Praslin & La Digue
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Anse Source d'Argent

Anse Source d'Argent is a granite-boulder beach on La Digue's south-west coast, reached only through L'Union Estate (SCR 150 day pass for foreign nationals; estate site, checked 20 September 2026). A reef keeps the water shallow and calm, so swimming depends on the tide: wading at low water, swimmable at high.

Last verified 16 September 2026

Aerial view of granite boulders, pale sand and shallow reef at Anse Source d'Argent, La Digue
Photo by seytales on Unsplash

What it is

Anse Source d'Argent runs along the south-west coast of La Digue inside L'Union Estate, a former coconut and vanilla plantation now run by a government-owned company. Huge granite boulders shaped by the weather line the sand. The Seychelles Tourism Board calls it one of the country's busiest beaches and says it is reputed to be the most photographed beach in the world, a description the estate repeats.

Getting there

No SPTC bus serves La Digue: the Seychelles Public Transport Corporation runs the national bus network on Mahé and Praslin, with four depots on Mahé and one on Praslin (SPTC, checked 20 September 2026). From the La Digue ferry terminal it is about 2.0 km to the L'Union Estate entrance and about 2.7 km to the northern end of the beach, measured along the roads and paths mapped in OpenStreetMap (checked 20 September 2026); the estate puts the bike ride from the jetty at about 15 minutes and says you can also walk or be dropped off by car (checked 20 September 2026). OpenStreetMap maps seven bicycle hire points around the port at La Passe, all within about 600 m of the ferry terminal in a straight line (checked 20 September 2026). Some shops meet the ferry: Ton Ven Bike says it collects customers at the jetty or delivers to guesthouses at no extra cost (its own site, checked 20 September 2026).

Entry, hours and what the ticket covers

There is no free public path. You enter through L'Union Estate, which charges foreign nationals SCR 150 for a day pass and opens 6am to 6pm, Monday to Sunday, including public holidays (estate site, checked 20 September 2026). A ticket bought after 4.30pm is valid the next day. The same ticket covers the plantation house, the copra kiln and the ox-driven copra mill, the vanilla rows, the Aldabra giant tortoises, the old pier, the island's oldest cemetery, a granite monolith the estate dates at 750 million years, and, added in late 2025, the Takamaka rum showroom and gift shop inside the plantation house with the rum tasting bar at the Pirogue Shed.

The water and the tide

A coral reef shelters the bay, so the sea inside is shallow and calm, and the tide decides your day. At low water much of the bay is too shallow to swim; at high water it is deep enough to swim while staying manageable for most people, and high water can cover parts of the sand (SeyVillas). Low tide is when you can walk south over the coral to Anse Pierrot, in reef shoes. The Seychelles Meteorological Authority publishes monthly tide forecasts giving high and low water times and heights (meteo.sc, checked 20 September 2026). Motor boats and water skis must stay more than 400 feet from the seashore under the Beach Control Regulations, which apply to the beaches and inshore waters of Seychelles (Beach Control Act, Chapter 14, subsidiary legislation, Department of Environment).

When to go

SeyVillas reports the beach is busiest between about 10.00 and 17.00, so an early start gives you the boulders with fewer people. On season, the Seychelles Meteorological Authority's climate guide says that between June and September the beaches facing the south-east winds collect weed washed onshore while the west and north-west coasts are the more pleasant ones, and that the north-west monsoon peaks in January and starts to weaken in March (meteo.sc, checked 20 September 2026). The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office says that in general the west coast is unsafe during the north-west monsoon, around December to March, and that beaches do not always carry safety information (FCDO travel advice for Seychelles, updated 21 January 2026); that is a rule for the country as a whole and does not name this beach.

From here

The estate describes Anse Source d'Argent as the starting point for coastal walks south towards Anse Marron, a hike SeyVillas says is only possible with a guide; the FCDO records that visitors in Seychelles have sometimes got lost on nature walks and trails (updated 21 January 2026). The estate also runs kayak tours from the beach.

Best for

  • photography
  • families (shallow, reef-protected water)
  • swimming at high tide
  • combining with L'Union Estate heritage sites
  • low-tide walking south to Anse Pierrot
  • reaching by bicycle from La Passe

Getting there

No SPTC bus serves La Digue: the corporation's network runs on Mahé and Praslin, with four depots on Mahé and one on Praslin (SPTC, checked 20 September 2026). Access to the beach itself is through L'Union Estate only. Entry fee: SCR 150 for foreign nationals, a day pass; a ticket bought after 4.30pm is valid for the next day, and visitors staying more than five days get a special rate (L'Union Estate official site, checked 20 September 2026). Opening hours are 6am to 6pm, Monday to Sunday, including public holidays (same source). The Seychelles Tourism Board listing for L'Union Estate Company Ltd, updated 2 September 2026, shows a rate range of SCR 150 to 175 and does not explain the higher figure, so confirm the price at the gate. From the La Digue ferry terminal it is about 2.0 km to the estate entrance and about 2.7 km to the northern end of the beach, measured along the roads and paths mapped in OpenStreetMap (checked 20 September 2026); the estate puts the bike ride from the jetty at about 15 minutes, and walking or a car drop-off also work. OpenStreetMap maps seven bicycle hire points around the port at La Passe (checked 20 September 2026), and some shops meet the ferry or deliver to guesthouses (Ton Ven Bike's own site, checked 20 September 2026). Bicycle parking is mapped at the estate end of the path (OpenStreetMap, node added April 2024). At low tide you can walk south along the coral to Anse Pierrot; wear reef shoes.

Facilities

Inside L'Union Estate: places serving Creole food, small craft and souvenir shops, an art gallery, and, added in late 2025, a Takamaka rum showroom and gift shop inside the plantation house with the rum tasting bar at the Pirogue Shed, per the estate. SeyVillas lists a restaurant, toilets and parking near the beach entrance and fruit stands at the far end of the beach. OpenStreetMap maps an outdoor shower and bicycle parking at the northern end of the beach, both added in April 2024, and a toilet block by the plantation house near the estate entrance, about 570 m further north in a straight line, mapped in December 2018 and last edited in April 2024; on the beach path it maps Crusoe beach bar (added April 2024), the Fruita Cabana Bar café, a second, unnamed café and the Lanbousir restaurant (checked 20 September 2026). Natural shade from the boulders and palms.

Swimming

Reef-protected, shallow and calm, so tide-dependent. At low tide the water is too shallow for proper swimming; at high tide it is deep enough to swim while staying within reach for most swimmers, and high tide can cover parts of the beach (SeyVillas). Seaweed is occasionally present. Neither the estate nor SeyVillas mentions a lifeguard; the UK FCDO says there are not many lifeguards in Seychelles, though some are stationed on popular beaches, and that beaches do not always carry safety information (FCDO travel advice, updated 21 January 2026). The Beach Control Regulations keep motor boats and water skis more than 400 feet off the seashore across the beaches and inshore waters of Seychelles (Beach Control Act, Chapter 14, subsidiary legislation, Department of Environment). For tide times, the Seychelles Meteorological Authority publishes monthly high and low water forecasts (meteo.sc, checked 20 September 2026).

Snorkelling

SeyVillas rates conditions as good for snorkelling at high tide, inside the reef. The Seychelles Meteorological Authority's climate guide puts the south-east trades at their peak in August, with seas already rough in July, and says that between June and September the west and north-west coast beaches are the more pleasant ones while beaches facing the south-east winds collect weed washed onshore (meteo.sc, checked 20 September 2026). The estate's site mentions kayak tours from the beach, and a separate tour seller at lunionestate.com offers transparent kayak tours.

Map of Anse Source d'Argent

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Beach

Anse Source d'Argent

Map of Anse Source d'Argent with nearby beaches and places to stayCoastline © OpenStreetMap contributors. Positions are approximate.
The 40 places on this map

Praslin or La Digue for beaches?Every beach on Praslin and La DigueWhy the granite boulders are shaped like thisWhat lives on the reef here

Open stays with live Booking.com links near Anse Source d'Argent

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

Explore every bookable stay

  • Villa Roche Bois

    Guesthouse in Anse Réunion, La Digue

    906 m straight-line from Anse Source d'Argent

    Villa Roche Bois is a guesthouse in a quiet garden in the Anse Réunion district of La Digue, run as an extension of Pension Michel, with a fully equipped kitchen, a veranda with a hammock and buggy transfers.

    • Families
    • Self-catering
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  • Badamier Self Catering

    Self-catering in Anse Réunion, La Digue

    960 m straight-line from Anse Source d'Argent

    Badamier Self Catering is a small self-catering guesthouse at Anse Réunion on La Digue, with air-conditioned rooms and barbecue facilities, not far from shops and Anse Source d'Argent.

    • Families
    • Self-catering
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  • Chloe's Cottage

    Self-catering in Anse Réunion, La Digue

    1.0 km straight-line from Anse Source d'Argent

    Chloe's Cottage is a self-catering property with a garden and mountain views at Anse Réunion on La Digue, offering buggy transfers, meals on request and bicycle rental.

    • Families
    • Self-catering
    More information
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  • Mountain View Hotel

    Hotel in Grand Anse, La Digue

    1.1 km straight-line from Anse Source d'Argent

    Mountain View Hotel is a ten-room hotel in the hills above Grand Anse on La Digue, reached by a steep access road. It has mountain views, a small outdoor pool, a restaurant and a bar, and SeyVillas puts Anse Source d'Argent about 2 km away.

    • Families
    • Pool
    More information
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  • Zanboza Guesthouse

    Guesthouse in South La Digue, La Digue

    1.1 km straight-line from Anse Source d'Argent

    Zanboza Guesthouse is a Creole-style house with five bedrooms in the south of La Digue, run by owners Wilfrid and Monica, who put Grand Anse and Anse Source d'Argent five minutes away by bicycle.

    • Families
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  • The Garden Villas

    Villa in L'Union, La Digue

    1.1 km straight-line from Anse Source d'Argent

    The Garden Villas is a two-bedroom self-catering villa near L'Union Estate on La Digue, sleeping up to six, with a private garden, terraces, mountain views and free private parking.

    • Families
    • Self-catering
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  • La Bel Zilwaz

    Self-catering in Anse Réunion, La Digue

    1.1 km straight-line from Anse Source d'Argent

    Two self-catering units in a garden on the mountainside inland of Anse Réunion, La Digue, with breakfast served and dinner on request. The owners also rent bicycles.

    • Self-catering
    More information
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  • Fern Lodge

    Self-catering in L'Union / Anse Réunion, La Digue

    1.1 km straight-line from Anse Source d'Argent

    A single one-bedroom self-catering apartment in a family-run house at L'Union, inland from Anse Réunion on La Digue. Guests have the garden, barbecue area and outdoor shower to themselves.

    • Honeymoon
    • Families
    • Self-catering
    More information
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  • Bwaver Cottage

    Guesthouse in L'Union / Anse Réunion, La Digue

    1.2 km straight-line from Anse Source d'Argent

    Bwaver Cottage is a simple five-bedroom Creole-style guesthouse in L'Union village on La Digue, where the host serves local breakfasts under the veranda and cooks Creole meals.

    • Families
    More information
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  • Villa Source d'Argent

    Villa in L'Union, La Digue

    1.2 km straight-line from Anse Source d'Argent

    Villa Source d'Argent is a modern villa with air-conditioned rooms at L'Union, on La Digue's west side, within 700 metres of L'Union Estate and about ten minutes by bicycle from the jetty.

    • Families
    More information
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  • Ambiance Villa

    Villa in Anse Réunion, La Digue

    1.3 km straight-line from Anse Source d'Argent

    A self-catering family house with a pool and garden at Anse Réunion, on La Digue's west coast, a short walk from the beach. The owners mention a reggae bar next door.

    • Couples
    • Families
    • Self-catering
    • Pool
    More information
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  • Villa Veuve

    Hotel in Anse Réunion, La Digue

    1.4 km straight-line from Anse Source d'Argent

    Villa Veuve is a small Casadani group hotel at Anse Réunion on La Digue, two minutes' walk from the Veuve Reserve. It has rooms and self-contained villas, a restaurant the hotel says is known for its catch of the day, bike rental and jetty transfers, and Anse Source d'Argent is five minutes away by bicycle.

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

Villa Roche Bois906 m in a straight line

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Questions

Do I have to pay to visit Anse Source d'Argent?
Yes. The only way in is through L'Union Estate, which charges foreign nationals SCR 150 for a day pass, according to the estate's own site checked on 16 September 2026. A ticket bought after 4.30pm is valid the following day.
When should I swim at Anse Source d'Argent?
Around high tide. The reef keeps the bay shallow, and at low tide much of it is too shallow to swim. Low tide suits walking and photographs instead.
What are the opening hours?
L'Union Estate lists 6am to 6pm, Monday to Sunday, including public holidays (estate site, checked 16 September 2026). During the festive season the estate allows entry after 6pm for its art and light installations.
Is there a bus to Anse Source d'Argent?
No. The Seychelles Public Transport Corporation runs the national bus network on Mahé and Praslin, with four depots on Mahé and one on Praslin (SPTC, checked 20 September 2026). From the La Digue ferry terminal it is about 2.0 km to the estate entrance and about 2.7 km to the northern end of the beach along the roads and paths mapped in OpenStreetMap, and the estate puts the bike ride from the jetty at about 15 minutes.
Are there toilets and showers at Anse Source d'Argent?
SeyVillas lists toilets near the beach entrance. OpenStreetMap maps an outdoor shower at the northern end of the beach, added in April 2024, and a toilet block by the plantation house near the estate entrance, mapped in December 2018. Three bars and cafés and a restaurant are mapped along the beach path (checked 20 September 2026).
What time of year is the water calmest here?
The Seychelles Meteorological Authority's climate guide says the west and north-west coast beaches are the more pleasant ones between June and September, while beaches facing the south-east winds collect weed washed onshore; the north-west monsoon peaks in January and starts to weaken in March (meteo.sc, checked 20 September 2026). The UK FCDO says the west coast is in general unsafe during the north-west monsoon, around December to March (updated 21 January 2026).
Do you have to pay to go to Anse Source d'Argent?
Yes. Anse Source d'Argent is reached through L'Union Estate, which charges foreign nationals SCR 150 for a one-day pass and opens daily from 6am to 6pm (estate website, checked 16 September 2026).
How do I get to Anse Source d'Argent from the La Digue jetty?
Follow the coastal road from the jetty to its end at L'Union Estate on La Digue's south-west coast, about 15 minutes by bicycle according to the estate; the path to Anse Source d'Argent runs through the estate park. Foreign nationals pay SCR 150 entry (estate website, checked 16 September 2026). Bicycles are the main way to get around La Digue.
Is Anse Source d'Argent busy?
Yes. Tourism Seychelles lists Anse Source d'Argent as one of the busiest beaches in Seychelles and says it is reputed to be the most photographed beach in the world.
What is L'Union Estate on La Digue?
L'Union Estate is a former plantation at Anse Réunion on La Digue, now a heritage park and the gateway to Anse Source d'Argent. Entry is SCR 150 for foreign nationals, open 6.00 to 18.00 daily (L'Union Estate, checked 16 September 2026). Inside are the plantation house, an ox-driven copra mill, a vanilla plantation and Aldabra giant tortoises.

Sources

Details last verified 16 September 2026.