How To Get From Mahé to La Digue
From The Authors: Gaelle was born and raised in the Seychelles while Viktor has been living here for 1+ year. Unlike many other travel blogs, we actually have first-hand knowledge and experience of the places we write about. If you have any questions, we respond quickly to comments!
La Digue is one, if not the biggest draw when it comes to vacationing in the Seychelles. After all, it is home to Anse Source d’Argent, one the world’s most famous beaches.
In this guide, we will detail all four different options with which you can travel from Mahé, the main island, to La Digue – some more fancy than others.
👉 Where La Digue Is Located | Cat Cocos Ferry | Air Seychelles | Boat Hire | Helicopter
Where La Digue is Located
La Digue is part of the so-called inner island group, which is comprised of 43 islands (the archipelago of Seychelles counts a total of 115 islands).
It is located about 53 kilometers (~ 33 miles) northeast of Mahé, the principal island, and a mere 10 kilometers (~ 6.21 miles) away from Praslin (second biggest island of Seychelles).
Cat Cocos Ferry
The most popular option to travel from Mahé to La Digue, and frankly the one we recommend, is to take the Cat Cocos ferry.
Expect to be on the ferry for close to 2 hours (including check-in and travel time). You should be at the jetty 30 minutes prior to departure. Have your passport with you for identification.
Also plan in sufficient time, especially if you depart in the morning or afternoon, due to the traffic in Victoria where the jetty is located.
Here’s the current schedule of Cat Cocos for the first half of 2024 (which is also available here):
The earliest boat from Mahé departs at 8 am while the last one leaves at 4:30 pm. Those traveling to La Digue can just stay on the boat as it continues immediately once it reaches Praslin.
Tickets can either be purchased online, in one of Cat Cocos’ offices, or via a travel agent. Certainly, the most convenient and cheapest option is to book online.
You can book directly on the Cat Coco website or through various third-party booking sites like GetYourGuide or Viator.
Personally, we recommend purchasing through Viator as it’s slightly cheaper (since you pay in the local currency on Cat Cocos’ website). Plus, the booking can be cancelled up until a day prior to the trip.
Cat Cocos offers three booking options, namely Lower Deck (cheapest), Upper Deck, and Business (most expensive).
Business doesn’t really offer too many benefits, so you should either pick the lower or upper deck. The lower deck is climatized and naturally offers more stability, which may be of help for those getting sea sick easily.
However, some people still do get sea sick, so it may smell a little odd every now and then – especially if the sea is rough (normally during Southeast Monsoon from May to September).
Consequently, the upper dick is a little shakier but does offer a fresh ocean breeze and sunshine. In any case, Cat Cocos’ employees aren’t really too hung up on checking your supposed seating area, so you can always switch.
Air Seychelles
The second option is to fly with Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles. It was established in 1978 and has since expanded from solely offering domestic flights to various international destinations.
Air Seychelles is also the only airline allowed to fly from within the Seychelles. For local flights, it normally operates a Twin Otter airplane, a high-winged, twin-engine turboprop short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft.
The airplane can normally seat up to 20 people while the flight itself takes round about 20 minutes.
Unfortunately, there are no direct commercial flights from Mahé to La Digue, so you will have to arrange for a boat/ferry transfer when you land.
So, if you’re not transferring directly from Mahé when you land, then it’s best to stick to Cat Cocos, especially since the transfer between the airport and Praslin jetty takes an additional ~ 45 minutes.
Hire A Boat
Cat Cocos isn’t the only way you can travel to La Digue by boat. If you prefer more privacy and slightly faster turnover times, then you can also book a smaller boat for you and your group.
However, that privacy and speed comes at a cost. Expect to pay anywhere from USD 500 to USD 2000 for the boat transfer, depending on the provider you choose.
Some of the most popular ones are Angel Tours, Mimi, Leo’s Boat Charter, or Ocean Blue Travel. Most of them will depart from Eden Island (but do be sure to check with the provider).
Helicopter
The last and certainly most extravagant option you have is to charter a helicopter. Your service of choice would be Zil Air, which has been in operation since 2007 and has conducted 25,000+ successful flights.
While we have personally never done a helicopter flight (hit us up Zil Air, if you want to sponsor us), we have friends who booked the experience and said it was an incredible experience.
That said, you don’t necessarily have to book them for transfer services. Zil Air also offers a variety of different experiences, such as excursions to Cousin Island.
