Praslin & La Digue
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Anse Gaulettes

Anse Gaulettes is a long, very narrow strip of sand between the coast road and the sea on La Digue's north-east side, with views of Félicité, Marianne and the Sisters. Strong undercurrents at high tide make it a beach for walking and sunbathing, not swimming.

Last verified 16 September 2026

Aerial location · zoom to explore

What it is

Anse Gaulettes runs along La Digue's north-east coast between Anse Patates to the north and Anse Grosse Roche to the south. OpenStreetMap maps the sand as about 900 metres end to end (way 127653237, last edited 11 November 2023); SeyVillas gives 800 m by 2 m and describes a thin line of sand between the road and the ocean, with a long wall along part of it and an old orange orchard behind. In a straight line the Anse Patates sand lies about 194 metres away and Anse Grosse Roche about 203 metres. Offshore you can pick out Petite Soeur, Grande Soeur, Félicité and Marianne.

Getting there

The coast road runs alongside, mapped as a concrete-surfaced tertiary road passing within 35 metres of the sand (OpenStreetMap way 41680813, last edited 25 August 2025), so it is easy to reach on foot, by bike or by car, with plenty of places to stop; SeyVillas lists no entry fee. Measured along the mapped roads it is about 2.5 km from the ferry terminal to the middle of the beach and about 2.9 km to the southern end. There is no bus on La Digue: SPTC runs its buses on Mahé and Praslin (sptc.sc, read 20 September 2026).

The water

Do not swim here. The Tourism Department's Beach and Sea Safety Guide lists "Anse Gaulette" as one of four La Digue beaches carrying a safety warning sign, with Anse Cocos, Grand Anse and Petite Anse, and records lifeguards at Beau Vallon on Mahé and at Anse Lazio and Côte d'Or on Praslin only; its number for advice on whether a beach is safe is 2529976 (tourism.gov.sc, read 20 September 2026). One such sign is mapped towards the northern end of the beach, its text recorded as "Warning. Very dangerous currents swim at your own risk" (OpenStreetMap node 11821978502, added 16 April 2024). SeyVillas says the same: the water is not especially deep, but at high tide the sand is barely exposed and the currents turn strong enough to sweep swimmers out to sea, the tide can be violent with high waves, and the beach is not suitable for children in the water. Coral lines the narrow sand. The UK Foreign Office's Seychelles travel advice, written for the country as a whole, says the east coast is unsafe for swimming during the south-east winds from May to September, and the Meteorological Authority puts those winds at their peak in August, with rough seas (read 20 September 2026).

What is nearby

Use it for a walk or to sit on the sand at lower tide, and check the tide before you settle in, as the beach is almost covered at high water; the Seychelles Meteorological Authority publishes monthly tide forecasts at meteo.sc. The George Camille Art Gallery stands at the southern end, mapped about 57 metres from the sand, its hours recorded as Tuesday to Saturday, 09:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:00, closed Sunday, Monday and public holidays (OpenStreetMap way 616221393, last edited 15 June 2022 — worth confirming on the day). Le Relax Luxury Lodge is mapped 46 metres from the beach and Hotel Patatran lies to the north; the Tourism Board lists a snack bar at Anse Grosse Roche. Inland, a dirt path signed as the Secret Garden Trail, closed to bicycles and horses, has its nearer end about 280 metres from the beach (OpenStreetMap way 1368362574, last edited 10 April 2025). For a swim or a snorkel, Anse Sévère is about 420 metres round the point to the west in a straight line, and is one of the two La Digue snorkelling sites the Tourism Department's guide names, with Anse Marron.

Best for

  • walks along the shore
  • views of Félicité, Marianne and the Sisters
  • a stop on a cycle round the north

Getting there

Beside the coast road on the north-east of La Digue: on foot, by bike or by car (SeyVillas). The road is mapped as a concrete-surfaced tertiary road passing within 35 m of the sand (OpenStreetMap way 41680813, last edited 25 August 2025), and it is about 2.5 km from the ferry terminal to the middle of the beach, about 2.9 km to the southern end, measured along the roads mapped in OpenStreetMap (read 20 September 2026). There is no bus on La Digue: SPTC runs its services on Mahé and Praslin (sptc.sc, read 20 September 2026). Lies between Anse Patates, about 194 m away in a straight line, and Anse Grosse Roche, about 203 m. No entry fee (SeyVillas). Check tide times, as the beach is almost covered at high tide; the Seychelles Meteorological Authority publishes monthly tide forecasts at meteo.sc.

Facilities

Art gallery at the southern end: the George Camille Art Gallery is mapped about 57 m from the sand, with hours recorded as Tuesday to Saturday, 09:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:00, closed Sunday, Monday and public holidays (OpenStreetMap way 616221393, last edited 15 June 2022 — worth confirming on the day). Snack bar nearby at Anse Grosse Roche (SeyVillas; the Tourism Board also lists a snack bar there). Le Relax Luxury Lodge is mapped 46 m from the beach (node 8317888571) and Hotel Patatran lies to the north. Nothing on the sand itself, and no lifeguard: the Tourism Department's Beach and Sea Safety Guide stations lifeguards at Beau Vallon, Anse Lazio and Côte d'Or only (tourism.gov.sc, read 20 September 2026). Some shade.

Swimming

Do not swim. The Tourism Department's Beach and Sea Safety Guide lists "Anse Gaulette" among the four La Digue beaches carrying a safety warning sign, with Anse Cocos, Grand Anse and Petite Anse, records that there are no lifeguards outside Beau Vallon, Anse Lazio and Côte d'Or, and gives 2529976 as the Seychelles Life Guard Services number for advice on a beach (tourism.gov.sc, read 20 September 2026). A sign is mapped towards the northern end of the beach reading "Warning. Very dangerous currents swim at your own risk" (OpenStreetMap node 11821978502, added 16 April 2024). At high tide the beach is barely exposed and strong undercurrents can carry swimmers out to sea; the tide can be violent with high waves; unsuitable for children in the water (SeyVillas). The UK Foreign Office's Seychelles travel advice says the east coast is unsafe for swimming during the south-east winds from May to September, advice written for the country as a whole (read 20 September 2026).

Snorkelling

Not a snorkelling beach: coral lines the narrow sand and the currents are the reason to stay out of the water (SeyVillas). The Tourism Department's Beach and Sea Safety Guide names Anse Sévère and Anse Marron as La Digue's snorkelling sites; Anse Sévère is about 420 m round the point to the west in a straight line (tourism.gov.sc, read 20 September 2026; distance measured from OpenStreetMap ways 127653237 and 113885897).

Map of Anse Gaulettes

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Beach

Anse Gaulettes

Map of Anse Gaulettes with nearby beaches and places to stayCoastline © OpenStreetMap contributors. Positions are approximate.
The 54 places on this map

Praslin or La Digue for beaches?Every beach on Praslin and La DigueWhat lives on the reef here

Open stays with live Booking.com links near Anse Gaulettes

Distances are measured in a straight line from the beach; the walking or driving route may be longer.

Explore every bookable stay

  • Le Relax Luxury Lodge

    Hotel in Anse Gaulettes, La Digue

    96 m straight-line from Anse Gaulettes

    Le Relax Luxury Lodge is a six-chalet hotel in a beachside setting at Anse Gaulette on La Digue. It has a pool, a restaurant serving Creole, international and Indian dishes, a bar and in-villa dining.

    • Beachfront
    • Pool
    More information
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  • Lakaz An Bwa

    Villa in Anse Gaulettes, La Digue

    215 m straight-line from Anse Gaulettes

    Lakaz An Bwa is a wooden Creole villa for up to eight (four adults and four children) at Anse Gaulettes, on La Digue's north-east coast. The beach in front is not safe for swimming.

    • Families
    • Self-catering
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  • Anse Grosse Roche Beach Villa

    Self-catering in Anse Grosse Roche, La Digue

    740 m straight-line from Anse Gaulettes

    Four self-catering villas on La Digue's quiet north-east coast, facing Anse Grosse Roche beach across a road used mostly by bicycles. Three suit couples and a two-bedroom bungalow takes families.

    • Beachfront
    • Couples
    • Families
    • Self-catering
    More information
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  • Patatran Village Hotel

    Hotel in Anse Patates, La Digue

    745 m straight-line from Anse Gaulettes

    Patatran Village Hotel is a 30-room hotel at Anse Patates on La Digue, opened in 1992 by an owner from the island. The hotel says every room has an ocean view, and it has a pool, a restaurant serving Creole dinners, a bar, beach weddings and candlelit dinners on the sand.

    • Honeymoon
    • Pool
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  • Villa D'Amour

    Self-catering in La Passe, La Digue

    815 m straight-line from Anse Gaulettes

    A licensed self-catering property on La Digue with five rooms and ten beds on the Tourism Department register, which lists it under La Passe. Its map pin is north-east of the ferry terminal, inland near Anse Sévère.

    • Self-catering
    More information
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  • Island Bungalow

    Chalet in Anse Sévère, La Digue

    829 m straight-line from Anse Gaulettes

    Two self-catering bungalows and a small villa in a garden about 300 m from Anse Sévère in the north of La Digue, with continental breakfast served each morning. The largest bungalow has three bedrooms and sleeps six.

    • Families
    • Self-catering
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  • Hotel L'Ocean

    Hotel in Anse Patates, La Digue

    858 m straight-line from Anse Gaulettes

    A small licensed hotel of eight rooms at Anse Patates, on the northern tip of La Digue. Guest reviews from 2026 mention sea views from the balconies and breakfast served on site.

    More information
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  • O'Soleil Chalets

    Chalet in Anse Sévère, La Digue

    913 m straight-line from Anse Gaulettes

    O'Soleil Chalets is a group of air-conditioned self-catering houses in a tropical garden a few steps from Anse Sévère beach on La Digue, a few minutes by bicycle from La Passe.

    • Families
    • Self-catering
    More information
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  • Anse Sévère Beach Villa

    Self-catering in Anse Sévère, La Digue

    944 m straight-line from Anse Gaulettes

    Anse Sévère Beach Villa is a set of six self-catering villa units facing Anse Sévère beach on La Digue's north side, open since 2017 and about 15 minutes' walk from the jetty.

    • Beachfront
    • Self-catering
    More information
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  • Kot Babi Guesthouse

    Guesthouse in La Passe, La Digue

    960 m straight-line from Anse Gaulettes

    Kot Babi Guesthouse is a simple self-catering guesthouse in La Passe on La Digue, taking guests since 1990, with double rooms, a chalet and villas in a garden five minutes' walk from the jetty.

    • Families
    • Self-catering
    More information
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  • Pension Residence Guest House

    Guesthouse in La Passe, La Digue

    1.0 km straight-line from Anse Gaulettes

    Pension Residence Guest House, formerly Chez Michelin, is a set of garden-view chalets in La Passe on La Digue, 5–7 minutes' walk from both the jetty and Anse Sévère, bookable self-catering, room only or B&B.

    • Families
    • Self-catering
    More information
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  • Le Domaine de L'Orangeraie Resort & Spa

    Resort in Anse Sévère, La Digue

    1.0 km straight-line from Anse Gaulettes

    Le Domaine de L'Orangeraie is a resort and spa at Anse Sévère on La Digue, with rooms, suites and villas set in tropical gardens. It has the Eden Rock Spa among granite boulders above the coast, two restaurants and three bars.

    • Luxury
    • Couples
    • Families
    • Pool
    More information
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Read the full where-to-stay guide for La Digue

Le Relax Luxury Lodge96 m in a straight line

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Questions

Can you swim at Anse Gaulettes?
No. The Tourism Department's Beach and Sea Safety Guide lists the beach among the four on La Digue carrying a safety warning sign, and a sign is mapped towards its northern end reading "Warning. Very dangerous currents swim at your own risk" (OpenStreetMap node 11821978502, added 16 April 2024). SeyVillas warns of strong undercurrents at high tide that can sweep swimmers out to sea. Swim instead at a sheltered beach such as Anse Sévère, about 420 m round the point, or Anse Réunion.
Which islands can you see from Anse Gaulettes?
Petite Soeur, Grande Soeur, Félicité and Marianne, according to SeyVillas.
Can I visit Félicité for the day?
The Tourism Board's Félicité listing puts the island 4 km from La Digue and says a visit to the island includes a stay at the Six Senses Zil Pasyon resort. Anse Peniche on Félicité falls inside the Ile Cocos Marine National Park boundary, according to the Tourism Board.
How far is it from the ferry?
About 2.5 km to the middle of the beach and 2.9 km to the southern end, measured along the roads mapped in OpenStreetMap (read 20 September 2026). The road alongside is mapped as concrete-surfaced (way 41680813, last edited 25 August 2025). There is no bus on La Digue; SPTC runs its services on Mahé and Praslin (sptc.sc, read 20 September 2026).

Sources

Details last verified 16 September 2026.