Anse Source d'Argent

Ideal stay

2-3 nights

The vibe

Granite, shallow jade, barefoot

From our guides

1. 01

   The coves at low tide

   Sandbars appear between the boulders and you can walk from one cove to the next. The furthest ones are almost always empty.

2. 02

   Grand Anse and Petite Anse

   On the exposed east coast, a twenty minute ride and a walk bring wide, wild beaches with strong currents and hardly anyone on them.

3. 03

   Cycling the island

   The flat coast road is how everyone gets about. Bikes are hired at the jetty and one day is enough to circle the inhabited part.

4. 04

   L'Union Estate

   The old plantation you cross to reach the beach keeps a copra mill, an ox driven press and a pen of giant tortoises.

5. 05

   Nid d'Aigle

   A steep road and path climb to the island's high point at around 300 metres, with a view across to Praslin and Félicité.

6. 06

   Late afternoon light

   The granite warms to orange in the last hour before sunset, which is when photographers arrive and the day trippers have gone.

1. Fly to

   Victoria (SEZ)

   Nearest airport to Anse Source d'Argent, about 48km away as the crow flies.

2. Then

   To La Digue

   Fly into Mahé, then either a domestic hop or the fast catamaran to Praslin (PRI), and a fifteen-minute ferry on to La Digue. Allow most of a day from an international arrival.

3. On the ground

   Getting around

   From La Passe jetty it is a flat twenty-minute walk or bicycle ride to the beach, entering through the L'Union Estate plantation.

Public transport: There is almost no traffic on La Digue: bicycles are the transport, with a handful of taxis and ox-cart nostalgia.

Small guesthouses and family-run self-catering chalets, with two or three larger hotels. No high-rise, few chains, and bicycles instead of cars.

• Best base overall

  La Passe, La Digue

  The island's only village, by the jetty, with bike hire, shops and the walk or ride to the beach through L'Union Estate. Everything is here, which also means it is the busiest corner.

  Find stays in La Passe, La Digue →
• Closest to the sights

  Anse Réunion and La Réunion

  The southern edge of the village, nearest the estate gate and the granite boulders. A short walk to restaurants, and quieter after the day boats leave.

  Find stays in Anse Réunion and La Réunion →
• Quietest

  Anse Sévère and Patatran

  The northern tip, with a handful of small hotels and good snorkelling off the rocks. Ten minutes by bike from the village, uphill in one direction.

  Find stays in Anse Sévère and Patatran →
• Best value

  Praslin, Côte d'Or

  A fifteen-minute ferry away, with more accommodation and lower rates, plus the Vallée de Mai. You pay for ferries and lose the early-morning beach to yourself.

  Find stays in Praslin, Côte d'Or →

Worth knowing before you book: The beach charges an entry fee through L'Union Estate and closes in the late afternoon. Book ferries between islands ahead, since sailings are limited and fill in peak weeks.

Timing

Day boats arrive mid morning and leave by late afternoon. Stay overnight and you get the beach at both ends of the day.

Getting there

Ferries run from Mahé via Praslin and take about an hour and a half in total. The crossing can be choppy, so prepare for seasickness.

Cash or card

Card acceptance is patchy on the island. Bring rupees for bike hire, small shops and the estate entrance fee.

Pack this

Your own snorkel gear if you want it, plus water shoes, since granite and coral rubble make some entries uncomfortable.

Crowds

This is the most visited beach in the Seychelles and there is a charge to enter through the estate. Early morning is the quiet slot.