La Digue Travel Guide: Favorite Things to do in La Digue Island

La Digue is the fourth largest island in the Seychelles, but with less than 3,000 people and very few cars, it feels dramatically smaller than Praslin. It doesn’t have an airport and it’s around 10 km², so it’s very easy to get around on a bike or by foot. However, despite it’s size, there are several incredible things to do in La Digue. There is no need to rent a car and most hotels will let you rent bikes for the day, this is by far the best way to get around (even for the less experienced bike riders like Cristina).

Though we absolutely loved Praslin and Mahe, we would say that La Digue was at the top of the list when it comes to favorites. The weather in this smaller island was more predictable and we saw less rain overall, while the small size and ease of getting around made the experience even more unique. Plus, the beaches and hikes were just stunning.

You can spend a couple of days in La Digue or even take a boat to the small island for the day.

Where to Stay in La Digue

We stayed at Le Nautique Waterfront Hotel and cannot recommend them enough. The entire experience was incredible. The hotel is only a 6-minute walk away from the ferry, but we were picked up in an oversized golf cart by our incredibly welcoming Australian host. He owns the hotel with his wife, and they do an amazing job at making you feel at home and taken care of.

We arrived early and our room wasn’t ready, but they allowed us to store our suitcases in the lobby and hop on a bike to explore the city. They did a great job going through a map of the island and offering recommendations of where to go and what to see. It made touring the island easy and other tourists actually asked us where we got the map.

We also loved the location of the place. It was close to the city center, therefore close to restaurants and shops, and the many things to do in La Digue, but because of the way the hotel is arranged, it did not feel noisy or crowded. The hotel has a great restaurant, a beach bar, and a lovely pool right on the shore – all of which are perfect to see the sunset. The hotel doesn’t have traditional beach access, meaning you use stairs to get in the water, but there isn’t a formal beach. However, we didn’t even notice it since we were generally out exploring the island.

Another great location to stay in is near Anse Severe. This is a beautiful beach with fun juice bars and two giant tortoises walking around. But it is still centrally located, meaning it’s easy to get to the center of town and to the other main attractions. 

The area by Anse Fourmis is also stunning, but it is further away from the town and towards the end of the road. Since the road is like a horseshoe around the island and doesn’t connect, you would need to go back around the island to get to a point that is actually close by.

Where to Eat in La Digue

We should note that there are several delicious restaurants in La Digue, but they are generally catered more for lunches or casual meals. Here is a list of our favorites.

Chez Jules: This is one of our favorite restaurants on the island. It was a bit further away from our hotel, right next to Anse Fourmis, but it was certainly worth the bike ride. They have amazing fresh juices and delicious curry and creole dishes. We also got their fish and chips, which were quite good. The restaurant is right next to the beach, and the best part is the way some of the tables are facing. They are high tops, set up sort of like a bar, but overlooking the ocean and the street with passing giant tortoises.

Rey & Josh: This is a very casual but unique lunch spot. It was on our way to Grand Anse and was a great spot to refuel. The tables resemble picnic tables and the atmosphere is light and happy. The food was simple but delicious, and the owner even came out to explain this incredible papaya salad that we had never tried before.

Fish Trap: This is a nice spot for some lunch or dinner. It’s close to the port so we stopped by for a quick lunch before our ferry back to Mahe. The restaurant is right next to the beach, so the views are beautiful, and the food is reliable.

Le Nautique Restaurant: This is the restaurant at the Le Nautique hotel, where we stayed in La Digue. The food is delicious, and the service is great. The best part is the view, overlooking the ocean and offering great sunsets. There are not a lot of tables, so make sure to make a reservation in advance. There is also a great beach bar at the hotel where you can enjoy drinks before or after dinner.

Le Repaire: This is the restaurant at Le Repaire Hotel. It’s a beautiful place, especially if you can get one of the tables in the garden. They specialize in Italian food, so it’s the right place to go if you’re looking for something outside the traditional creole cuisine. To be honest, the food was nothing special, but we did enjoy the atmosphere and the meal.

Bikini Bottom: Stopping by this juice bar is one of our favorite things to do in La Digue, right on Anse Severe. It’s owned by a brother and sister, who moved to La Digue after their parents relocated to the island. The place is full of character and they offer tasty juices, which you can spike with a bit of alcohol too. Turtle Bar is right next to Bikini Bottom and it’s another great spot to taste some delicious fresh juices.

Things to Do in La Digue

Hike to Anse Coco: This was one of our favorite things to do in La Digue. It is an awesome hike through a couple of different beaches that ends up at beautiful Anse Coco. You can bike to Grand Anse Beach, but you’ll need to walk the rest, following the Anse Caiman Trail. The hike is not very demanding, but it does get hot and involves two 30-minute walks.

You’ll start out going up and down a hill, which will take you to Petite Anse Beach, and will do the same again up another hill until you reach Anse Coco. The beach is stunning, but we wouldn’t recommend going swimming until you reach the end of Anse Coco. The waves and currents are strong, so can be a bit dangerous. But if you walk all the way until the end of Anse Coco you’ll reach a stunning natural pool, secluded from the waves, and surrounded by incredible rock formations. 

Visit L’Union Estate: This is a former coconut and vanilla plantation that’s been turned into a great park. They have an entrance fee of about €10, but we think it’s worth it. You can bike around and explore the different areas of the park. There is an old cemetery, a plantation house built in French colonial style that was used as the setting for the film Goodbye Emmanuelle. There’s also a tortoise enclosure near the vanilla plantation, but unfortunately, they are always kept inside the enclosure, unlike in other areas of La Digue.

You can also ride out to Anse Source D’Argent, probably the most famous beach in La Digue. It has amazing rock formations and the water is unique because of how shallow, calm, and clear it is. They also offer kayak tours on transparent plexiglass kayaks. We chose not to do the tour, but people that did seemed to enjoy it.

Explore the island on a bike: The best way to explore the island is to jump on a bike and stop at different beaches and restaurants. There are some hills throughout, but it’s overall a pretty easy ride throughout and the roads are in good condition. You can ride out to Anse Fourmis for some incredible views, stop at Anse Severe for some swimming, or explore the city of La Reunion for a bit of shopping.

Explore More of Seychelles