La Digue is the small, slow third island of Seychelles, reached by a fifteen-minute ferry from Praslin. Almost no one drives, so you explore by bicycle past ox-carts and old plantation houses to Anse Source d'Argent, often called the most photographed beach in the world. A day trip is possible, but staying a night or two lets you have the beaches once the day-trippers have gone.
La Digue keeps a different kind of time to the rest of Seychelles. There are barely any cars, the loudest thing you are likely to hear is a bicycle bell, and the unhurried pace was set generations ago by the ox-carts that still creak along the sandy lanes. It is tiny, easily crossed in a morning, and yet it holds the single most photographed beach in the country and a charm that quietly converts first-time visitors into people who plan their whole next trip around coming back.
Getting to La Digue
La Digue is reached by a short inter-island ferry from Praslin, a hop of about fifteen minutes that runs several times a day. Coming from Mahe you first take the hour-long catamaran across to Praslin, or fly, and then connect. There is no airport on the island, and that absence is precisely what has kept its peace intact.
Exploring by bicycle
Step off the ferry and the first thing you see is rack upon rack of bicycles for hire, because that is simply how everyone gets about. The island is small and largely flat, the distances are short, and gliding between beaches under an arch of palms is half the pleasure of being here. A handful of taxis and golf buggies handle luggage and anyone who would rather not pedal, but the bicycle is the true soul of the place, and the cost of a day’s hire is modest.
The beaches
Anse Source d’Argent is the headline act, a chain of shallow turquoise pools sculpted by towering pink granite boulders worn smooth over millennia. You reach it through the historic L’Union Estate, where a small entrance fee also buys you a wander past the old copra mill, the colonial plantation house and a pen of giant tortoises. Arrive early or stay late to catch the beach at its quietest and most golden, because in the middle of the day the boulders cast wonderful shade but the crowds peak.
Grand Anse, Petite Anse and Anse Cocos string out along the wilder southeast coast. Grand Anse is a broad, cinematic sweep of sand, and a short coastal footpath threads on to the quieter Petite Anse and Anse Cocos beyond. The surf along here can be powerful during the southeast trades, so take local advice before you swim and enjoy the sheer drama of the place from the sand when the sea is running high.
Anse Severe and Anse Patates, on the calmer northern side, are smaller and friendlier for an easy swim and a snorkel close to shore.
Beyond the sand
Pedal up to the Nid d’Aigle viewpoint for a sweeping look across the island and over the water to Praslin, or call in at the small Veuve reserve, the last refuge of the rare Seychelles paradise flycatcher. Round the day off with a plate of grilled fish and Creole curry at one of the family-run kitchens near the jetty.
Day trip or overnight?
Plenty of people see La Digue as a day trip from Praslin, and you can certainly tick off the headline sights in a few hours. The island is at its most magical, though, in the soft light of early morning and late afternoon, once the day boats have pulled away and Anse Source d’Argent empties out. A night or two in one of the island’s guesthouses or small hotels hands you that quiet beauty almost to yourself.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get to La Digue?
By a fifteen-minute inter-island ferry from Praslin. From Mahe you first take the hour-long catamaran or a flight to Praslin, then connect. La Digue has no airport of its own.
Do you need a car on La Digue?
No. The island is almost entirely car-free and mostly flat, so everyone gets around by bicycle, hired right at the jetty. A few taxis and buggies handle luggage and longer trips.
What is La Digue famous for?
Anse Source d'Argent, a beach of pink granite boulders and shallow turquoise water that is often called the most photographed beach in the world, reached through the historic L'Union Estate.
Can you visit La Digue as a day trip?
Yes, many do from Praslin and see the main sights in a few hours. Staying a night or two is better, because the beaches empty beautifully once the day-trippers leave.
Comment (0)