Praslin or La Digue? Comparison Table and How Many Days Each Needs
Base on Praslin and day-trip La Digue, unless you want car-free, bike-paced days. A side-by-side table, a day-trip test with real boat times and a 3, 5 and 7 night plan.
By Ivy Underhill (editorial pen name), November 2026
- Praslin covers 38.5 km2 and La Digue 10.1 km2 (Wikipedia). Praslin is almost four times bigger.
- The ferry between them takes about 15 minutes (Cat Cocos schedule page) and costs SCR 188 one way for an adult visitor. That is about €12 at the Central Bank of Seychelles rate of 10 November 2026.
- On La Digue, bicycles are "the primary means of transportation" (Wikipedia). Praslin has buses, taxis and hire cars.
- A day trip is enough for most people. Stay one or two nights on La Digue for the quiet; three is the practical maximum. Praslin works as a base for a whole short trip.
- The last Cat Cocos boat back from La Digue leaves at 16
- 30 on Monday and Wednesday, 17:00 on Friday and Saturday, 13:30 on Tuesday and Thursday, and 07:30 on Sunday.
On this page
Base yourself on Praslin and visit La Digue for a day. Take the 09:30 Cat Cocos boat from Praslin on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday. Stay on La Digue only if you want car-free evenings at bicycle speed, and then for one or two nights. The boat takes about 15 minutes, so the choice is smaller than the forum threads make it look.
Both islands are, yes, paradise. That settles nothing, so here are the differences that do.
Praslin vs La Digue: the comparison table
| Praslin | La Digue | |
|---|---|---|
| Size and people | 38.52 km2, 7,553 people in 2014 | 10.08 km2, 2,800 people in 2014 |
| Getting around | Bus lines 61, 62 and 63 (Mon-Fri, 06:00-19:00 per Wikivoyage), taxis, hire cars about SCR 1,300 a day | Bicycle, about SCR 100 a day; ox-carts; a few taxis; no car rental |
| Beaches | Anse Lazio, Côte d'Or, Anse Kerlan, Anse Georgette (needs permission, see below) | Anse Source d'Argent, Grand Anse, Anse Sévère, Anse Gaulettes |
| Swimming | Anse Lazio is described as clear and good for swimming. Côte d'Or is calm and shallow | Source d'Argent gets very shallow at low tide. Grand Anse can have strong currents and waves |
| Season | The south-east trade winds blow roughly May to October and make the sea choppier. Check each beach before you plan around it | Same weather, same caveat. Tide matters more at Source d'Argent |
| Main sights | Vallée de Mai (UNESCO), Anse Lazio, boats to Curieuse | Anse Source d'Argent, L'Union Estate, bike rides, Veuve Nature Reserve |
| Costs to know | Taxi to Anse Lazio about SCR 200 each way from Anse Volbert (KOEK) | Estate fee SCR 150 per person for Source d'Argent; bike about SCR 100 a day |
| Ferry link | 15 minutes to La Digue, SCR 188 one way on Cat Cocos | 15 minutes to Praslin |
| Evenings | More choice, spread out, you need transport | Small and walkable, fewer places; the last Cat Cocos boat to Praslin leaves at 17:00 at the latest |
| Days needed | 3 to 5 nights as a base | 1 day as a trip; 1 or 2 nights if you want the quiet; 3 at most |
Fees and fares change, so confirm them on the day.
Anse Georgette is on Praslin, not Mahé, and it is not a plain public beach. Wikipedia says it lies inside the private grounds of the Constance Lémuria resort. Non-guests need prior permission, or can come on foot from Anse Lazio or by boat. Ask before you build a day around it. Reports differ on how strictly this is enforced.
Which island is for you?
Pick Praslin if you want choice, easy transport and a quiet hotel with a beach. That is my default for a first visit. KOEK also says to base on Praslin for stays of five days or fewer.
Pick La Digue if you want to leave the car behind. The whole island measures 10 km2, and Johnny Africa says it can be cycled end to end in roughly 30 minutes. The trade-off is fewer places to eat and a smaller choice of rooms. Wikivoyage says only a few hotels operate in town and that they are costly.
Skip La Digue as a base if you are on a tight budget or dislike cycling in heat. A postcard does not pedal for you. Skip Praslin as a base if you want everything within walking distance of your door. Neither is a mistake. Both are a 15-minute ferry apart.
Couples and honeymoons
My pick for a honeymoon is Praslin first, La Digue for the last one or two nights. Praslin gives you a calm base with proper transport. La Digue is the slower version, and the real question is whether you want to cycle to dinner. Do it at the end, so the quiet is the last thing you remember and the airport is not.
Day trip or stay: the boat-times test
On Cat Cocos you get about 7 hours on La Digue on a good day. That works on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; on the other three days the timetable spoils it.
The times below are from the operator's timetable image, "Schedule for 2026 & 2027", on the Cat Cocos home page. The crossing takes 15 minutes, so add that to get the arrival.
| Day | First boat to La Digue | Last boat back | Time on the island (arrival to the last boat) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, Wed | 09:30 (arrive about 09:45) | 16:30 | about 6 hours 45 minutes |
| Fri, Sat | 09:30 (arrive about 09:45) | 17:00 | about 7 hours 15 minutes |
| Tue, Thu | 12:00 (arrive about 12:15) | 13:30 | about 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Sun | 12:30 (arrive about 12:45) | 07:30 next morning | an overnight stay |
Scroll sideways for more columns.
The table shows arrival to the last boat. Cat Cocos's terms ask you to be at the jetty 30 minutes before departure. Take that off and a good day is about 6 hours 15 minutes to 6 hours 45 minutes.
A second operator, Cat Rose, also crosses between Praslin and La Digue. Booking agents list its sailings, but we could not confirm them with the operator. It may add boats, so check its times at the jetty.
Timetables change, so check the day before, and do not cut the last boat fine. If you miss it, you sleep on La Digue.
The test is simple. Day trip is enough if you want Source d'Argent, a bike ride and lunch. Stay if you want the beach without the day-trip crowd, or if you want a sunset before the island goes quiet. The last Cat Cocos boat leaves La Digue at 17:00 at the latest. After that, the island belongs to the people who sleep there.
A rough La Digue day on your own has two parts. On the island you pay SCR 250: SCR 100 for the bike plus the SCR 150 estate fee for Source d'Argent. The boat is extra: Cat Cocos charges an adult visitor SCR 188 from Praslin to La Digue, in any class. That is about €12 at the Central Bank of Seychelles rate of 10 November 2026. Lunch comes extra too.
We read that fare in the Cat Cocos booking engine on 11 November 2026, one way, including VAT and a SCR 15 port fee. Children (2 to under 12) and seniors are priced separately there, so run your own search for the way back and for the family.
How many nights: 3, 5 or 7
Count nights after you land on Mahé. Mahé stays out of the maths here.
| Your nights | Our split | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 on Praslin, La Digue as a day trip | One bag to unpack, one beach day on Anse Lazio, one boat day. Day 1 is mostly transfer |
| 5 | 3 on Praslin, 2 on La Digue | Enough for Vallée de Mai and a Curieuse trip, then two evenings of La Digue quiet |
| 7 | 4 on Praslin, 3 on La Digue | Slow days on both. Spare day for rough sea or rain |
This split is our reading of the sources, not a rule. KOEK suggests four or five nights on Praslin in a two-week trip and, if you stay on La Digue, at least two full nights. We say one or two is enough for most people, so we sit a notch lower on the minimum.
The 3-night row is the default for first-timers with three nights, and it matches KOEK's advice to base on Praslin for five days or fewer. The 3+2 split in the 5-night row is for people who want car-free evenings on La Digue. If I had to cut a night, I would cut the second La Digue night first. The first evening is the one most people remember.
Why not more than 3 nights on La Digue? The island is 10 km2 and Wikivoyage mentions mainly a few takeaways and one resort restaurant. A fourth night only makes sense for guided hikes or as a rain buffer. The Veuve reserve offers guided hikes (Wikipedia), and Wikivoyage says you need a guide for Anse Marron. Three is the practical maximum, one or two is enough for most people, and a spare Praslin night costs you nothing in choice. Yes, it is paradise. It is also a small island with a bike and a very early bedtime.
How many days are enough for Seychelles?
Seven nights is enough to see two islands properly. With less than five, stay on one island and add a day trip. With ten or more, add Mahé for two nights at the start or end. Sources vary on this, and so do people. There is no month to skip outright. The south-east trade winds (about May to October) make the sea choppier, the north-west monsoon is the wetter season, and sources disagree on its dates. I found no official beach-by-season table, so check the sea before you plan a boat day around one beach.
Answers to the usual objections
"Anse Source d'Argent is crowded." It can be. Johnny Africa found the main beach small and packed and preferred Grand Anse and Petite Anse. Entry is through L'Union Estate at SCR 150 per person (Wikivoyage, Johnny Africa). Go early or late, and check the tide, because Wikivoyage says it can be difficult to swim at low tide, as the water gets extremely shallow.
"La Digue has few places to eat late." We could not find a published rule on kitchen hours, so ask your guesthouse on arrival. What is documented is that the last Cat Cocos boat back leaves by 17:00 and that the island is small. Wikivoyage mentions mainly Creole takeaways in town and one resort restaurant. Book dinner on the day if you stay.
"Praslin needs transport." Yes. Wikivoyage lists three bus lines (61, 62, 63), Monday to Friday, 06:00 to 19:00. It calls a hire car "probably the easiest way to get around", at about SCR 1,300 a day. Anse Lazio, in the north-west, is a taxi or car trip. KOEK puts a taxi from Anse Volbert at about SCR 200 each way and says to agree the fare first.
"It is all overpriced." Fair, and I would rather say so than sell you a dream. Johnny Africa paid almost EUR 8 for a papaya and 100 SCR for a coconut at Grand Anse. On both islands, check prices before you order.
Mahé in one paragraph
Mahé has the international airport, Victoria and the most restaurants. KOEK calls it a one or two-night stop for arrival and the national park. My advice: land, sleep, move on. Do not plan your beach week around Mahé unless you like driving. KOEK says you need a car there, and the other two islands are why most people come.
Getting from Mahé to Praslin
Take the Cat Cocos ferry if you want the cheaper, easier option with bags. It takes about 1 hour 15 minutes from Mahé to Praslin, according to Cat Cocos. KOEK gives 55 to 65 minutes. An adult visitor pays SCR 890 one way in Coco de Mer, the cheapest class (booking engine, 11 November 2026). That is about €55 at the Central Bank of Seychelles rate of 10 November 2026. Fly if you are short on time. The flight takes about 15 to 20 minutes (KOEK; airline schedule listings show about 20). KOEK says it costs three to four times the ferry, but gives no fare, so check both.
Leaving La Digue, Cat Cocos also runs a direct boat to Mahé at 14:15 on Saturday and Sunday.
FAQ
Is La Digue worth a night or just a day?
A day is enough for most people: Source d'Argent and a bike ride fit in it. Stay one or two nights if you want the quiet after the boats leave. Three is the practical maximum. The last Cat Cocos boat back leaves between 13:30 and 17:00, depending on the day, and at 07:30 on Sunday.
How many days do you need on Praslin?
Three to five nights covers Vallée de Mai, Anse Lazio and a boat trip. KOEK recommends four or five nights in a two-week trip, and says to base on Praslin if you have five days or fewer.
Can you hire a car on La Digue?
No. Wikivoyage lists no car rentals on La Digue. Bicycles are the main transport. Wikipedia notes that most cars and buses on the island belong to hotel companies.
Which is better for a honeymoon, Praslin or La Digue?
Praslin if you want comfort and transport. La Digue if you want bikes and quiet. Splitting the stay, Praslin first, is the safe pick.
How long is the ferry from Praslin to La Digue?
About 15 minutes, according to Cat Cocos. Its timetable has two or three boats a day each way, and one back from La Digue on Sunday. Cat Rose also sails it, but we could not confirm its times with the operator.
Sources
- Cat Cocos - operator home page ('Schedule for 2026 & 2027' timetable image), catcocos.com
- Cat Cocos - schedule page (crossing times), catcocos.com
- Cat Cocos - terms and conditions (boarding 30 minutes before, checked luggage one hour before), catcocos.com
- Cat Cocos - online booking (one-way fares read 11 Nov 2026), booking.catcocos.com
- Central Bank of Seychelles - Consolidated Average Rates of Authorised Dealers (EUR mid-rate 16.2645, 10 Nov 2026), cbs.sc
- Wikivoyage - La Digue (bikes, Anse Source d'Argent fee and tide note, Grand Anse currents), en.wikivoyage.org
- Wikivoyage - Praslin (bus lines, car hire, beaches, airport), en.wikivoyage.org
- Wikipedia - La Digue (area 10.08 km2, 2,800 people in 2014, bicycles), en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia - Praslin (area 38.52 km2, 7,553 people in 2014, 44 km from Mahe), en.wikipedia.org
- Johnny Africa - La Digue guide (Source d'Argent crowds, bike and food prices), johnnyafrica.com
- KOEK - Mahe vs Praslin vs La Digue (nights per island, Praslin taxi fare), koek.sc
- SBC news - Seychelles monsoon seasons, sbc.sc
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