A hidden reward at the end of a coastal walk on La Digue. Reached on foot beyond Grand Anse, this remote beach hides natural rock pools where you can swim in safety while the open sea crashes just beyond.
Earned on foot
Anse Cocos is one of the quiet triumphs of La Digue, a beach you cannot cycle to and so one that stays gloriously uncrowded. It lies on the wild east coast beyond Grand Anse and Petite Anse, reached by a footpath through forest and over headlands that takes perhaps twenty to thirty minutes from Grand Anse. The walk keeps the casual crowds away and gives the beach the feel of a genuine discovery.
What waits is a long, beautiful sweep of sand backed by palms and granite, open to the ocean and, like its neighbours, often too rough for safe swimming in the open water during the trade-wind season.
The natural pools
Anse Cocos has a special trick. At one end, granite boulders enclose natural rock pools where the water is calm and shallow and sheltered from the swell, so you can float and cool off in safety even when the main beach is pounding with surf. Finding these pools after the walk in is one of the small joys of La Digue, a private-feeling bathe with the wild sea just beyond the rocks.
There are no facilities here at all, so carry your own water and food and take everything back out with you. Wear proper shoes for the trail and go in settled weather.
Know before you go
| Where | East coast of La Digue, beyond Grand Anse and Petite Anse |
| Access | On foot only, around 20 to 30 minutes from Grand Anse |
| Swimming | Unsafe in the open surf, but calm in the sheltered rock pools |
| Facilities | None, carry water and food and take rubbish out |
| Bring | Grippy shoes, water, sun protection |
| Best time | Settled, calmer weather, and earlier in the day for the walk |
What visitors say
★ 4.7 · 433 Google reviews★★★★A very nice beach in La digue. But very strong current…you would have to hike to this beach depends on which way are you coming from. We went from anse banana that way…you have to walk for about 40 mins. Not too diff…
Tindy L · via Google
★★★★★Beat beach in Le Digue, and probably in the entire Seychelles. The finest white sand, incredible blue water, not crowded. However, pretty hard to get there, requires a bit of hiking from both sides. We went from Anse Gra…
Andrei Stoica · via Google
★★★★★The best beach with clear blue water and the best snorkeling at La Digue in the natural swimming pool. A must at La Digue. The fishes we saw there were huge and colorful. It took us around 10min to go from Grand Anse to …
Simona Meier · via Google
★★★★★Great beach, but everyone goes for the natural pool. There is 30 min easy hike from Grande Anse beach.
Stefan Buldeev · via Google
Anse Cocos is a walking reward best reached with time in hand, so staying on La Digue rather than rushing a day trip is the way to enjoy it. Base yourself on the island and make a slow morning of the east-coast beaches.
Island day tripLa Digue island day tourfrom €200 per groupBook this tripTours via Viator, stays via Booking.com. We may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Nearby Grand Anse (La Digue) · Anse Source d’Argent · L’Union Estate
Head for the rock pools at the far end. When the open sea is too rough to swim, those sheltered granite pools let you cool off safely, and they are the reason Anse Cocos is worth the walk.
