Praslin & La Digue

7 days on Praslin and La Digue

A seven-day itinerary split between Praslin and La Digue, two neighbouring islands in Seychelles. It spends three nights on Praslin for the Vallée de Mai, Anse Lazio and a boat to Curieuse, then takes the 15-minute ferry to La Digue for L'Union Estate, the east-coast walk to Anse Cocos and a snorkelling trip to Ile Cocos.

Last verified 16 September 2026

7 days

Praslin and La Digue

How the week works

This plan splits a week between the two islands: the first three nights on Praslin, the rest on La Digue. The ferry between them takes 15 minutes, so the move costs half a day rather than a whole one.

Praslin comes first because its sights are spread out and suit a hire car, a taxi or the public bus: the Vallée de Mai on the road across the island's ridge of hills, Anse Lazio in the north-west, and the boats to Curieuse from Anse Volbert. A 2019 Seychelles News Agency guide found no car hire on La Digue, and most visitors get about by bicycle, so the second half of the week is planned around rides of 15 to 40 minutes from the jetty at La Passe.

Who it suits

It suits couples and families with children old enough to cycle and walk for an hour or two in the heat. It asks for a few early starts, because the Vallée de Mai opens at 8:30 and the busiest beaches fill from mid-morning.

How to adapt it

Two sights keep weekday hours. Cousin Island takes visitors only from Monday to Friday (Nature Seychelles), and the Veuve Special Reserve on La Digue lists no Sunday opening hours (Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority, both checked 16 September 2026), so check which day of the week each part of the plan falls on. The first Cat Rose ferries of the day, at 07:00 from Praslin and 07:30 from La Digue, are listed for weekdays only (Seychelles Bookings, checked 16 September 2026).

The south-east trade winds blow from May to September and the sea is at its roughest in July and August, which matters for boat trips and for the exposed beaches on La Digue's east coast. Seychelles Bookings says ferry schedules can change without notice, so confirm sailing times when you book.

Day by day

  1. Praslin

    Arrive on Praslin and settle in at Anse Volbert

    Getting there

    From Mahé, Air Seychelles flies to Praslin in about 15 minutes. By sea, Cat Cocos catamarans take 1 hour 15 minutes from Victoria to the jetty at Baie Sainte Anne. Seychelles Bookings asks Cat Cocos passengers to check in an hour before departure, and the Cat Cocos terms require them at boarding 30 minutes before. The terms allow non-residents 25 kg of luggage in economy, plus one piece of hand luggage under 7 kg (checked 16 September 2026).

    Afternoon

    Base yourself at Anse Volbert and Côte d'Or on the north-east coast, Praslin's main beach resort area. The tourism board rates the water here for swimming and water sports, and the public bus stops along the coast road.

    Booking notes

    Boats for Curieuse and St Pierre leave from this beach. Vendors approach visitors with trips, and SeyVillas advises using only licensed operators, so ask your accommodation to recommend one for day three.

  2. Praslin

    The Vallée de Mai and Anse Lazio

    Morning

    Arrive at the Vallée de Mai for its 8:30 opening. Entry is SCR 450 (Seychelles Islands Foundation, checked 16 September 2026), payable in rupees, euros, US dollars or pounds, in cash or by card. Walking routes run from about 1.5 km to 4 km, and a free leaflet is handed to each visitor. There is a bus stop outside the visitor centre, plus a cafeteria, lockers and toilets. Last entry is at 15:30, and the site closes on 25 December and 1 January.

    Afternoon

    Head for Anse Lazio in the north-west, which the tourism board describes as a long, winding drive from Anse Volbert. SeyVillas counts three parking areas behind the tree line and lists restaurants and small shops at each end of the beach. Without a car, seychelles.cc suggests the bus to its last stop at Anse Boudin, then a walk over a steep hill. SeyVillas notes that the water gets deep quickly, so keep children close to the shore.

  3. Praslin

    A boat trip to Curieuse

    The crossing

    Boats for Curieuse, St Pierre and Chauve Souris leave from Anse Volbert and Côte d'Or. The Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority puts the ride to Curieuse at 20 minutes and says trips are arranged through tour operators or boat charters.

    On Curieuse

    The marine park is open from 9:00 to 17:00, seven days a week, and non-residents over 12 pay SCR 300 (Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority, checked 16 September 2026). Hundreds of Aldabra giant tortoises live on the island, introduced between 1978 and 1982, and a nursery raises young tortoises until they are five. A trail links Baie Laraie with Anse José, and a boardwalk on piles crosses the mangroves, so that section can be walked at high tide. From October to early March a nesting sea turtle trail is open for a further SCR 150.

    Booking notes

    Before you pay, ask the operator whether the park fee is included and which other stops, such as St Pierre, are part of the trip.

  4. Praslin

    Cousin Island or Glacis Noire, then the ferry to La Digue

    Morning on a weekday

    Cousin Island Special Reserve, 2 km off Praslin, receives visitors from Monday to Friday between 9:45 and 12:30. Tour operators take you out and the reserve's own boats make the transfer ashore. Entry is SCR 600 for non-residents and free for children under 12 (Nature Seychelles, checked 16 September 2026). The island has no shops, so take water, insect repellent and sunscreen. Five of the country's 11 endemic land birds live here.

    Morning at a weekend

    Walk the Glacis Noire trail in Praslin National Park instead. It is open daily from 8:00 to 16:00, costs SCR 100 for non-residents over 12 (Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority, checked 16 September 2026), and takes up to an hour from the road to a fire tower with views to La Digue.

    Afternoon

    Take the ferry from the ERO terminal at Baie Sainte Anne to La Passe, a 15-minute crossing. Seychelles Bookings lists afternoon Cat Rose departures at 14:45 and 16:30 (checked 16 September 2026), asks for check-in 30 minutes ahead and allows up to 30 kg of checked luggage.

  5. La Digue

    L'Union Estate and Anse Source d'Argent

    Morning

    Hire a bike in La Passe, where SeyVillas lists several rental shops; most guesthouses also rent bikes to their guests. L'Union Estate opens at 6:00 and puts the ride from the jetty at 15 minutes. Foreign nationals pay SCR 150 for a day pass (L'Union Estate, checked 16 September 2026), and a ticket bought after 16:30 is valid the next day, so buying one on the evening you arrive covers an early start. The estate has giant Aldabra tortoises, a copra mill and a vanilla plantation.

    Anse Source d'Argent

    The beach inside the estate is one of the busiest in Seychelles, and SeyVillas reports the crowds between about 10:00 and 17:00. The reef keeps the water shallow and calm: swim and snorkel around high tide. At low tide you can walk along the coral to Anse Pierrot, about 1 km south, in reef shoes. Anse Pierrot has no facilities and its sand can disappear at high tide, so check a tide table the night before.

    Late afternoon

    The estate says Takamaka Rum joined it in late 2025, with a rum tasting bar in the Pirogue Shed.

  6. La Digue

    Grand Anse, Petite Anse and the walk to Anse Cocos

    Morning

    Cycle to Grand Anse on the south-east coast, a 40-minute ride from the harbour according to the tourism board, and set off on foot before 9:00, as SeyVillas advises. Petite Anse is about 15 minutes over a small hill, and seychelles.cc times the walk from Grand Anse to Anse Cocos at about 45 minutes. SeyVillas gives the route to Anse Caïman as 2.25 km, with about two hours for the round trip including photo stops. Leave the bikes at Grand Anse and carry plenty of water.

    Swimming

    SeyVillas (checked 16 September 2026) describes deep water and strong currents at Grand Anse and Petite Anse, and reports signs at Petite Anse warning against swimming. Anse Cocos is more sheltered, but the tourism board still warns of strong currents there. Grand Anse is rougher during the south-east trade winds, which blow from May to September.

    Afternoon

    Grand Anse has a restaurant and toilets nearby. Ride back towards La Passe, and bring a torch for any ride after dark: SeyVillas notes that La Digue has few streetlights.

  7. La Digue

    Ile Cocos or Nid d'Aigle, then departure

    Morning

    Pick one of two early options. Ile Cocos Marine National Park is a 10-minute boat ride from La Digue, open from 9:00 to 17:00, with entry at SCR 200 for non-residents over 12 (Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority, checked 16 September 2026), and the tourism board says tickets are bought online through the parks authority. Hawksbill turtles are found here, and whale sharks can be spotted from around August to November. Trips run through tour operators and boat charters.

    The other option is the walk to Nid d'Aigle, the island's 333 m high point. It starts at the Belle Vue restaurant, runs about 1.3 km each way, and SeyVillas allows 45 minutes up and 30 minutes down.

    Leaving

    Swim at Anse Patates in the north, beside the road, before returning bikes. Cat Cocos takes 1 hour 45 minutes to Mahé via Praslin, and Seychelles Bookings lists a non-stop crossing of 70 minutes at weekends. If you fly home the same day, check the day's Cat Cocos sailings before booking the flight.

Questions

Should I stay on Praslin or La Digue first?
Either order works, because the ferry between the islands takes 15 minutes. This plan starts on Praslin because Air Seychelles flies there from Mahé in about 15 minutes. At weekends Seychelles Bookings lists a non-stop Cat Cocos crossing from La Digue back to Mahé, which suits ending on La Digue.
Do I need to book the Praslin to La Digue ferry in advance?
Seychelles Bookings, which sells Cat Rose tickets, takes online bookings only more than 28 hours before departure (checked 16 September 2026). It lists up to six crossings a day each way on weekdays and five at weekends, and asks passengers to check in 30 minutes before departure.
Can I hire a car on La Digue?
No. A 2019 Seychelles News Agency guide found no car rental on La Digue and only a handful of taxis. Most guesthouses rent bicycles, and there are rental shops in La Passe. Under the 2022 transport policy, bicycles must be licensed and insured and e-bike riders must wear helmets. Amendments approved in March 2024 limit e-bikes to 300 W, bar riders under 16 and require helmets for children under 14 on bicycles.
Which days should I avoid for Cousin Island and the Veuve Special Reserve?
Cousin Island receives visitors from Monday to Friday, between 9:45 and 12:30 (Nature Seychelles). The Veuve Special Reserve opens Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 16:00 and Saturday from 9:00 to 15:00 (Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority, both checked 16 September 2026). Neither lists Sunday opening hours, so keep Sundays for beaches and walks.

Sources

Details last verified 16 September 2026.