector made of a nitride semiconductor formed on the substrate; a semiconductor structure layer including a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer, the first semiconductor layer being made of a nitride semiconductor having a first conductivity type formed on the first multilayer reflector, the active layer being made of a nitride semiconductor formed on the first semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer being formed on the active layer and made of a nitride semiconductor having a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type; a first electrode layer that is electrically in contact with the first semiconductor layer of the semiconductor structure layer; a second electrode layer formed on an upper surface of the semiconductor structure layer, the second electrode layer being electrically in contact with the second semiconductor layer of the semiconductor structure layer in one region of the upper surface; and a second multilayer reflector formed to cover the one region on the second electrode layer, the second multilayer reflector constituting a resonator with the first multilayer reflector, wherein the semiconductor structure layer has one recessed structure including one or a plurality of recessed portions passing through the active layer from the upper surface in a region surrounding the one region, and the recessed structure is disposed to overlap with the second multilayer reflector when viewed from a direction perpendicular to an in-plane direction of the semiconductor structure layer. a gallium-nitride-based semiconductor substrate; a first multilayer reflector made of a nitride semiconductor formed on the substrate; a semiconductor structure layer including a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer, the first semiconductor layer being made of a nitride semiconductor having a first conductivity type formed on the first multilayer reflector, the active layer being made of a nitride semiconductor formed on the first semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer being formed on the active layer and made of a nitride semiconductor having a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type; a first electrode layer that is electrically in contact with the first semiconductor layer of the semiconductor structure layer; a second electrode layer formed on an upper surface of the semiconductor structure layer, the second electrode layer being electrically in contact with the second semiconductor layer of the semiconductor structure layer in one region of the upper surface; and a second multilayer reflector formed to cover the one region on the second electrode layer, the second multilayer reflector constituting a resonator with the first multilayer reflector, wherein the semiconductor structure layer has one recessed structure including one or a plurality of recessed portions passing through the active layer from the upper surface in a region surrounding the one region, and the recessed structure is disposed to overlap with the second multilayer reflector when viewed from a direction perpendicular to an in-plane direction of the semiconductor structure layer.