Petite Anse

What it is

Petite Anse is the next bay north of Grand Anse on La Digue's south-east coast, a wide curve of sand backed by trees. OpenStreetMap maps it as about 415 metres end to end, with the Grand Anse sand 71 metres away round the headland in a straight line (way 113936310, last edited 27 July 2026); SeyVillas gives 400 m by 25 m. The Tourism Board describes it as sharing Grand Anse's character, including deep water and the lack of a coral reef, with even fewer visitors on most days.

Getting there

There is no road to the beach, and no bus on the island: SPTC runs its buses on Mahé and Praslin and lists no La Digue service (sptc.sc, read 20 September 2026). The road reaches Grand Anse, about 4.15 km from the ferry terminal measured along the roads mapped in OpenStreetMap; the Tourism Board puts that at a 40-minute bike ride from the harbour. From Grand Anse, follow the path at the back of the beach up and over a small hill; SeyVillas puts the walk at about 15 minutes and notes it can be awkward for anyone with limited mobility. The turning is signposted: a guidepost mapped as "Towards Petite Anse" stands about 24 metres from the Grand Anse sand (OpenStreetMap node 4439149737, last edited 6 November 2020). The trail is graded sac_scale=hiking, the gentlest of the OpenStreetMap mountain-walking grades, and runs about 1.2 km on towards Anse Cocos, passing within about 5 metres of the Petite Anse sand (way 27582228). Leave bikes at Grand Anse, which also has the nearest parking.

The water

Do not treat this as a swimming beach. The Tourism Department's Beach and Sea Safety Guide lists Petite Anse as one of four La Digue beaches carrying a safety warning sign, with Anse Cocos, Grand Anse and Anse Gaulette, and records lifeguards at Beau Vallon on Mahé and Anse Lazio and Côte d'Or on Praslin only, none at any other beach; its advice line for whether a beach is safe is 2529976 (tourism.gov.sc, read 20 September 2026). The Tourism Board says it is not safe to swim here. SeyVillas notes the water gets deep quickly, especially at high tide, and that the sea can be rough with no coral protection; the OpenStreetMap entry for Grand Anse next door (way 113936309) reads "extremely dangerous rip tide currents, swim to either side when caught in current".

When to come

This is an east-facing coast. 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 (read 20 September 2026). The Seychelles Meteorological Authority puts those winds at their peak in August, with rough seas, and records weed washed onshore on the exposed beaches between June and September (meteo.sc, read 20 September 2026).

Spending time here

Trees and driftwood shelters give shade, and the beach suits a picnic or a rest on the walk to Anse Cocos. Carry food and water, because there is nothing on the sand. The nearest food is at Loutier Coco at Grand Anse, mapped about 30 metres from that beach (OpenStreetMap node 512542857; its Tourism Board listing was updated 30 September 2025), and a bar is mapped at the Anse Cocos end of the trail, about 240 metres beyond the Petite Anse sand in a straight line (way 1018408657).