 |
| Author waiting for waves in the Seychelles |
Surfing in the Seychelles requires loads of patience and realistic expectations. It's not known to be a surf destination but sometimes there are surfable waves if you're willing to wait. And wait. And wait some more. I was there from late November 2025 until end of January 2026 and could count on two hands the total number of days that were surfable in 2 months. You'll get more action if you double as a bodyboarder, which I did for most of my time there. Granted, I arrived too early to the party*: the peak surf season starts February.
 |
| Grand Anse, La Digue |
The reward for patience is uncrowded, glassy, turquoise waves, between waist to head high, in scenic surroundings and water that smells so good, I wish I could bottle the scent as perfume**. For the vast majority of my session, I was the only surfer or bodyboarder out. Once in a while I'm joined by a friendly local who's happy to share the waves. You can find all 5-7 of the local bodyboarders (Mattie, Marley, Solo) and surfers (Nicolas, Jerve, and sometimes Alvin and another older guy) hanging out or working at the fruit shack on Grand Anse in the south side of La Digue.
 |
| Fruit shack at Grand Anse, La Digue |
It's best to bring your own equipment. There are no surf shops on La Digue. The fruit shack has 1 surfboard for rent (an NSP shortboard) and a couple bodyboards (but only 1 bodyboard fin). They occasionally offer beginner lessons but they are very casual. Don't expect a structured ISA curriculum with theory and video analysis. Nobody's standing out here with a tripod and DSLR camera unless they're some Instagram influencer's boyfriend shooting their girlfriend in various bikinis.
When to Go
For south-facing breaks, December-April. Swells are coming from the south or southeast. While the northern side of the islands are blownout and choppy, winds are light and offshore on the other side because the mountains block much of the wind coming that way.
Even during peak season though, the swells are very inconsistent, as this other blogger also found. The best days are when swell energy is over 200 kJ, but both Surfline and surf-forecast.com often get it wrong. Seychelles is too unpredictable for a strike mission. Most of each week it's between 120-170 kJ. The remaining 1-2 days a week is a bipolar crap shoot between flat spell or a 4-8ft day.
 |
| Anse Patates, northeast side of La Digue, Seychelles |
Surf Spots
La Digue is the best surfing island (unless you can afford the $1000 a night stay at Alphonse Island). Mahe is the island you fly into when coming from abroad. There are many more spots than listed here - rent a car and check out each little nook and cranny - but these are the ones I checked out personally. Most breaks are reef breaks and there are a few sea urchins at the edge of the reef. So, watch where you step.
 |
| Grand Anse, La Digue on a smaller than usual day |
Mahe
Anse Barbaron, Mahe
90% dumpy closeouts with barrel potential but, boy, do the waves close fast! Shallow and rocky. Lefts and rights. If surfing all the way in, watch out for the rock sticking out in front of Avani Resort. Rip currents to the right and left of the resort. Plunging waves.
 |
| Anse Barbaron, Mahe |
Baie Lazare, Mahe
Multiple peaks in a wide bay with deeper water and a mix of reef and sand. Beginner surf schools usually teach at this spot, though I was alone on the days I was there. Mostly closeouts unless it's under 4 feet. You get good at picking out little corners here and there. Primarily lefts. Spilling waves. Faces southwest.
 |
| Baie Lazare, Mahe |
Anse Parnell, Mahe
Funny that there's a Surfers Beach Restaurant here but there are hardly any waves - or surfers. Shallow (knee to waist-high water) but mostly flat reef. With a higher tide and bigger swell, I can see the potential here for surfable peelers during a small window between mid-high tide. Several sea urchins at the outer edge of the reef. Faces east.
 |
| Anse Parnell, Mahe |
La Digue
Grand Anse
Wide and deep bay with a mix of reef and sand bottom. The best peaks are the left-hander that starts by the rocks on the east end and the A-frame roller in front of Loutier Coco restaurant. There's a channel in between the peaks but the sets are so far apart that you can paddle out anywhere if you time it right. Mostly lefts.
Grand Anse had the best quality waves on my whole trip. Fun peelers, long rides and, for bodyboarders, lots of barrels. Any tide works, but high tide tends to hide smaller (sub 1-meter) swells. My favorite times were mid to low tide with a short to medium period swell (long periods of 13 seconds or longer tend to closeout).
 |
| Grand Anse, La Digue |
Longboarders and midlengths would do best here with all the slow rollers, but I didn't see any because Grand Anse is a long way to lug such a big board - it's a 40-minute bike ride up and down hills to get from town to the beach. All the surfers I saw here had shortboards but nobody had a bike rack... except Jerve after I gave him my bike rack.
Petite Anse
Just a 10 minute hike over the rocks at Grand Anse is an even more secluded cove with sand bottom and potential for a good, peeling left-hander at the point break with the rare large swell. Sharp dropoff in the sea floor creates pounding shorebreaks.
Good be a good point break with a bigger swell
Anse Patates
On the northeast side of La Digue is a postcard-perfect beach with a long but treacherous left (there's a lot of submerged rocks) and a shorter right. Lots of nasty surprise rocks though. Best to go at mid to high tide and wait for the occasional wave that breaks farther outside.
La Passe and Anse Severe
Too rocky and shallow to be worth the time - even at high tide. You can walk all the way to the outer reef only to realize the waves are breaking over coral bommies that are only 6-12 inches below the surface. Also, this is on the northwest side of the island, which is not where the swells are hitting in November-January. It sure gets windy though.
 |
| Anse Severe |
Where to Stay
I loved my temporary home at Villa Charette, I kept extending my stay. These are self-catering apartments that come with a washing machine (key for an island that has no laundromats), fast and stable wifi, water tanks (clutch during dry season water cuts), air conditioning, balcony, flat-screen TV (great for rainy days) and full kitchen with stove and oven. They have garden view and seaview apartments just across the street from the ocean, in an idyllic area with people biking or walking by. It's far enough from downtown to avoid the hustle and bustle yet close enough to the jetty so you can walk 5 minutes from the ferry to the apartment.
 |
| View from the balcony at Villa Charette |
Though located right on the main road, it's still quiet at night - except when Mr. Bo at the coconut stand across the street gets drunk and yells at an imaginary figure. Or it's New Year's Eve and you're hemmed in on both sides by loud music from the 4-star Domaine l'Orangerie resort and the downtown square (which is where most people gather for NYE celebrations).
 |
| Kitchen at Villa Charette |
The owners are a kind couple from Mahe who've made La Digue their home. They live in the middle of the compound and helped me out with my visa extension. Arthur accompanied me to the hospital on Praslin to get an x-ray after my bike accident. He cut through the red tape and language barrier to make sure I got the care I needed. His wife, Wendy, taught me how to make creole food. She also runs a hair salon right on the property! Villa Charette really has everything you need.
Where to Eat
As much of the food in Seychelles is imported, eating out is an expensive affair. It's like paying LA prices of $30-70 per person per meal but for lower quality (ingredients that come out of a can or a bag). The agricultural industry doesn't produce enough for even the local population, let alone the influx of foreigners.
 |
| Please don't eat the giant Aldabra Tortoises |
It's more cost effective to make your own meals and buy from the farmers selling fresh produce on tables along the main road (in front of Avalunch restaurant, or in front of the fish market at La Passe, or farther down towards Union Estate). You can do groceries at the tight-packed Farish Family Mart behind the playground or at the larger La Digue Supermarket under Gregoire's Apartments. For bread, you can get fresh baguettes and sliced bread at Glorious Bakery, but get there early - they run out of baguettes by noon.
 |
| Glorious Bakery, La Digue |
If you do venture out though, try the takeaways that serve creole foods. They're much cheaper than the traditional sit-down restaurants, selling takeout meals for 95-120 SCR (around US$8).
- Mi Mum's - The best food on the island, in my opinion. Also the spiciest. They make everything from scratch and the meat is stewed tender. Outdoor seating available.
- Rey and Josh Cafe Takeaway - Creole curries and grilled fish with curried lentils, eggplant chutney and/or papaya salad. They also make fresh fruit shakes and smoothies. Outdoor seating available.
- Gala Takeaway - Like a turo-turo restaurant in the Philippines, you point at what you want and the staff ladles it onto a plate or takeaway box. If dining in, you can sit inside the air-conditioned restaurant.
- Tarosa - little takeout window behind the Tarosa Restaurant offers a daily changing menu of creole and western foods, such as beef curry, bacon mac and cheese, and lasagna. No seating available. Note they are only open until 3pm.
- SeyPec Petrol Station - Yes, the gas station. An unlikely place to get Bangladeshi samosas - and the best samosas on the island - but the world is full of little surprises. Plus, they're only 4 rupees per samosa. Other samosas on the island are just too sweet for my taste.
 |
| Typical takeaway box |
Transportation
You will most likely arrive at the international airport in Mahe, where you can take a domestic flight to Praslin, then a ferry to La Digue (around $65 one-way). There is also a heliport on La Digue where Zil Air lands. If you stay on Mahe, you will probably need to rent a car to explore the island. The roads are narrow and there are few sidewalks.
 |
| Biking is the main form of transportation on La Digue |
La Digue is much easier to get around on foot. It's similar to Gili Trawangan, without the thumping nightlife. It's much smaller than Mahe and only has 10 cars. You can take a taxi for 150-200 SCR per way but most people walk or bike anyway. The lack of motorized traffic contributes to the quiet and laidback atmosphere. The rise of teenagers whizzing by on souped up e-bikes can make your heart skip a beat though if you don't see them coming.
Conclusion
Surfing shouldn't be at the top of your mind when visiting the Seychelles. The waves are rarely ever powerful or frequent. This is not Indo, Nica, nor Hawaii. If I weren't injured***, I would have been very frustrated as a surfer. But, with realistic expectations, one can have a fun and relaxing time, with few other surfers to contend with for waves.
I'm glad I brought my bodyboard - always a good backup! It's best to have alternative hobbies in mind, such as fishing, diving, staring at rocks, relaxing on the beach. Or fulfilling a 24-year dream to paint the Seychelles.
If I convinced you not to come to Seychelles for surfing, good. Stay away. Leave those not-waves to me.
 |
| Staring at more rocks on Anse Source d'Argent beach |
Footnotes
* = I came here to paint, so surfing was not my primary objective in the Seychelles. I was fulfilling a 24-year long mission to experience and capture the beauty of iconic Anse Source D'Argent. You can find a beach with fine, white sand, warm, turquoise water, and palm trees in many other places in the world, but only Seychelles beaches have precambrian granite boulders sculpted by wind and water over millions of years. This granite was part of the Gondwanaland supercontinent before it broke away over 750 million years ago. I had wanted to visit Seychelles since I first saw a picture of Anse Source D'Argent when I was 19 years old. It took me decades to build the financial and psychological means to get there, but I finally did!
 |
| One of my paintings of Anse Source d'Argent, La Digue |
** = It smells like clean water filtered through layers of granite, a little musky and earthy like vetiver, with hints of flowers. During flat spells, I could just float in the water and inhale that stuff for hours and get high. My landlord said it's probably the sea grass and reef I'm smelling through the water.
*** = I partially tore the rotator cuff in my right shoulder from a bike accident in December on La Digue. I couldn't move my right arm for a while. Paddling with one good arm is, well, gonna take time to master. I admire Bethany Hamilton for her grit.
Reviewed by beachplease
on
February 21, 2026
Rating:
