Beaches on Praslin and La Digue

Beaches

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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.

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  Anse Georgette

  A small bay on Praslin's north-west tip, reached on land through the grounds of Constance Lemuria, on foot from Anse Lazio, or by boat. Non-guests should contact the resort first. Deep water close in and generally little seaweed.

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  Anse Lazio

  Praslin's best-known beach, on the north-west tip: roughly 500 to 600 m of sand framed by granite boulders, with no coral reef, water that deepens close to shore and large waves in the north-west monsoon. Quietest before about 09:00.

• Anse Banane

  Anse Banane is a beach on La Digue's east coast, on the road from La Passe, with a popular small snack bar and views to Félicité, Marianne and the Sisters. Shallow water and coarser sand make it a place to stop and look rather than swim.

• Anse Cocos

  Anse Cocos is a long beach on La Digue's east coast, reached only on foot: about 1.2 km of mapped path from Grand Anse by way of Petite Anse, or from Anse Fourmis in the north. A small bay behind granite rocks at one end gives calmer water, though the open beach carries one of the four official warning signs on La Digue and the island has no lifeguard.

• Anse Fourmis

  Anse Fourmis is a quiet beach on La Digue's east coast where the coast road ends, 0.59 km beyond Anse Banane in a straight line. Shaded by takamaka trees, it suits sunbathing more than swimming, and a path leads south from here towards Anse Cocos.

• 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.

• Anse Grosse Roche

  Anse Grosse Roche is a roadside beach on La Digue's north-east coast, named after the large rock behind it, with shallow water, a snack bar and views of the Sisters, Félicité, Ile Coco and Marianne. It appeared in the film Crusoe (1988), starring Aidan Quinn.

• Anse Marron

  Anse Marron is La Digue's southernmost beach, reached on a guided walk over granite boulders that OpenStreetMap grades demanding mountain hiking with bad trail visibility (read 20 September 2026). Sunny Trail Guide runs it as a six to seven hour day from the La Digue helipad, and in reverse from Anse Source d'Argent when high tide falls in the afternoon (checked 20 September 2026). Bathe in the shallow boulder-enclosed pool; the open sea is deep and unsafe.

• Anse Patates

  Anse Patates is a small cove at La Digue's northern tip, beside the road below Patatran Village Hotel and next to Anse Gaulettes. It is shaded and good for a swim or snorkel close to shore, with turtles over the rubble to the west, but with no reef the water deepens quickly, the government's beach safety guide lists it among La Digue's surf locations, and there is no lifeguard.

• Anse Pierrot

  Anse Pierrot is a small, shaded cove inside L'Union Estate on La Digue's south-west coast, about 1 km south of Anse Source d'Argent. Its shallow, clear water suits paddling and snorkelling; there are no facilities, and the beach can vanish at high tide.

• Anse Réunion

  Anse Réunion is a reef-protected beach about 1.2 km long on La Digue's west coast, between La Passe and L'Union Estate. More of the island's registered tourism sits here than in any other area: 108 of the Seychelles Tourism Board's 240 active La Digue listings give Anse Réunion as their island area, among them 44 places to stay, 13 restaurants and 13 tours (read 20 September 2026). The water is shallow and calm at both tides and the sun sets over Praslin.

• Anse Sévère

  Anse Sévère is a roadside beach on La Digue's north coast, facing Praslin and known for its sunsets. Shallow, generally calm water with a reef about 50 m out makes it one of the island's easier spots for a swim and a snorkel, and the government's beach safety guide names it among the snorkelling sites it recommends. No entry fee, no lifeguard, three beach bars.

• Anse Union

  Anse Union is the name SeyVillas gives the narrow, reef-protected sand inside L'Union Estate on La Digue's west coast, between the entrance and Anse Source d'Argent. Shallow, calm water about a metre deep at high tide makes it a gentle place to swim or try snorkelling.

• Grand Anse

  Grand Anse, also written Grande Anse, is a wide, open beach on La Digue's south-east coast with no protecting reef. The water is deep and the currents strong: the government's Beach and Sea Safety Guide lists it among the La Digue beaches with a warning sign and records no lifeguard on the island. It is a beach for the sand, lunch at Loutier Coco and the trail to Petite Anse and Anse Cocos.

• Petite Anse

  Petite Anse is a quiet beach on La Digue's south-east coast, next to Grand Anse and about 15 minutes' walk over a hill. It has more shade, but the same deep water, no reef and dangerous currents: signs on the beach warn against swimming.

• Anse Bateau

  A roadside beach on Praslin's south coast with granite formations and views of Mahé, Cousin and Cousine. The water is very shallow over sand and mud, so not for swimming; weed from May to September, a quarry mapped about 540 m inland, and route 62 stops about 290 m away.

• Anse Bois de Rose

  A small, shaded cove in the bay of the same name on Praslin's south coast, behind an offshore reef. Awkward to reach - private property and no-trespassing signs alongside, and a climb down from the road - with calm water for snorkelling and weed from May to November. Route 62 stops about 240 m away.

• Anse Boudin

  A working fishing beach on Praslin's north-east coast facing Curieuse, about 1.25 km offshore in a straight line. Shallow water, two public car parks and a bus stop about 13 m from the sand on SPTC routes 61 and 62. Seaweed washes in at times.

• Anse Cimitière

  A small, reef-sheltered beach within the bay of Anse Bois de Rose on Praslin's south coast, partly in front of Coco de Mer Hotel and Black Parrot Suites. Calm, shallow water for families, snorkelling and windsurfing; seaweed from May to October. Two route 62 bus stops about 280 m away, no lifeguard and nothing public mapped on the sand.

• Anse Citron

  A quiet strip of sand on Praslin's south-west coast, east of Fond de l'Anse, with water only centimetres deep and a view west to Cousin. Too shallow to swim, weed through the year, roadside parking only - but route 62 stops about 125 m away (OpenStreetMap).

• Anse Consolation

  A small, rocky bay near Praslin's southern tip with coral, boulders and rock pools. The water is too shallow for swimming or snorkelling, but the bus stops beside it and the pools suit children exploring the shoreline.

• Anse Gouvernement

  Anse Gouvernement is a curved, shallow bay on Praslin's north-east coast, just east of Côte d'Or, home to Hotel L'Archipel and a small juice bar. Calm water, snorkelling and fishing gear for hire, and seaweed in March. Roman Polanski's Pirates was filmed here in 1984.

• Anse Kerlan

  A 1.2 km run of short sandy sections along Praslin's north-west coast near the airport, split by rocks built against erosion that has taken up to 40 metres of beach. Sources disagree on the water: SeyVillas calls it deep and unsafe for children, the hotel on the sand calls it shallow and family-friendly. All three Praslin bus routes pass behind it, and it is the only Praslin beach the tourism board's safety guide lists for surfing and kite surfing.

• Anse La Blague

  A quiet, reef-protected stretch on Praslin's eastern peninsula, looking to Grande and Petite Soeur. Shallow and calm at low tide, deep with strong currents at high tide, and seaweed from October to April. The road here is threatened by erosion.

• Anse Marie-Louise

  Anse Marie-Louise is a white-sand beach of about 380 m on Praslin's south-eastern tip, with the Fond Ferdinand reserve entrance, a free car park and bus stops on route 62 behind it. Le Château de Feuilles at Pointe Cabris is a few minutes' walk away. Little is published about currents or seaweed here, so ask before you swim.

• Anse Matelot

  Anse Matelot is an isolated cove on Praslin's north-east coast, east of Anse Gouvernement, lined with granite boulders and usually empty. Easiest by boat, about 10 minutes from Anse Volbert; nothing is mapped reaching the sand and the nearest bus stop is about 1.1 km away in a straight line. The water is fairly deep without a sharp drop-off, and seaweed is present all year.

• Anse Pasquière

  Anse Pasquière is a very shallow bay on Praslin's north-east coast between Anse Boudin and Anse Possession, too shallow for swimming but good for spotting herons and fish on the sandbanks at low tide. It lies on the Curieuse Marine National Park boundary, with parking bays cut into the forest and bus stops nearby.

• Anse Petite Cour

  A small reef-sheltered bay on Praslin's north coast beside Le Domaine de La Réserve, inside the Curieuse Marine National Park boundary. Calm, shallow water with coral, views of Curieuse, and limited parking for non-guests.

• Anse Possession

  A reef-protected bay on Praslin's north-east coast facing Curieuse, with shallow water and a drop-off about 300 m out. Guesthouses and fishing boats gather at the east end; the west end is quieter. Easy roadside parking.

• Anse St Sauveur

  A palm-lined beach on Praslin's south coast with calm, shallow water, a coral reef for snorkelling and a view towards Mahé. Easy parking and bus stops on the main road; heavy seaweed from May to October.

• Anse Takamaka

  The beach below Raffles Seychelles on Praslin's north-east coast, open to the public along a beach promenade, with shade and seaweed cleared by the resort. Raffles sells day passes from EUR 100 an adult for pool and beach access between 8am and 7pm (raffles.com, checked 20 September 2026). The water is inside the Curieuse Marine National Park, where taking marine life and using a surfboard or water-ski are offences. Praslin has a second Anse Takamaka in the south, so check which one a description means.

• Anse Volbert / Côte d'Or

  Anse Volbert, also called Côte d'Or, is a 2.6 km beach on Praslin's north-east coast lined with hotels, restaurants, dive centres and water-sports rentals. Tourism Seychelles calls it the island's longest and most popular beach, and its safety guide names it one of three beaches in Seychelles with a lifeguard. Shallow, gently sloping water, easy road and bus access, and the departure point for boats to Curieuse and St Pierre.

• Baie Sainte Anne

  Baie Sainte Anne is Praslin's ferry port and service village, on the island's east coast. The village itself has no bathing beach; the shoreline of the bay is made up of fishermen's beaches such as Anse l'Amour and Anse Madge, where seaweed is common.

• Grand Anse (Fond de l'Anse)

  A long, open bay on Praslin's south-west coast beside Grand Anse village, with shallow water, shops, restaurants and bus stops along the road behind it. The Seychelles Meteorological Authority puts weed on south-facing beaches from June to September, SeyVillas from May to September, and parts of the sand go under at high tide. Kite Seychelles calls it the home spot of Praslin's kitesurfers and windsurfers.

• Petite Anse Kerlan

  A small beach beside Constance Lemuria on Praslin's north-west tip, used mostly by resort guests. Shallow, calm water with little or no seaweed. Arrive by boat, walk the coast from Anse Kerlan at low tide, or ask the resort before crossing its grounds on foot. Everything on it belongs to the resort, and there is no lifeguard.