Coco, Felicite and Sister Islands Catamaran Cruise with BBQ

La Passe, La Digue: boarding the catamaran

La Passe is the only village and harbour on La Digue, the small granite island east of Praslin that most visitors reach by ferry. The catamaran boards at the jetty here at 09:00, a few minutes on foot or by bicycle from most guesthouses and hotels on the island; land transfers on La Digue are not included, so you make your own way to the jetty. If you are staying on Praslin, the second option includes return ferry tickets and hotel transfers and turns the day into about eight hours.

A catamaran is wide and stable, with shaded seating, a trampoline net at the bow and plenty of room to move around, which makes this La Digue boat trip comfortable even for guests who are not used to the sea. Our English-speaking crew gives a safety briefing before departure and hands out masks, snorkels and fins. The cruise follows the north coast of La Digue before crossing to the first stop.

Coco Island: snorkelling in a marine national park

Coco Island is a tiny cluster of granite boulders and a few palms about seven kilometres north of La Digue, surrounded by a shallow reef so rich that the islet and its waters are protected as a marine national park; the landing fee is included. The catamaran moors nearby and you snorkel from the boat in water that is usually calm and extremely clear, over coral gardens where parrotfish, snappers, butterflyfish and sometimes eagle rays and hawksbill turtles gather.

This is the highlight for most guests and about an hour is spent here. The crew stays in the water with beginners and a flotation vest can be used by anyone who prefers it. Coco Island snorkelling is suitable for children who can swim, and the sandy shallows beside the rocks are a good place for them to start. Please keep fins away from the coral and never stand on it.

Félicité: the granite coast and its reef

Félicité is the large, steep island you see from the east coast of La Digue, a dome of forested granite with cliffs that drop straight into deep, clear water. The catamaran anchors off its shore for a second snorkelling session of about forty-five minutes. Here the underwater scenery is different: huge boulders covered in soft coral, channels full of fish and the occasional reef shark resting on the sand below, in water a little deeper than at Coco.

Félicité was once a coconut plantation and a place of exile, and today it is private, so this cruise visits its waters rather than its beaches. Seeing it from the boat, with the Sister Islands and Praslin on the horizon, is one of the finest views on any Praslin or La Digue boat trip.

The Sister Islands: beach time on Grande Soeur

The Sister Islands, Grande Soeur and Petite Soeur, lie north of Félicité and are two of the most photographed islands in the Seychelles: twin granite humps with a white beach on each side of the larger one. The catamaran lands on Grande Soeur, where the landing fee is included, and you have time to swim in the calm bay, walk the short path across to the wilder beach on the far side or simply rest under the palms.

The beach stop lasts about an hour and a half. The islands have no shops, so bring anything you need with you. A Sister Islands beach stop is often described by our guests as the picture of the Seychelles they had in mind before they arrived: pale sand, pink-grey boulders and turquoise water with nobody else in sight.

BBQ lunch on board and the sail back to La Digue

Lunch is a BBQ prepared on the catamaran by the crew: grilled fish and chicken with rice, salads and fruit, served with water. It is usually eaten moored off the Sister Islands or on the way between stops, in the shade of the deck. Other services on board, if offered, are at your own expense.

The return sail along the coast of La Digue brings you back to the La Passe jetty around 15:00, about six hours after departure. From there it is a short walk to the ferry or to your accommodation. If you are wondering how to get to La Digue for this cruise, the inter-island ferry from Praslin takes about fifteen minutes, or choose the Praslin option and we take care of tickets and transfers.