Praslin and La Digue

⚠️ Timetables, opening hours, prices and access conditions may change without notice, for reasons beyond our control (season, weather, decisions by operators, venues or local authorities). Before every trip, check the information with the relevant authorities and service providers. Entry requirements and local rules (reserves, quotas) are subject to the same caveat.

Praslin and La Digue are the two large granite islands next door to Mahé, at the heart of the Seychelles. Praslin is home to the Vallée de Mai, a UNESCO World Heritage forest where coco de mer palms grow and the black parrot lives, as well as famous beaches such as Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette. Fifteen minutes away by boat, La Digue is explored by bicycle, past Creole villages, pink granite boulders and the iconic Anse Source d’Argent. Both are reached from Mahé by plane or catamaran, ideally in April–May or October–November.

Where are Praslin and La Digue?

Praslin is the second-largest island in the Seychelles, covering about 38 km², some forty kilometres north-east of Mahé, the main island with the capital Victoria and the international airport. Like Mahé, it belongs to the Inner Islands, the granitic ones: fragments of the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana, cloaked in wooded hills and fringed with coves. Its main villages are Baie Sainte-Anne, where the boats come in, Grand Anse on the west coast, and Anse Volbert, along the long Côte d’Or beach in the north-east.

La Digue, the fourth-largest island, measures only about ten square kilometres and lies a few kilometres east of Praslin. Life revolves around La Passe, the harbour village, and the west coast down to L’Union and Anse Source d’Argent, while the wilder east is lined with Grand Anse, Petite Anse and Anse Cocos, pounded by the swell. All around lies a constellation of islets: Curieuse and St Pierre north of Praslin, Cousin and Cousine to the south-west, and Félicité, Coco and the Sisters near La Digue.

Creole history and culture

Long uninhabited, the two islands were explored in 1768 by a French expedition from Isle de France, today’s Mauritius. Praslin, then called Isle of Palms, was named after the Duc de Praslin, Louis XV’s navy minister, while La Digue and Curieuse took their names from the expedition’s ships. French settlers arrived in the late eighteenth century with enslaved people brought from Africa and Madagascar, before the archipelago came under British rule early in the following century and finally gained independence in 1976.

This past shaped a mixed Creole culture whose language, Kreol Seselwa, is one of the country’s three official languages alongside English and French. On La Digue, old copra and vanilla plantations such as L’Union Estate recall the island’s former economy. Traditional music and dance, including the moutya, added to UNESCO’s intangible heritage list in 2021, set the rhythm of celebrations, and every 15 August La Digue marks the Assumption with the big Lafet La Digue, which draws visitors from all over the archipelago.

What to see on Praslin and La Digue

On Praslin, the unmissable sight is the Vallée de Mai, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. In this 19.5-hectare primeval forest, trails of 1.5 to 4 km wind beneath the giant coco de mer palms, whose seed is the largest in the plant kingdom and which grow naturally only on Praslin and Curieuse. It is also the refuge of the Seychelles black parrot, the national bird. The site is open from 8.30am to 4.30pm, with last entry at 3.30pm. The Fond Ferdinand reserve is a quieter alternative.

On La Digue, L’Union Estate brings together an old planter’s house, a copra mill, a vanilla plantation, the settlers’ cemetery and a giant tortoise pen; its entrance fee, around 150 rupees as a guide, also gives access to Anse Source d’Argent. In the middle of the island, the Veuve Reserve protects the Seychelles paradise flycatcher, nicknamed “veuve” (widow) by islanders for the male’s black plumage. Walkers climb Nid d’Aigle, the island’s highest point, for sweeping views over Praslin and the surrounding islets.

Beaches, sea and nature

In the north-west of Praslin, Anse Lazio combines golden sand, turquoise water and granite boulders, with restaurants at both ends. Its quieter neighbour, Anse Georgette, is reached by crossing the grounds of the adjacent hotel after checking in at the gate. On the north-east coast, the long Côte d’Or beach offers calm, shallow water, ideal for families, and serves as the base for dive centres and excursion boats. Offshore, St Pierre, a granite rock bristling with palms, is one of the most photographed snorkelling spots in the country.

On La Digue, Anse Source d’Argent owes its fame to sculpted granite boulders and a shallow lagoon, so come early to beat the crowds. On the east coast, Grand Anse, Petite Anse and Anse Cocos are stunning but exposed to waves and currents, and swimming there can be dangerous. From Praslin, boat trips head to Curieuse, where Aldabra giant tortoises roam free near a mangrove, and to Cousin, a seabird reserve visited with a warden for about 600 rupees as a guide.

Getting to Praslin and La Digue and getting around

From Europe, you first fly to Mahé’s international airport (SEZ): Air Seychelles flew direct from Paris in spring 2026, otherwise connect via Dubai, Doha, Addis Ababa or Istanbul. From Mahé, Air Seychelles runs many daily Twin Otter flights to Praslin Airport (PRI), taking about fifteen minutes. By sea, Cat Cocos catamarans link Victoria’s Inter-Island Quay with Baie Sainte-Anne in roughly an hour, then continue to La Digue. Between Praslin and La Digue, the Inter Island Ferry and Cat Cocos cross in fifteen minutes.

On Praslin, you can hire a car (driving on the left, on narrow, winding roads) or take public buses along the two main routes; according to the latest information, a prepaid card is required. Taxis often have no meter, so agree on the fare before setting off. On La Digue, a car is not an option: people get around by bicycle, on foot or by taxi, and electric buggies are reserved for hotels and a few licensed taxis. Schedules and rules change often, so check with operators and authorities before you travel.

Best time to go, budget and entry requirements

The Seychelles can be visited all year round, with temperatures close to 30 °C. The best periods are the shoulder seasons, April to May and October to November: light winds, calm seas and very clear water for diving. From May to September, the south-east trade wind cools the air but churns up the sea on some coasts; from December to March, the north-west monsoon brings humid heat and showers. The currency is the Seychelles rupee (SCR); euros are widely accepted in tourism, but carry rupees for small shops.

No visa is needed for EU citizens, who are generally treated like French nationals: a visitor’s permit of up to three months is issued on arrival. Before departure, however, you must obtain a Travel Authorisation on the official site seychelles.govtas.com, around €10 for standard processing plus fees as a guide, with a return ticket, accommodation booking and sufficient funds; check the rules for your nationality. Since January 2026, an environmental levy of 75 to 100 rupees per person per night applies in hotels with more than 24 rooms, while small establishments are exempt.

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Your questions answered

Nearby islands: Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar and Maldives.

Photo : NorbertNagel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons