La Digue’s old plantation heart. A working heritage estate of vanilla, copra and coconut, home to a giant-tortoise pen and a colonial house, and the gateway to the famous Anse Source d’Argent.
A window into plantation La Digue
L’Union Estate is where the old economy of La Digue is kept alive. This former coconut and vanilla plantation still shows how the island earned its living for generations, with an ox-driven copra mill where dried coconut was once crushed for oil, rows of vanilla, and the tall granite outcrop known as Union Rock rising over it all. A traditional plantation house, all timber and shade, completes the picture of colonial-era island life.
The estate also keeps a pen of giant Aldabra tortoises that visitors can see up close, always a favourite with children, and the grounds are pleasant to wander among the palms and old buildings. For a small island, it packs a lot of heritage into one visit.
The gateway to the great beach
For most visitors the estate is also simply the way in to Anse Source d’Argent, one of the most photographed beaches in the world, which lies just beyond it. The single entry ticket to L’Union covers both the estate and access to the beach, so the two are almost always seen together.
It is worth being clear-eyed about the ticket. Some visitors feel the fee is steep for what the estate alone offers, which is reflected in mixed reviews, but seen as the combined price of the heritage grounds and entry to a world-famous beach it makes more sense. Come for both, take your time with the tortoises and the mill, then walk on to the sand.
Know before you go
| Where | West coast of La Digue, on the way to Anse Source d’Argent |
| Type | Heritage plantation estate and beach gateway |
| See | Copra mill, vanilla, plantation house, giant tortoise pen, Union Rock |
| Entry | One ticket covers the estate and access to Anse Source d’Argent |
| Getting there | A short cycle or walk from La Digue jetty |
| Time to allow | Half an hour to an hour, plus the beach beyond |
| Good for | History, families, and reaching the famous beach |
What visitors say
★ 3.1 · 312 Google reviews★★★★L’Union Estate is a beautiful estate where you can see many amazing giant tortoises. You can also visit the vanilla plantation and the traditional coconut mill. This estate is the access route to the famous Anse Source d…
Aruna nair · via Google
★Under no circumstances should you support their “entrance fee” to the park. A short distance before the park gate, you can turn right and bypass the entrance by going past the heliport along the beach through the sea, wh…
Natália Duchová · via Google
★★★★★The entrance to Anse Source d’Argent and some other beaches. You have to pay a small entry fee, currently it’s 115 rupees. You can find in the park lots of coconuts and vanilla plantations, there’s a huge rock surrounded…
Sagi Yemini · via Google
★★★★I don’t understand people who are complaining about 9eur fee as is it not true you don’t have anything to see isinde. There are giant turtles, mini botanic garden and nature overall. Even if there is nothing, 9eur is wor…
Velx · via Google
The estate and Source d’Argent are the anchor of any La Digue day. Staying on the island lets you cycle in early, enjoy the heritage and the beach, and skip the day-tripper rush from Praslin.
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 Anse Source d’Argent · Grand Anse (La Digue) · Anse Cocos
See the estate as the combined ticket to the tortoises, the old mill and the world-famous beach beyond, and go early. That framing, and the morning light on Source d’Argent, is what makes the fee feel worth it.
