If you are looking for an unspoiled and exotic beach vacation, consider Anse Source d'Argent on the southwest coast of La Digue. Located four degrees south of the equator, in the Seychelles Islands, the Indian Ocean beach is 1,600 kilometers east of Kenya and 3,200 kilometers southwest of India.
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| Granite rocks line La Digue beach |
| Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll |
Anse Source d'Argent is one of many dazzling beaches in the Seychelles. The word "anse" means "beach" in the Seychelles' Creole language.
How to get to La Digue
To get to La Digue, take a three-hour boat trip northeast of the main island of Mahé or, better yet, a half-hour inter-island schooner from Praslin. (Air Seychelles flies from Mahé to Praslin.)
From the landing dock, ride an oxcart, walk or cycle to the beach. La Digue is small — only five kilometers by three kilometers, with a population of 2,100 people.
Union Estate & Copra Factory
Along the route, stop at the Union Estate & Copra Factory museum. You'll learn how islanders used a bull-powered mill to crush 35 kg of copra (dried coconut meat) to make 10 liters of coconut oil each day.
You'll also see some 90-year-old Aldabra tortoises. One of them has an uncanny resemblance to E.T. in the 1982 film, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
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| Tortoise at Union Estate & Copra Factory |
| Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll |
Pristine beach
Tall coconut palms and wispy casuarina trees tower above as you walk to Anse Source d'Argent. Soaring granite boulders frame the sandy crescent.
Shallow, bathtub-warm water tickles your ankles as you stroll along the beach through the gentle surf. The water color varies from peacock blue to cat's-eye green.
There is no pollution here. No poisonous insects or dangerous wildlife invade this beach paradise.
The only litter is fallen coconuts from the tall palms fringing the beach. One concession to commerce is a little shack that sells soft drinks, samosas, fresh coconut and banana fritters.
What to do
Bring binoculars to watch wheeling frigate birds, petrels and terns. If you're lucky, you may spot an endangered black paradise-flycatcher.
Don snorkel gear and wade into the water to view iridescent tropical fish hovering near the reef. La Digue, and the other Seychelles Islands, offer snorkelers and divers more than 200 species of fish. Underwater visibility is up to 50 meters.
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| Couple walks on Anse Source d'Argent beach |
| Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll |
Film location
Leave your footprints in the talcum powder sand of La Digue's seductive beach, just as cast members did during the filming of the Crusoe and Castaway movies.
Tranquil and pristine, Anse Source d'Argent is the quintessential postcard beach where visitors can indulge their fantasies, be they escapism or romance.
TRAVEL INFORMATION
More things to see and do in the Seychelles:
Curieuse Seychelles - National Park Giant Tortoises & Boardwalk Trail
