Exploring the beautiful La Digue island by bike not only sounds like a relaxing day, it is. With a little effort at least. Because even if you drive a lot in direct proximity to the beach, you have to climb the one or other small slope on La Digue Island with the bike again and again.
Nevertheless, you should not miss this relaxed way of getting around on the small Seychelles island and explore the island with its beaches on your own. A bike tour on La Digue was one of our absolute highlights of the island. What other highlights La Digue has to offer, you can read here:
Renting a Bike on La Digue
We rented our bike directly across the street from our hotel and unfortunately we were not happy with it at all. Yes, we got from A to B with it, but it was certainly not safe. The brakes squeaked, the gears didn’t work and something rattled constantly.
Unfortunately, many of the bikes on La Digue looked like this, which is probably due to the proximity to the sea and the salt in the air. So you should put your bike through its paces and ask for a replacement bike if there are any defects. Once this is done, the bike tour on La Digue can start.
Hotel Recommendation on La Digue
On La Digue, we can recommend the La Digue Self-Catering Apartment* right near the Jetty. Our beautiful little apartment was super central at the harbor and was the perfect starting point to reach the most different corners of the island by bike. We also had several supermarkets, restaurants and a great bakery nearby, so we could get enough provisions for our bike baskets and spend the day on the most beautiful beaches on La Digue. If you want to take a closer look at the hotel, just click on the button below and you will see the exact availability and current prices.
The highly recommended La Digue Self-Catering Apartment*
What Routes can you bike on La Digue?
The end of the road on La Digue is at Anse Fourmis. While you ride comfortably and enjoy the great view, without any warning the road suddenly ends. Behind it follow many granite rocks and a rocky coast. The other end of the road is at Grand Anse. Until the beginning of the Union Estate Park you can still drive along or near the beach.
A bike tour on La Digue is a great change from lazing on the beach and allows you to explore the island on your own. The tour can be done confidently in one day, making stops at the different beaches. However, we split it into two days and started from our accommodation at the jetty*.
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From the Jetty to the north
On the first day we started from the jetty heading north and made the first longer stop at Anse Severe. Here you can snorkel especially at the left side of the beach. At the beach bar there are cocktails and you can visit the two huge free running turtles.
We continued to Anse Patates, a small mini beach with impressive huge rocks on the beach. Here you can really feel the force of the waves and you should take your fins with you when swimming. After cooling off at Anse Patates, we continued to the end of the road.
The way follows partly along the green jungle of the island and again and again past small dreamy houses with beautifully blooming flowers in the front garden. The idyll is accompanied by the chirping of birds.
The end of the road is at Anse Fourmis. If you go back a few meters, you will come to Anse Banane. Here is another beautiful stretch of beach with a palm tree growing at an angle, perfect for climbing on for a few snapshots. Additionally, there is a small stand where you can buy a coconut for 50 SCR and have the perfect refreshment after the bike ride. Snorkeling is also possible here. However, there is not much to see.
Bike Tour to the South
If you cycle from the Jetty towards the south on La Digue, you not only dive along the coast. There is also the lush green jungle waiting for you. At the beginning the way runs along the “main road” and past hotels, stores and supermarkets.
The road runs parallel to the beach until you reach Union State Par. At the junction you can either enter the area of the Union State Park to visit e.g. the Anse Source D’Argent, or you keep left and dive into the interior of the island.
After the turnoff, the road goes through the center of the island to the very south. The roads are well developed, while at the same time you have the feeling to drive through the jungle. To the right and left of the road everything is wildly overgrown and one gets an impression of the flora and fauna of La Digue. Between palm trees, lianas and conifers, there are always magnificently colorful flowers lining the way.
In between you will always find the typical granite rocks of the Seychelles. Beside some houses one has on the right and on the left of the street the dense green of the jungle from which unknown noises penetrate. We stopped again and again to see if we could spot some native animals.
When you spend most of your time on the beach, the green of the trees and plants and the accompanying sound backdrop is a great change. If you continue along the road, after about 30 minutes you will reach the southern end of the island, Grand Anse. At the end of your bike ride, not only a great beach awaits you but also the possibility of a short hike to one of the most beautiful beaches of La Digue, the Anse Cocos.
Have you been to La Digue and explored the island by bike? Leave us a comment with your experiences.