La Digue, this tiny paradise island in the Indian ocean, is not to be missed going to while visiting the Seychelles. It was our FAVOURITE ISLAND of the three we visited, mostly because of its RELAXED ATMOSPHERE, dreamy sandy BEACHES, no big hotels and the possibility of exploring it either ON FOOT or with a BICYCLE.
We spent 4 DAYS here, arriving by BOAT from MAHE ISLAND via PRASLIN ISLAND. We stayed in a house we rented over AIRBNB, we also rented BICYCLES for all the days of our visit. Finding a CHILDREN´S BICYCLE was no problem, the price was the same as for the big ones though – a little under 7€ per day. There are ATM´s on the island, groceries (including fresh fish, fruits & vegetables) are available either at a local open-air MARKET or in the SUPERMARKET. For cheaper meals head to the so-called TAKEAWAY RESTAURANTS – we ate there during the day, we made our own breakfasts and splurged on yummy DINNERS in RESTAURANTS. It is not cheap, but the good food and the atmosphere was worth it for us. There are NO CARS on the island, with the exception of a few taxis and delivery cars, so the streets are perfect for cycling and walking. Here is what we´ve seen and done during our stay.
GRAND ANSE BEACH | wonderful sandy bech bay on the SE of La Digue island
A wonderful bay with long WHITE SANDY BEACH, enclosed with GRANITE ROCKS on each side, an onsite restaurant and bar and perfect waves for water fun. Definitely our FAVOURITE BEACH on the island.
It is easily reachable with a BICYCLE, even though the road does have some steep parts, so maybe avoid cycling in the hottest time of the day and bring enough water. In the morning there is even some SHADE ON THE BEACH and even though there were quite a lot of bicycles parked at the entrance, there were no crowds at the beach and we easily found a PEACEFUL SPOT at any time of the day.
The WAVES are amazing, Lu had so much fun jumping in them, but one should really know that they can be really DANGEROUS. There have been people killed here, so it is important to be careful. Do not leave small children unattended alone in the water.
Just a short “walk”, which sometimes turns into CLIMBING OVER ROCKS, from GRAND ANSE over the hill and you reach another gem, the PETITE ANSE BEACH.
PETITE ANSE BEACH | hidden bay accessible on foot from Grand Anse beach
This one as well, was ONE OF OUR FAVOURITES. It is quite similar to its bigger neighbor, there are WAVES and a BEACH BAR serving yummy refreshing FRESH COCONUTS.
There are also little HUTS made out of PALM LEAVES, if you are lucky and find a free one, it is a great place to escape the burning sun. I really love the sun, but I have to say, the sun over here is really strong so make sure you have enough protection.
On the way to and from GRAND ANSE you cycle through LUSH FOREST and pass by local houses, fruit stands and this SMALL CHAPEL as well.
L`UNION ESTATE FARM | a wonderful park and farm through which one comes to Anse Source d´Argent beach
Some say the ANSE SOURCE D´ARGENT is the best beach on the island and in order to get to it, you have to cross this charming lush PARK.
After you pay the around 7€ ENTRANCE FEE, you can cycle around as you like, check out the VANILLA PLANTATIONS, say hi to the GIANT TURTLES, take a dip in the sea, have a bite to eat, buy a SOUVENIR and visit the PLANTATION HOUSE. Really nice and peaceful and definitely worth going to despite the entrance fee.
ANSE SOURCE D´ARGENT | amazing granite rocks, snorkelling and one of the most scenic beaches in the Seychelles
Unfortunately we were not blown away by this one, but it might have something to do with the fact that the weather was not the nicest that day. Of course the bays with those BIG AMAZING GRANITE ROCKS are still impressive, but when it comes to the beach the standard on the Seychelles is rather high.
Anyhow, must have been a coincident, but on that day there were really lots of people, there was lots of sea grass, the sea is pretty shallow so not the best if you want to swim, the CORAL REEF is unfortunately pretty ruined here so even though it would be perfect to snorkel, you don´t really see all that much of the underwater world. Still a nice place though, due to the rocks, but I suggest visiting very early in the morning before the crowds come.
On the way to the L´UNION ESTATE FARM there is a bigger church, NOTRE DAME DE L´ASSOMPTION, it is supposed to be a great experience to visit it especially on a Sunday.
LA PASSE | the largest and the only real town on La Digue island
LA PASSE is the largest town on the island and this is also where the PORT is. Lots of RESTAURANTS, some SHOPS, GUESTHOUSES, a MARKET (early in the morning a FISH MARKET as well), SOUVENIR SHOPS, INFORMATION CENTRE and TOURIST AGENCIES are to be found here. We ate our dinners here, barefoot and with the sound of waves.
Moving on to the NORTH-EAST SIDE of the island, after you pass the MAIN TOWN called LA PASSE, there are a few things to see along the way before you reach the BEACHES. Not that it is an attraction of any kind but I found the flowers on this CEMETARY to be so nice.
ANSE SEVERE, PATATES, GAULETTES, GROSSE ROCHE, BANANE, FOURMIS BEACH | other beaches on La Digue island
One day we too the BICYCLES and cycled all the way along the NORTH-EAST COAST. As you can see from the pictures below, it was a rather CLOUDY DAY, we also had some RAINDROPS – no problems at all, since it is hot anyway and a short refreshment was almost welcome.
This side of the island is a little bit more ROCKY, so we have to admit we preferred the beaches on the west side, but nonetheless this looked like a quite side to stay at. We found a couple of cosy looking smaller HOTELS and took a SWIM at one of the beaches where we also accidentaly witnessed a WEDDING CEREMONY.
If we had more time
Of course, there are some parts of the island which take a bit more time and effort to get to and we´ve left them out this time. You can take some (supposedly amazing) HIKES to SECLUDED BEACHES like ANSE COCOS, ANSE MARRON and others, but it is advisable to have a guide. You can also take DAY BOAT TRIPS to smaller islands nearby, like FELICITE or the GRANDE SOEUR – we skipped those and took one from Praslin instead. There a restaurant on the top of a hill called BELLE VUE – looks like there are nice views, but we did not make it up this time.
We´ve spent great 4 days on La Digue and could have easily stayed a bit longer. I would not mind a whole week here, but even if you are more limited, it is still worth going even if just for 2-3- days. We continued our stay on the SEYCHELLES by visiting the neighboring PRASLIN ISLAND, which is only about 20minutes boat ride away.
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