The South-East Coast
Grand Anse, Petite Anse & Anse Cocos
In contrast to the more touristic nature of the north-west of La Digue, the south-east offers beautiful jungle trails and incredible beaches to explore.
For those who want to hike to Anse Cocos, La Passe is the starting point. Those who would rather ride a bike can cross the island to Grand Anse. Alternatively, orient yourself towards the south from La Passe (keep the ocean on your right). Around 40 metres after the police station, the road forks to the left. Take this road to the island centre. After 1 km, the road changes path towards the south, before forking again (take the left path). Around 30 minutes later, the road starts to slope upwards slightly, taking you through the Vallée de la Retraite and towards the south. You are now just a few minutes away from Grand Anse, and can probably already hear the waves breaking on the shore.
Grand Anse does not have a protective coral reef, so the raw power of the ocean can really be felt here. In fact, a sign warns you of this fact, reading dangerous currents, which should be respected. That said, the beach is well-worth a visit thanks to its incredible postcard scenery, and attracts many visitors for this very reason.
At the north-east end of the beach, you can find a narrow path by a small pond, forest, and rocks. This path leads to Petite Anse, which is not as small as its name suggests. Butterflies, frogs, and birds accompany the transition to this next bay where similar caution should also be paid to the ocean
Near the south end of Petite Anse is another small path that leads towards a house before continuing over a hill, through jungles and over two small wooden bridges. Shortly after the second, the path heads towards the right which heads to the isolated Anse Cocos. While not as spectacular as Grand Anse, Anse Cocos is undoubtedly nicer than Petite Anse. Unless the sea here is especially rough (May to October, for example), it is usually safe to swim in the direction of the island's eastern tip. This is also a good area for snorkelling.
