Crystal Water Kayaks Tour: Our Honest La Digue Experience

My husband and I are not great at sitting still.

So yes, we woke up early and biked to Grand Anse, then hiked to Anse Cocos… all before our kayak tour.

I know, it sounds excessive.

But hey, we’re the type who like to pack in as much as we can, especially when we only have two full days on the island.

After the hike, we made it back to our boutique hotel, Le Nautique, for a well-earned breakfast after that morning calorie burn. Highly recommend staying there, by the way.

Here’s my very detailed hotel review of why this is the best boutique hotel in La Digue!

Then it was back on the bikes to pedal over to L’Union Estate Park, where the Crystal Water Kayaks tour begins.

The Morning Set-Up

→   Date we went: May 12
→   Start time: 12 pm
→   Check-in time: 11:30 am

The tour time depends on the tides, so we messaged them a few days beforehand to confirm. Super easy.

We biked from our hotel, Le Nautique, to Anse Source D’Agent in L’Union Estate Park, where the tour begins.

Quick Notes on Entry:

→   Entrance fee: 115 SCR (around $8 USD) per person

→   You pay at the little hut to the right when you enter the park.

→   They give you a bracelet as proof.

→   Follow signs for Anse Source D’Argent until you hit a big bike parking lot.

→   Cross the little foot bridge and look left for the Crystal Water Kayaks hut. That’s your meeting spot.

No cars here. Everyone bikes around La Digue, which is part of its charm!

We were greeted by Yves, our guide, who gave a quick rundown of the plan and some safety tips.

They provided a waterproof bag for valuables (shared between two).

We stuffed it with our snorkel gear (yes, we bring our personal gear!), towels, reef-safe sunscreen, and water bottles.

I also brought my trusty Ugo waterproof bag. Love that thing. It’s where I kept my phone, and then I kept my GoPro strapped to my wrist.

You’ll take off your shoes and get them back later at the beach stop.

Water shoes are a must!

Trust me, your feet will thank you. Flip-flops are a bad idea, and I wasn’t about to ruin my sneakers either. We used our dive booties, but any solid water shoes will do the trick.

Then we waded out into the shallow turquoise water, climbed into our clear double kayak (with padded seats!), and got gently towed out to deeper water where the actual paddling began.

The kayaks are two-person setups. My husband took the back, and I was in the front pretending to paddle.

Once we were on our own, we glided past Anse Source D’Argent, and… wow.

You’ve got these massive granite boulders popping out of the sea, clear turquoise water below you, and stretches of white sand that just don’t look real. It’s one of those places where the hype is totally deserved.

No surprise it’s ranked #7 on the list of the world’s best beaches.

And yep, the Seychelles snagged another spot too—Anse Georgette at #30. We visited that one as well, which is also stunning!

We cruised around the coast, stopping occasionally so Yves could point out unique rock formations (he had us guessing what animals they looked like).

We also hovered over some coral patches and watched the fish swim beneath us.

I was amazed how clear the kayak actually was!

Feeling tired?

Just tell Yves you want the “VIP service.” He’ll attach your kayak to the boat so you can cruise without paddling.

No shame. It’s vacation.

After about an hour, we landed at Anse Pierrot, a quiet stretch of beach where the 1988 Robinson Crusoe movie was filmed.

We even got to see the cave where “Crusoe” took shelter in the movie. 

From Anse Pierrot, we did a short hike around and under some boulders (this is why you need water shoes!) to what I believe is labeled as Anse aux Cèdres on Google Maps.

The next stop was totally unexpected and totally worth it!

We squeezed through granite boulders to get to a hidden tide pool, and after that sweaty hike, that dip felt amazing.

I REALLY loved this stop.

It reminded me a bit of the Annaly Tide Pools in St. Croix, just without the long hike.

If we had more time, I would’ve loved to hike to Anse Marron, which leads to even more hidden swimming holes.

You need an expert guide for that hike though, and our time was limited. Next time!

So what if you ever find yourself in a situation like Robinson Crusoe stranded on an island?

How are you going to survive?

Coconuts!

Yves gave us a quick survival lesson in coconut cracking.

It’s not as easy as it looks. Let’s just say if I ever get stranded on a desert island, I’m going to need snacks before disaster strikes.

Still, it was fun to try and even better to snack on some fresh coconut meat.

This part reminded me of the coconut demo we did in Taha’a with Tere (minus the little red pareo).

Then we all loaded into small boats and cruised back toward Anse Source D’Argent.

We were back around 2:45 pm and rinsed off our sandy gear at the outdoor hose near the kayak shack. 

There are also bathrooms and showers as you head back if you want to rinse the salt and sand off yourself before biking back to your hotel.

Since we’d already paid the park entrance fee, we figured why not stay a little longer?

We strolled along more of Anse Source D’Argent, ducking between massive boulders and checking out two casual beach bars. Tempting, but the jet lag was catching up to us fast.

We hopped back on our bikes and returned to Le Nautique, where we rewarded ourselves with some very well-deserved G&Ts and zero guilt.

Before you leave the park though, don’t miss the Aldabra Giant Tortoises.

These tortoises are unique to the Seychelles, and they’re fascinating. We lucked out and saw them during feeding time. 

The best place to visit them is actually Curieuse Island, just off Praslin.

We did a tour there with Captain Jacques from Tranquility Boat Charter, and he was fantastic. Definitely another fun day with some great snorkeling too.

Yes. A hundred times yes.

If you’re coming all the way to the Seychelles and spending time on La Digue, you have to experience Anse Source D’Argent.

And the best way to do that? In a clear-bottom kayak.

The tour is a thoughtful, well-run experience that gives you a totally different view of one of the most iconic beaches in the world.

It’s scenic, it’s peaceful, and it’s the kind of thing you’ll be talking about long after you get back from vacation.

Plus, you get a little workout, a hidden tide pool, a coconut lesson, and a solid excuse for a post-tour cocktail.

Highly recommend!

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Questions about our Crystal Water Kayaks Tour experience?

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