La Digue is a tiny laidback island of just 3,000 inhabitants, but one of the most popular islands in Seychelles. Famous for its gorgeous beaches, in particular Anse Source D’Argent, La Digue is a must-visit during a trip to Seychelles. While many visitors organize a day trip to La Digue from Praslin, I definitely recommend spending 2 to 3 days unwinding and discovering the full beauty of the island. We spent 2 days in La Digue and unfortunately didn’t get to see everything we wanted as we had 1 full day of rain, but I loved it anyway. So here is my complete travel guide to La Digue island, including the best things to do, where to eat, and in which hotel to stay.
LA DIGUE – HOW TO GET THERE ?
Unlike Mahe or Praslin, there is no airport on La Digue. However, there are regular ferry transfers with Mahe and Praslin. A trip to or from Mahe takes around 1h45 min and costs around 60 EUR (73 USD), in a comfortable high-speed ferry. The trip from Praslin takes only 15 min and costs around 15 EUR (18 USD). We booked all our ferry tickets ahead from SeychellesBookings and everything went smoothly. Just show up for check-in 30 min to 1 hour ahead of departure. The ferry terminal of La Digue is located in La Passe, the main village of the island, where you can find a handful of souvenir shops, seafood restaurants, and mini supermarkets.
If you are prone to seasickness, you might want to check out the weather ahead of time and prepare some medications, as I heard the sea can get quite rough.
LA DIGUE TRAVEL GUIDE
WHAT TO DO ON THE ISLAND
VISIT THE ICONIC ANSE SOURCE D’ARGENT
The reason why most people visit La Digue is simple : Anse Source D’Argent. This little beach on the southwest coast of La Digue is regularly mentioned as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Who wouldn’t want to check that out! The beach is quite small perfect white sands, shallow crystal clear water, and giant granite boulders on both sides. The quintessential picture-perfect Seychelles beach! Because of its popularity, Anse Source D’Argent beach can get quite busy. Once you have snapped a few iconic pictures, continue down the coastal path lined with boulders and palm trees, to reach a larger, perhaps even more beautiful beach, with a dramatic forest and granite cliff backdrop. Coming in early morning or late afternoon is the best way to avoid the island’s day visitors.
Anse Source d’Argent is part of the L’Union Estate, an estate housing a coconut plantation and oil press, a picturesque plantation house, vanilla fields, etc. The entrance fee is 150 SCR (8 USD). There are a couple of stands selling fresh fruit juices and other drinks, and there are fully transparent kayaks to rent.
BIKE AROUND THE ISLAND
La Digue is best explored on foot or by bike. There are only a few cars and trucks on the island, and the roads are not really meant for them! You can easily arrange to rent a bike at the ferry terminal, or with your hotel. We took the hotel ones and paid 100 SCR/day (6 USD), but you can probably bargain a cheaper option from the guys at the ferry terminal. The island is only 10sqkm so it is easy to bike around, but there are quite a full hills to conquer!
SAY HI TO THE GIANT TURTLES IN ANSE SEVERE
Just 10 min bike ride from La Passe, Anse Severe is a pretty little white sand beach lined with palm trees and with granite boulders. The 2 most famous inhabitants of the beach are 2 Giant Turtles, roaming around freely, and who love to be fed some fruits by the tourists! There is a small fruit juice stall there and some picnic tables, ideal to take a break.
EXPLORE THE SOUTHEAST BEACHES OF LA DIGUE
Around 30 min bike drive from La Passe, are the less touristy beaches of Grande Anse, Petite Anse, and Anse Coco. Once you arrive in Grande Anse, park your bike and continue on foot to Petite Anse and Anse Coco. Sadly the way we wanted to visit it rained non-stop, so we only took a look at Grand Anse, which looked stunning even under heavy tropical rain. But from what I see in pictures the Petite Anse and Anse Coco seems super gorgeous, and a must-visit while in La Digue. In Grand Anse, there is a simple restaurant, Grande Anse Beach Bar, that serves good cocktails, sandwiches, etc. This is where we took refuge during the storm!
WHERE TO STAY IN LA DIGUE
Despite the tiny size of the island, there are a few high-end hotels and a lot of family guest houses.
We stayed in Le Nautique and loved it. This small boutique hotel offers that has a modern and comfortable bedroom with a nautical theme, a swimming pool, and a beautiful sea view. The overwater restaurant served perhaps the best food we had of our entire trip to Seychelles. Le Nautique is ideally located 5 min from the ferry terminal, very close to shops, restaurants, the market etc.
A few other hotels that look great:
- Le Domaine de L’Orangerai Resort and Spa is THE luxury option in La Digue. It looks absolutely gorgeous with its local architecture, tropical setting. Sadly it was closed when we visited, but it is expected to reopen mid-2021. A good reason to come back!
- Le Repaire is a cozy boutique hotel, with a beautiful tropical garden, a small pool, and cozy Seychellois-style bedrooms. The restaurant serves mostly Italian food, including some incredibly delicious pizzas!
WHERE TO EAT IN LA DIGUE
We were quite surprised to find in La Digue some of the best food we had while in Seychelles. A couple of places I recommend:
- Le Nautique: For Seychellois style sea food and some wine facing the sunset.
- Le Repaire: For the best pizza ever. I mean it!
- Chez Jules: A casual Seychellois cafe facing Anse Fourmis beach. Perfect for a quick lunch and a Seybrew beer.
- BelleVue: Perched on top of a hill, Bellevue serves a Seychellois buffet. But it is mostly famous for its stunning sunset view. They come pick you up at your hotel so you don’t have to climb to them!
If you want to pick up something small, stop by the Glorious Bakery, for delicious cakes, bread, sweet & savory pastries etc.
LA DIGUE TRAVEL GUIDE
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT THE ISLAND
Just like Mahe and Praslin, you can visit La Digue almost all year long, from April to November. The shoulder months (April / May and October/ November) are the hottest months with very little wind, perfect for snorkeling and diving. June to September sees more winds, but more reasonable temperatures too, making them the perfect months for sunbathing, surfing, etc. Given its tropical climate, don’t be surprised to experience some rains even during the dry season.
La Digue is small but stunning and definitely deserves to be part of any Seychelles travel itinerary. Checking out Anse Source D’Argent was amazing of course, but it is the slow pace, very relaxing vibe of the island that I loved the most. Given the chance, I would like to go back to La Digue for longer. You can also use La Digue as a base for diving trips, or to explore other nearby islands such as Felicite Island.
I hope you found this travel guide useful to plan your holidays in La Digue but if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to leave a comment below, reach out by email, or drop me a DM on Instagram.
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