Praslin vs La Digue for couples

Where the two islands differ, in short:

Aspect	Praslin	La Digue
Getting about	Public buses and car hire, driving on the left	Bicycles; the tourism board calls it the only island where bicycles outnumber motor vehicles
Hire businesses listed	13 car hire firms	8 bike hire businesses, all in La Passe or Anse Réunion
Sunset	Côte d'Or, suggested for sunrise and sunset walks	Anse Sévère in the north, which faces Praslin
Beach for an occasion	Anse Takamaka, suggested for a wedding or anniversary	Anse Pierrot, about 1 km south of Anse Source d'Argent, suggested for couples
Short walk	Vallée de Mai routes, about 1.5 km to 4 km	Nid d'Aigle, 1.3 km and about 40 minutes, rated easy
Longer walk	Glacis Noire, up to an hour's climb to a fire tower	Anse Marron, rated hard, four to five hours, guide advised
Boat trips from the island	Curieuse and Cousin	Not established
Food and drink businesses listed	34	29

The counts, the beach suggestions and the trail ratings are the tourism board's, checked 16 September 2026.

Praslin has public buses and car hire, and the tourism board lists 13 car hire firms on the island. The tourism board's driving guide (checked 16 September 2026) gives national speed limits of 40 km/h in towns and 60 to 65 km/h on open roads, with driving on the left.

La Digue moves at bicycle speed. The tourism board describes it as the only island where bicycles outnumber motor vehicles, and it lists eight bike hire businesses there, all in La Passe or Anse Réunion. L'Union Estate is a 15-minute ride from the jetty, and Grand Anse on the south-east coast about 40 minutes.

On Praslin, the tourism board suggests the long Côte d'Or beach for sunrise and sunset walks, and Anse Takamaka for couples celebrating a wedding or anniversary. Anse Lazio in the north-west is the island's best-known beach.

On La Digue, the tourism board points to Anse Sévère in the north, which faces Praslin, for sunsets, and to Anse Pierrot, about 1 km south of Anse Source d'Argent, as a beach that suits couples. Anse Coco on the east coast can only be reached on foot.

Praslin's Glacis Noire trail climbs for up to an hour to a fire tower with views to La Digue, Félicité and Mahé, and the Vallée de Mai has walking routes from about 1.5 km to 4 km. On La Digue, the tourism board rates the Nid d'Aigle trail easy: 1.3 km and about 40 minutes to 333 m, the island's highest point. The Anse Marron trail is rated hard, takes four to five hours and is best done with a guide.

On 16 September 2026 the tourism board listed 34 food and drink businesses on Praslin and 29 on La Digue. The tourism board's La Digue article mentions roadside fruit bars and restaurants serving Creole food.

• You like to drive between beaches, trails and restaurants.
• You want the forest walks of the Vallée de Mai and Praslin National Park.
• You want boat trips to Curieuse and Cousin.
• You would rather have a wider choice of hotels and resorts.

• You want to spend your days on a bicycle.
• You like the idea of watching the sun go down at Anse Sévère.
• You want to hike to Nid d'Aigle or walk to Anse Coco.
• You are happy with a smaller choice of restaurants.