Beautiful Beaches In La Digue You'd Fall in Love With

Not only one of the top beaches in La Digue or Seychelles, but Anse Source d'Argent is also said to be one of the best beaches in the entire world! This is the reason why you can expect to see so many tourists here.

Highlights of the beach: Located in the western part of La Digue, supposedly the most famous beach on the island is characterised by shallow and calm azure blue waters of the Indian Ocean, golden sands, lush green hills, coral reefs and granite boulders that form coves and caves. Unlike other beaches, however, an entry fee of around SCR 120 has to be paid to the Union Estate to get access to the beach.

Activities: The beach has very shallow and calm water which makes it very safe for children to have fun. However, most other people find it too shallow to enjoy swimming. It is considered to be one of the best snorkelling spots in La Digue for both experts and novices due to the presence of large varieties of fish like porcupinefish, pipefish, damselfish, and many others.

How to reach: La Digue island does not have an airport, so to reach it, international travellers will have to first travel to the Seychelles International Airport in Mahe, then take a helicopter charter or boat (most of which go via Praslin) to reach La Digue. Once there, a few cabs are offered for hire, but to get the local vibe, you can use the traditional modes of transport on the island which include bicycle and ox carts to reach the beach located at a distance of around 3 kms from the jetty at La Passe.

The largest beach in La Digue, Grand Anse is situated in the south-eastern part of the island and remains less crowded as compared to Anse Source d'Argent.

Highlights of the beach: Falling in the list of the top 100 beaches in the world, this beach is a photographer's paradise! The sereneness of the beach and the fresh pollution-free air will rejuvenate your soul.

Activities: The ocean on this side of the island has strong waves and currents favouring water sports like surfing, but swimming is a strict NO for the same reason.

How to reach: It is located at a distance of nearly 5 kms from the jetty. So, the best way to reach it would be by a hired car or bicycle. Ox carts are too slow so it would be time-consuming to travel longer distances by them.

P.S: Don't get confused as there are beaches of the same name in Mahe and Praslin as well.

Another of those majestic beaches in La Digue, the charm of this beach lies in its remoteness - the nearest restaurants, hotels and facilities are around 2 kms from Anse Cocos. Having very few visitors, it's the perfect place for those who prefer solitude.

Highlights of the beach: Apart from the beautiful seascape, visitors can spot an abandoned village and kilns that were once used for copra production. Anse Cocos was one of the first places in La Digue to be inhabited by humans.

Activities: Anse Cocos has some unique natural pools of water flanked by large boulders which makes swimming possible as it keeps you protected from the otherwise high waves.

How to reach: The beach is accessible either by foot by walking from Grand Anse and Petite Anse and then hiking over a mountain, or by taking a long-cut all along the island and reaching Anse Fourmis by car or bicycle, then walking to reach Anse Cocos.

Lying at the extreme south of the island, Anse Marron is not for the faint-hearted! Now you might ask, what can be so difficult at a beach? The answer to this lies in its inaccessibility - one has to move through treacherous paths. And definitely, it's useless to say there are no facilities on or near the beach. So if you are a thrill-seeker, then this one's for you!

Highlights of the beach: The enormous granite formations, the natural pools of seawater and everything that adds to the charming scenery will be a lifetime experience for visitors.

Activities: Just like Anse Cocos, Anse Marron has some protected pools of water formed by large granite boulders where swimming is safe but other than these, swimming is not recommended as there are deep drop-offs in the water close to the beach. Some consider it to be a pretty good place for snorkelling too.

How to reach: There are two ways of reaching this beach, both on foot - the shorter route from Grand Anse or the longer one from Anse Source d'Argent, but both routes involve passing through forests, climbing over boulders, wading through water and many such difficulties.

Well, Anse Severe is not really severe as the name suggests! On the contrary, it is very easily accessible and has numerous hotels and restaurants and ample parking facilities close to the beach. It has a moderate number of visitors, it's not as crowded as Anse Source d'Argent or does not remain deserted like Anse Marron or Anse Cocos.

Highlights of the beach: This beach is considered by many as one of the best places in entire Seychelles to watch sunsets! There are some trees on the beach which enable you to enjoy the beautiful sights of the sea and the distant islands in the shade.

Activities: It offers quite a lot of favourable conditions for swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving in the form of shallow and calm waters and presence of coral reefs and marine creatures like sharks, rays, morays and various types of fish.

How to reach: As already mentioned, the beach can be easily reached by various modes of transport due to the presence of a nearby road.

Anse Patates is the northernmost beach of La Digue, close to Anse Severe and shares much of its features. It finds its favour among all kinds of visitors - vacationing families, honeymooning couples and also solo travellers. Apart from the Patatran Hotel beside the beach, there are other good apartments to take care of your accommodation.

Highlights of the beach: The unique features of this beach include lots of palm trees and the presence of dolphins and tortoises! The beach can, however, be deceiving because if you reach during times of high tide, you may not find any beach at all; it goes into the water completely!

Activities: Swimming and snorkelling are feasible sometimes, but not always as the waves can sometimes be powerful.

How to reach: It is located very close to the jetty (hardly 2 kms) and hence is easily accessible by cabs, bicycles or on foot.

If you are going towards Anse Source d'Argent from the La Passe jetty, this beach falls on the way. It's also next to the helipad, but despite this, most people give it a miss, so it remains quite empty and tranquil and hence is an apt place for you to relax.

Highlights of the beach: The water is so clean here that underwater fishes can be spotted even without snorkelling. Lots of accommodations, restaurants, banks, hospital, markets and rental options can be found nearby making it an ideal place to stay on the island.

Activities: Just like Anse Source d'Argent, the beach is characterised by small waves without any currents and so suitable for swimming by small children during low tide. During high tide, older people can also venture into the water either for swimming or windsurfing or snorkelling. Expect to see colourful corals, eels, rays, etc. if you snorkel here.

How to reach: It is effortless to reach by all modes of transport and walking.

Petite Anse lies close to Grand Anse with only a small hill separating both of them.

Highlights of the beach: Termed as a 'wild beach', one gets to have some nice views while crossing the hill to reach Petite Anse. There are some unique driftwood shelters also unlike other beaches.

Activities: Similar to Grand Anse, swimming is not recommended here, but the high waves can be good for surfing. You can also have a picnic here, on the beach, as the driftwood shelters and trees provide shade, but for that, you need to bring your own food and other requirements as there are no shops nearby except a small juice shack, popularly known as the Petite Anse Beach Bar.

How to reach: Vehicles cannot reach here as the beach can only be reached by hiking over the hill from Grand Anse. So, walking is the only option.

A pretty yet small beach that falls between Anse source d'Argent and Anse Marron further south, the only way to reach it is via the Union Estate again, so the entry fee cannot be avoided.

Highlights of the beach: With hardly any facilities and services close to the beach, it remains quite secluded. There is a glacis behind the beach and along with the large boulders and coral reefs, creates a colourful and mesmerising ambience.

Activities: Swimming and snorkelling are feasible along with picnics, thanks to the ample shade available.

How to reach: Not so easy to reach, one has to walk through water from Anse Source d'Argent to reach this beach as roads are absent.

Located on the northeastern side of La Digue, Anse Grosse Roche is the next beach after Anse Gaulettes lying further north and offers some great views of the neighbouring Felicite island. There is a small shop on the beach which provides you with some options for eating and drinking, and some villas nearby where you can stay.

Highlights of the beach: One can spot a massive yet smooth rock on the north of the beach, after which it is named, and hence a favourite spot for all tourists visiting this place to pose for photographs.

Activities: The beach is characterised by a rocky bottom with sharp corals which might hurt your feet, so heading into the water is not suggested. During the south-east trade winds season from May to September, the waves are quite high and good for surfing.

How to reach: There's a hill which needs to be crossed to reach this beach. However, you can ride a bicycle uphill or go by car, so walking is not the only option.