Things to do in La Digue: Travel Guide

La Digue, the third-largest island of the Seychelles, is world-famous for Anse Source d’Argent, often called the most beautiful beach on the planet. The island radiates a true island vibe, making it the perfect destination for those seeking stunning beaches alongside exciting activities like biking and hiking. This article provides all the essential information you need to plan your trip to La Digue, including how to get there, where to stay and the must-see sights and activities.

How to get to La Digue

La Digue is accessible by ferry, with departures from both Mahé and Praslin. If you have a larger budget, you can also book a helicopter transfer from Mahé.

Ferry from Mahé

When visiting Seychelles, you will arrive at the international airport on Mahé. From the port in the capital city of Victoria, you can take the ferry to La Digue. The crossing takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes. You can book the ferry here.

Ferry from Praslin

During our trip to Seychelles, we visited Praslin after Mahé. From Praslin, we took the ferry to La Digue. The crossing takes only 15 minutes, so you could also visit La Digue as a day trip from Praslin. We used the Cat Cocos ferry, one of the largest ferry companies in the Seychelles, and paid 185 SCR per person.

Tip: Are you prone to seasickness? Make sure you have the right medication. The sea can be quite rough, which made many people on board sick. Luckily, we were fine!

Where to stay in La Digue

Most accommodations on the Seychelles are quite expensive. La Digue also offers some luxurious accommodations, such as Le Domaine de L’Orangeraie Resort & Spa and Cabanes Des Anges.

Would you like to visit the Seychelles on a budget? Fortunately, there are also affordable accommodations available. We stayed at Zerof Guesthouse for three nights. It is a basic but nice accommodation, located in a good spot in the middle of the island. From here, you can easily cycle to the various sights. The accommodation has its own takeaway and a small supermarket. Also, the owner is very friendly and helpful.

Things to do in La Digue

Rent a bike and explore the island

Since La Digue is a small island, you can easily explore it by bike. For us Dutch people, this is of course the perfect way to discover an island. We rented our bikes at DADA’s Bike near the harbor

Note: Only a limited number of cars and golf carts drive in La Digue, which you cannot rent as a tourist.

Visit Anse Source d’Argent, the Most Beautiful Beach in the World

Anse Source d’Argent is one of the world’s most iconic and photogenic beaches. With its white sand, granite rock formations and turquoise water, it is the most popular beach in the Seychelles and considered by many to be the most beautiful beach in the world. The beach is located on the grounds of L’Union Estate.

Visitors to the beach must pay an entrance fee (150 SCR per person) and be aware of the opening hours of L’Union Estate. We visited the beach just after opening (as the very first ones) and just before sunset (as one of the last). At both times we had the beach almost to ourselves!

Rent a kayak

Many people choose to rent a transparent kayak at Anse Source d’Argent and paddle along the coast. You will find two rental companies on the grounds.

Visit L’Union Estate

Anse Source d’Argent is located on the grounds of L’Union Estate, a former coconut and vanilla plantation. There is even more to see and do on this property. Walk or bike around the beautiful surroundings and don’t forget to visit the old colonial plantation house, the coconut and vanilla plantation and the Seychelles giant tortoises!

L’Union Estate is open every day from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We paid 150 SCR per person to visit the property. We were allowed to enter and exit unlimited times throughout the day with the same tickets.

Hike from Anse Cocos to Anse Caiman

On the east coast of the island you will find Anse Caiman (Caiman Beach), a beautiful beach with a great beach bar and a very nice owner. To get here, follow the Anse Caiman trail. During the hike you will pass several beaches and coastal forests:

• Grand Anse (start of the hike)
• Petite Anse
• Coco Bar (great place for a delicious smoothie)
• Anse Cocos
• Caiman Rock Pool
• Caiman Beach & Beach bar (end of the hike)

The total length of the trail is 2.25 kilometers (one way). The hike takes about 1.5 hours, depending on how often and how long you stop along the way.

Visit Veuve Special Reserve and spot the Seychelles Black Paradise Flycatcher

Are you a true bird lover? If you’re lucky, you might spot the rare Seychelles Black Paradise Flycatcher in La Digue. It is a small black bird with a very long black tail. The best place to spot this bird is the Veuve Special Reserve, a small nature reserve that is primarily used as a protected breeding and feeding habitat for the Seychelles Black Paradise Flycatcher.

Due to the heavy rainfall in the days leading up to our visit to La Digue, we did not visit the reserve. However, we did spot the Seychelles Black Paradise Flycatcher during the hike to Caiman Beach!

Hike to the Highest Point of La Digue: Nid D’Aigle (Eagle’s Nest)

Nid d’Aigle, which means Eagle’s Nest, is the name of the highest point in La Digue (330 meters). From here you can enjoy breathtaking views of the island.

Where does the trail start?

The trail starts at Belle Vue restaurant. However, the road to this restaurant is a challenge in itself. Although we initially thought we could cycle to the starting point, the road was so steep that we had to park our bikes along the road and walk the rest of the way. It took us about 30 minutes to reach Belle Vue from the main road.

Nid d’Aigle trail

Although the sign at the start indicates that the difficulty is medium, we found the trail quite challenging. The climb is steep and, especially in the heat and humidity, quite tough. In some places you even have to climb a bit, sometimes with the help of a ladder. Because the paths are not well maintained, you sometimes have to really squeeze through trees and bushes.

Tip: Bring plenty of water!

Visit the Different Beaches

In addition to Anse Source d’Argent and the beaches you pass on the hike to Caiman Beach, La Digue has even more beaches. The beaches that we think are worth visiting are:

• Anse Patates
  Anse Severe
  Anse Banana
  Anse Fourmis

The last two beaches are located in the far north of the island, which makes them more or less deserted. You can easily reach them by bike.

Food and Drinks in La Digue

La Digue has several restaurants and takeaways where you can eat in or take out. Here are our favorites:

• Zerof Take Away (take away)
• Caiman Beach Bar (lunch)
• Natural Bar & Grill (lunch en smoothies)
• Glorius Bakery (bakkerij en pizza)
• Rey & Josh (take away)