La Digue close neighbour to Praslin and to its satellite islands of Félicité, Marianne and the Sisters Islands, La Digue is the fourth largest island in Seychelles.

La Digue takes its name from one of the vessels in explorer Marion Dufresne's fleet, sent by the French to explore Seychelles' granitic islands in 1768.

Flora and Fauna in La Digue

Apart from hosting the Seychelles' black paradise flycatcher, one of the rarest birds on earth, La Digue's biodiversity features such stars as the chinese bittern, cave swiftlet, waxbill as well as two rare species of terrapin.

La Digue's forests also contain a wealth of flora in the form of delicate orchids, tumbling vines of vanilla, as well as trees such as Indian almond and takamaka. Gardens blaze with hibiscus and nepenthes against a backdrop of swaying coconut palms.

La Digue is an island where time stands still and time-honoured traditions such as travelling by ox-cart and bicycle are still king. Traditional methods of boat building and refining of coconut products (copra) are still practiced on La Digue.

The friendly atmosphere of this intimate island with its languid pace of life, traditional architecture and breathtaking beaches, such as legendary Anse Source d’Argent, is an absolute must for visitors.

La Digue has numerous and diverse accommodation for visitors, and its picturesque satellite islands are ideal for snorkeling and diving excursions.

Vibrant Relaxed La Digue Beaches

If you are looking for a relaxed island vibe, with beautiful beaches and just a touch of local life, La Digue fits the bill perfectly. The smallest of the three main inhabited islands, La Digue has a tiny population of just 2,000 people.

With no airport, and just a handful of road vehicles, this is an extremely laid back place, with some of the most iconic beaches in the Seychelles.

It's possible to visit La Digue as a daytrip from either Mahe or Praslin, but in order to truly soak up the atmosphere and explore you may want to stay for a few days

Getting To La Digue

All visitors to La Digue will land in the village of La Passe on the east coast of the island, from where you can enjoy magnificent views back across the water to Praslin. The settlement is reasonably spread out; taking perhaps ten minutes to cycle from one site to the other, but is still very much a village.

Although the town beaches have great views of Praslin they are by no means the most spectacular nor the best for swimming on the island.

The closest swimming beach is just to the north, over the hill and past the cemetery to Anse Severe, with Anse Patates a little further on also making a great choice for swimming and snorkeling.

Further along the east coast the beaches get wilder - certainly more secluded but with wilder waves, and to reach the southernmost part of the coastal road will require strong legs as there are several steep climbs.

To the south of town within the grounds of L'Union Estate is Anse Source D'Argent, the most famous beach in the Seychelles. Our favourite beaches on the island require a cycle over the hill to the south coast where you can explore Grande Anse, Petite Anse and the delightful Anse Cocos.

Things to do in La Digue

La Digue Island, Seychelles – a hidden gem in the Indian Ocean with all the makings of a dream island getaway.

Here the oxcart, bicycle and walking are the main modes of transport and the island is small enough to get by without cars – adding to the idyllic nature of Seychelles’ favoured destination!

Home to some of the world’s best beaches, lush tropical forests and crystalline waters, La Digue truly is a slice of paradise on Earth!

Whether you want to spend your time on the beach, beneath the surface of the sea or visiting beautiful nature sights, La Digue will not disappoint. From historical and cultural attractions to souvenir shopping and spending your day in a Spa, there is plenty to do on

World’s Best Beaches

La Digue is known to have some of the world’s best beaches – in fact, in 2015 two of them made CNN’s list of ‘Top 25 Beaches in the World.’

Anse Source d’ Argent – Arguably the most photographed beach in the world, and the most popular beach on La Digue – was one of them. Here, giant granite boulders punctuate white sands and shallow crystal waters and make for unforgettable scenery.

Coming in at the top of the list was the lesser known (and less crowded) Grande Anse. This wide sandy beach opens up onto tropical waters, and is bordered by granite boulders and fringed by lush vegetation.

La Digue also has plenty of other beaches to offer, some of them secluded enough to perhaps have them all to you.

Nature Hiking and Trails

From seeking out the endangered black paradise flycatcher along the winding trails of the Veuve Nature Reserve, to climbing to the Nid Aigle – the peak of the island, La Digue Island, Seychelles is a nature lovers paradise.

From exquisite island views, granitic landscapes and lush forests you’ll love getting lost on our little island. Besides hiking La Digue Island’s trails, another great way to explore Seychelles’ favorite island is to do so by bicycle.

Hire a bike and take a leisurely cruise along the windy roads that lead from the village of La Passe either way.

Diving and Snorkeling

La Digue Island’s calm, safe crystal waters should be a must on any visitor’s list. Dip beneath the surface and discover a world of colorful corals, granitic formations, a mosiac of fish species and an experience of a lifetime.

To find out more, visit our Diving off of La Digue page. Fishing is great off of La Digue! Seychelles is well known as an anglers paradise, on many operators offer the chance to head off shore and try your hand at landing your trophy catch – poplar species include Marlin, Tuna and Derado.

Island Hoping

ay trip excursion. Seychelles’ second largest island, Praslin, is only a 15minute ferry trip away and is home to the Vallée de Mai forest – a UNESCO world heritage site, as well as the famous Anse Lazio beach. There are also a host of other smaller islands around that you can visit and explore

Historical and Cultural Attractions

La Digue has a rich history stretching back over 200 years, and remnants of the first settlers and the early way of life for the islanders can still be seen today. This leaves some great attractions to visit, and in general, the frozen in time’ feel of La Digue makes this an interesting place to visit.

L’Union Estate – a preserved plantation estate offers a glimpse into island life of yesteryear, and is the main historical / cultural attraction.

However, La Digue itself, with its languid pace of life and ‘frozen-in-time’ feel is an experience all its own. There are also various other cultural and historical attractions to keep you intrigued.