How to get to La Digue

No airport, three routes

La Digue has no airport, so visitors arrive by sea or by helicopter. After landing at Seychelles International Airport on Mahé, the usual routes are:

• Ferry from Mahé via Praslin. Cat Cocos gives 1 hour 45 minutes for Mahé to La Digue with the stop at Praslin.
• Fly to Praslin, then ferry. A 15-minute Air Seychelles flight to Praslin, a road transfer to the Baie Sainte Anne jetty, then a 15-minute crossing to La Digue.
• Helicopter. Zil Air lists a private transfer to the La Digue helipad of about 17 minutes.

The ferry from Mahé

Cat Cocos sails from the Inter-Island Quay in Victoria and calls at the Praslin jetty in Baie Sainte Anne before continuing to La Digue. Its schedule page lists Mahé–La Digue via Praslin at 1 hour 45 minutes and a direct Mahé–La Digue crossing at 1 hour 10 minutes. On the operator's published schedule for 2026 and 2027 (Cat Cocos, checked 16 September 2026), the direct sailing runs from La Digue to Mahé at weekends only; other journeys connect through Praslin. Sailings change, so check the operator's current timetable before booking.

The same Cat Cocos rules apply as on the Praslin route: be at the jetty 30 minutes before departure with valid ID, register checked luggage one hour before, and keep to 25 kg of free luggage in economy as a non-resident (30 kg in business). Crossings may be cancelled in bad weather.

Flying to Praslin and crossing

If you prefer the short flight, you land at Praslin Island Airport at Grand Anse, then transfer by road to the ferry jetty at Baie Sainte Anne. SeyFerry, a booking agent, puts the taxi ride between Praslin harbour and the airport at 15 to 20 minutes. From Baie Sainte Anne, both Cat Cocos and Cat Rose (Inter Island Ferry) sail to La Digue in about 15 minutes. The guide's Praslin to La Digue page covers that crossing in detail.

Remember the domestic flight's luggage limit: 23 kg or 32 kg checked plus 5 kg hand luggage on a point-to-point Air Seychelles ticket, unless you are on a through ticket from an international flight.

By helicopter

Zil Air flies from its base beside the international airport runway and offers a complimentary road transfer from the international terminal to the base when requested with a booking. Flights operate between sunrise and sunset, and the pilot decides whether to fly in poor weather. Payload limits cover both passengers and luggage, so heavy bags can mean chartering extra capacity.

Arriving at La Passe

Ferries come in at the jetty in La Passe, the island's main village on the west coast. Cat Cocos has a sales office at the jetty, and Seychellesbookings, which sells Cat Rose tickets, says the Cat Rose check-in desk is in the Seychelles Port Building in La Passe.

Bicycle hire shops cluster around the port, and a 2019 Seychelles News Agency article said most guesthouses rent bikes to their guests. The bicycle hire page sets out La Digue's e-bike and helmet rules. Taxis are few: a 2022 Seychelles News Agency report counted eight licensed taxi operators, with up to 12 club cars (electric carts) allowed to work as taxis alongside them. The same 2019 article, republished by the national broadcaster SBC, described ox carts stationed by the jetty. Ask your accommodation about a transfer before you travel, especially with heavy luggage.

SeyFerry notes there is no luggage storage at the harbour on La Digue, which matters on your departure day if your ferry leaves after check-out.

Leaving La Digue

For a flight from Praslin, SeyFerry advises leaving La Digue at least two hours before departure. For an international flight from Mahé, the ferry via Praslin takes 1 hour 45 minutes, and you still need the road transfer from Victoria to the airport, so build in a generous margin.