24
Nov
2015
0

Seychelles: Best Beaches on Praslin and La Digue

This is one post that I have had to edit many times…Ankur and I took quite sometime in agreeing on the names that should go on this list. But finally, we have our list… our top five beaches in the Seychelles. These beaches are picked up from only a handful of beaches that we could visit on the islands of Praslin and La Digue. All, except one (Felicite), are easily accessible as we cannot fathom the concept of hiking to get a beach. Working too hard to get to a beach doesn’t gel well with our lazy bones, which take their truest form on a beach vacation.

Enough of tattle! Here is the list…

For watching a romantic sunset….

Our favourite beach to watch the sunset is Anse Source d’Argent on the island of La Digue.
This is one of the most photographed beach in the world and is visited by many tourists, of which, majority are day trippers from the island of Praslin. None of the day trippers stay till sunset and only a handful of people are left to enjoy the glorious sundown. The still waters of the lagoon mirror the colours of the sky and give it a surreal appearance.

Sunset at Anse Source D'Argent

Sunset at Anse Source D’Argent

Anse Source d’Argent truly is picture perfect! The coves formed by the granite boulders and the shallow lagoon of sparkling water make the setting perfect for a postcard. That being said, the sand here isn’t the softest and little sea weed does get washed to the shore. Swimming isn’t the best either.

Granite boulders at Source D'Argent

Granite boulders at Source D’Argent

But snorkeling here is good and is best enjoyed at high tide. There are lots of coral mounds and colourful fish that are fine with humans around. This is a great beach if you have little kids.

Getting here…

Everyone in La Digue knows of Anse Source d’Argent, which is on the Western side of the island; you will definitely not struggle for directions! The easiest way to get here is to rent a cycle from the port and pedal your way to L’Union Estate that flanks the beach. It takes about 10 – 15 minutes on bicycle from the port to the beach. Entrance to the beach is through the estate that charges an entrance fee on SCR 100. The fee also gives you access to the roam around the estate and feed the giant Aldabra tortoises, see vanilla and spice plantations and buy some local products.

What we did….

We got here at 3 pm and pottered around the estate for the first half hour. I enjoyed feeding a hungry tortoise who gobbled up every leaf that came close to its mouth! We found ourselves a quiet spot under a tree, spread out our towels and snorkeled for a couple of hours. We saw an eel and a crab in water that was just upto our ankles! It was a little after 6 pm that the sun set … pictures don’t do justice to the magical sky! We left by 6:45 pm, before it got too dark.

For snorkeling and swimming with colourful fish….

Our favourite beach to snorkel from the coast is that on the little island of Felicite. The corals are live and colourful and chances of sighting white tip reef sharks, sea turtles and rays are high. There are a lot of colourful fish, including barracudas, box fish and puffer fish. Large schools of fish make merry in the crystal clear waters!

Snorkeling at Felicite Island

Snorkeling at Felicite Island

Getting here…

Snorkeling with/without lunch at Felicite Island is arranged by tour organisers either from Praslin or from La Digue. The trip can be done as a full day trip with grilled sea food for lunch or as a half day trip without lunch. Depending on the tour organizer and the duration of the tour, two or three islands (Big Sister Island, Little Sister Island, Coco Island, Felicite Island) are included in the trip. The half day trip costs EUR 50 per person from La Digue (includes water and soft drinks) and is worth every cent!

Felicite Island

Felicite Island

What we did…

We did the half day tour (from La Digue) to Sister Island, Coco Island and Felicite Island with Belle Petra. The tour started at 9: 30 am and we were back at the jetty by 1 pm. The boat was well maintained and the skipper was very friendly. Snorkeling at Felicite was the best snorkeling experience that we had at the Seychelles…Sister Island came a close second. However, Coco Island was disappointing. Most of the coral at Coco Island was dead and the place looked ‘over-snorkeled’.

For playing with the waves…

Our favourite beach to do some body surfing is Grande Anse on the island of La Digue. The large sandy stretch is seldom crowded as the currents here are strong and swimming is not allowed. The waves are over one meter high and hitting the shore along with them sure does give an adrenaline rush!

Body surfing at Grande Anse, La Digue

Body surfing at Grande Anse, La Digue

Getting here…

It takes a little effort to get to Grande Anse. From the jetty at La Passe, turn right and follow the main road until you reach the junction opposite the school. Turn left and you will pass Zerof restaurant on your left. Further ahead turn right and follow the road until you reach Grand Anse beach. You need to pedal for about 30 minutes. There are no signboards that direct you to this beach. However, Google Maps is fairly accurate. Alternately, just ask a local for directions! You will need to cycle uphill for a few minutes… huff and puff…and then go downhill…zip zap zoom! The beach is worth every bead of sweat! That being said, we would not recommend including it in your list if you are travelling with kids.

Walking on the pristine Grande Anse sands

Walking on the pristine Grande Anse sands

What we did…
We reached Grande Anse by 2 pm with a picnic basket – some sandwiches and juice. There were less than 20 people on the beach and we had a quiet little corner to ourselves. Ankur enjoyed playing with the waves…and I stood at a distance watching him bob up and down along with swell of water. Considering that he isn’t a strong swimmer, someone had to keep watch, right? We left the beach at about 5 pm and headed to the Western side of the island to enjoy the sunset at Anse Reunion.

For swimming in the sea…

Our favourite beach to swim in the sea is Cote d’Or/ Anse Volbert on the island of Praslin.
The sand is soft and there are lots of trees to find a cool spot to spend the day. The wave break is some distance from the coast and water kisses the beach with affection. The depth increases gradually and you can find your comfort zone to float and swim. There are no sea urchins…so you can relax and enjoy the soft sand under your feet! The wide beach is perfect to play catch with a beach ball. There are a few restaurants by the beach to satiate your hunger pangs and a large grocery store at the beginning where you can buy some chilled beer or a bottle of wine.

'Swimming Pool' at Cote D'Or

‘Swimming Pool’ at Cote D’Or

Getting here…

Côte d’Or Beach / Anse Volbert lies approximately 4 km from the jetty. From the Baie Ste. Anne jetty, turn right and drive to the north towards Côte d’Or. Passing Barclays Bank on your left, continue on the main road until you pass Acajou hotel and the beginning of Côte D’Or. Arriving at the junction at MCB Seychelles bank, take the road to the right. Côte d’Or continues as far as the Paradise Sun hotel. It is best to rent a car on the island of Praslin to plan your trip as per your convenience.

What we did…
Aquario Guesthouse, less than 50 meters away from this gorgeous beach, was our home for the three days that we spent at Praslin. We spent a whole day at Cote D’Or, reading books and playing beach ball. I went for a dive with White Tip Divers (also located at the beach) while Ankur waited for me. We had an early dinner of a hot pizza, followed by some ice cream and called it a ‘perfect day at the beach’!

For spending a day at ‘The Perfect Beach’…

We have saved the best for the last. Our favourite beach to have a fun day is Anse Lazio on the island of Praslin. The sand is as soft as talcum powder, without any sea weed. There are no broken corals or prickly sea urchins! Lots of trees abound to shelter you from the afternoon sun. The granite boulders make the backdrop look stunning… climb a few of them for a better view.

Anse lazio, with a the 'protected' area for swimmin

Anse lazio, with a the ‘protected’ area for swimmin

It is the perfect beach that suits one and all. You can make sand castles, swim in the warm waters, go snorkeling or simply lounge around and get the perfect tan! There is a restaurant to take care of your rumbling tummy!

Anse Lazio is the same beach where the infamous shark attack took place in 2011. To ensure that history is not repeated, there is a netted area that is extra safe to swim, even for the little ones. A life guard is around to take care of emergencies, if any. Ankur and I, both agree that we haven’t been to a better beach! Just one suggestion… get here early if you want a good spot. It does get a little crowded (nothing compared to the Med beaches though)!

'Rock Climbing' at Anse Lazio

Getting here…

Anse Lazio Beach is situated approximately 11km from Baie Ste. Anne. From the jetty at Baie Ste. Anne, turn right and drive north passing Barclays Bank on your left. Continue on the main road keeping to the left of MCB Seychelles bank at the junction. Anse Lazio is at the end of this road, about a 25-minute drive past the Paradise Sun hotel.

What we did…
We reached Anse Lazio at about noon and were there till about 4 pm. It was a lovely sunny day and the sea was perfect to swim. We saw over five sting rays in really shallow water…less than three feet deep! I did try some snorkeling but wan’t too impressed. The sting rays close to my feet were enough to keep me happy! Watch the waves near the rocks…they are strong enough to sweep you alongwith and cause bruises.

Which beach would you like to go to? Have you picked a favourite already?

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2 Responses

  1. Attractive and picturesque beaches of Seychelles. All those readers of yours who love visiting beaches and go for water activities will fall in love with your nicely written blog. The detailed information about the direction make it easier to plan a trip. Thanks for sharing it.

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