La Digue is a very small island in the Seychelles archipelago of 115 islands. The La Digue name originates from a vessel sent by the French in 1768 to explore the granitic islands. La Digue is only 5 km long and 3 km wide with a population of about 2,500 residents. There are a few lodging options on the island, but we felt a day trip was sufficient to explore the island and all the light blue water beaches.
Looking back at our Seychelles trip report in 2009, I realized I didn’t share my favorite adventures from the trip. So I dug up pictures and created this post to share details from a day trip to La Digue beaches Anse Source D’argent and Grand Anse. In a separate post about the Seychelles, I covered a day hike to Anse Major on the island of Mahe, Seychelles.
Journey & Arrival
The island is unreachable by plane and must be reached by boat from the nearby island Praslin. You can get to Praslin by Helicopter, Air Seychelles inter island flights, or a high speed catamaran. We chose the least expensive option with the high speed catamaran.
We started the day by taking the Hilton car to the Mahe capital Victoria. From Victoria, we caught the Cat Coco high speed catamaran to Praslin. The trip to Praslin took about 40 minutes. We then caught the Cat Roses to La Digue. Another option is to catch the Praslin Express to La Digue. The trip from Pralin to La Digue took about 20 minutes.
Upon arrival at the La Digue docks, we were greeted by a local who offered to rent us bicycles for the day. Since the only method of travel on the island was a bike or Oxcart, we accepted his offer for ~$12 USD per bike.
Island Views
Our first sites on the island included a vanilla farm and a turtle sanctuary. We rode past small stores and had great views of nearby Praslin.
Anse Source D’argent
The first beach we visited was Anse Source D’argent. The beach is picturesque. When you arrive at the main bike entrance, you will be prompted to pay a small park entrance fee. You may have seen this beach in a number of pictures, and for good reason.
Grand Anse
Grand Anse is located on the opposite side of the island and requires a short bike ride. Bring lots of water if you plan to go to this side of the island. There are no stores near this beach, only one small makeshift restaurant. But the bike ride is worth the effort. From this beach you can also make the short walk over to Petite Anse and Anse Coco.
Bottom Line
I highly recommend a day trip to La Digue if you visit the Seychelles. The island boasts some of the greatest beaches in the world. After a long day in boats, on bikes, and hanging around at some of the best beaches we’ve ever visited, it was great to get back to the Hilton pool and relax.
Hilton Infinity Pool
If you liked the trip report above and have questions post a comment here.
About The Weekly Flyer
The Weekly Flyer writes about travel from a business traveler perspective. He travels the world every week accumulating points and miles along the way.
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La Digue looks terrific!
Was a really cool island. When we were there I felt like Robinson Crusoe at times:) I think actually filmed that movie among others in the Seychelles.
Thank you for posting this. I’m going to Seychelles next year. I’ll be staying at the 2 Hilton properties. I’ve been looking for info on doing a day trip to La Digue and you’ve done a great job explaining how you did it. The high speed catamaran and renting a bike sounds like a great idea. Thanks!
Thank you, is great to hear feedback. Sharing travel knowledge is the main reason why I started this blog in the first place. Hope you enjoy your upcoming trip to the Seychelles. Feel free to email me with any specific questions.
Anse Source D’argent must be one of the most photographed of the beaches in Seychelles? It feel like I see those great granite boulders and tropical waters everywhere I go. These are excellent shots you have