La Digue

Ideal stay

3–4 nights

The vibe

Barefoot, slow, sun-bleached

From our guides

1. 01

   Nid d'Aigle summit

   A steep climb to the island's high point at about 330 metres, where the whole of La Digue and its neighbours lie below. Go early, before the heat builds.

2. 02

   Anse Cocos and Petite Anse

   A rough coastal path north from Grand Anse links two wilder, usually empty beaches. Currents are strong, so swim only in the sheltered natural pool at Anse Cocos.

3. 03

   Veuve Nature Reserve

   A small patch of forest protecting the black flycatcher known locally as the veuve, a bird found almost nowhere else. Twenty quiet minutes and a decent chance of a sighting.

4. 04

   L'Union Estate

   The old plantation still turns copra by ox power and keeps giant tortoises in a paddock, and it guards the path through to the famous beach.

5. 05

   Cycling the east coast

   The flat road from La Passe to Anse Fourmis runs past creole houses, jetties and shade. Bikes are the default transport and every guesthouse has them.

6. 06

   Snorkelling at Coco Island

   Boats cross to the granite islets of the marine park north of Praslin, where fish life is far busier than off the main beaches.

1. Fly to

   Victoria (SEZ)

   Nearest airport to La Digue, about 49km away as the crow flies.

2. Then

   To La Digue

   From Praslin (PRI) a ferry crosses to La Digue in about fifteen minutes. International arrivals land at Mahé and connect by a domestic flight or a roughly one-hour catamaran to Praslin first.

3. On the ground

   Getting around

   Boats dock at La Passe, where bicycle hire is immediate and the island's default. Anse Source d'Argent is reached by pedalling through L'Union Estate, and ox carts and a few taxis handle luggage.

Public transport: Almost no cars on the island. Bicycles cover everything, with a small bus and taxis for the hillier corners.

Family-run guesthouses and self-catering chalets, a few small boutique hotels and one or two luxury properties. There is no large resort development and no nightlife to speak of.

• Best base overall

  La Passe

  The island's only village, by the jetty, where the shops, bike hire, restaurants and most guesthouses are. Everything else on the island is a flat cycle away, which is the whole appeal.

  Find stays in La Passe →
• Best with children

  Anse Reunion

  Just south of the village, with calm shallow water inside the reef and a short ride to L'Union Estate. It is not the island's prettiest beach, but it is the most usable one.

  Find stays in Anse Reunion →
• Quietest

  Anse Severe and the north

  A scatter of small guesthouses along the northern coast road with sunset swimming and almost no traffic. You cycle back into the village for dinner, in the dark.

  Find stays in Anse Severe and the north →
• Best value

  Cote d'Or, Praslin

  A short ferry away, with more rooms, more restaurants and lower rates than La Digue's small stock. You are then paying and timing a boat for the famous beach.

  Find stays in Cote d'Or, Praslin →

Worth knowing before you book: The island has very few beds, so book months ahead for July, August and Christmas. Ferries from Praslin must be booked in advance and the last crossing is early evening.

Getting there

There is no airport. Fast catamarans link Mahé and Praslin to the jetty at La Passe several times a day, and the crossing can be choppy.

Cash or card

Cards work in hotels and larger restaurants, but small cafés, bike hire and market stalls often want rupees in cash. Banking on the island is limited.

Pack this

Reef shoes and strong sun protection. Shade is patchy on the beaches and the granite gets fiercely hot underfoot.

Swimming

Grand Anse and its neighbours face open ocean with serious currents, especially from May to September. The sheltered west coast is where you actually swim.

Crowds

Day trippers arrive mid-morning and sail back by late afternoon, so the beaches are quietest before ten and after four.