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Southern & East Africa + Indian Ocean Islands · La Digue · La Passe

Anse Source d'Argent

lagoonadvanced onlyhigh crowds
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Nearby Anse Cocos 2 km · Grand Anse (Praslin) 14 km · straight-line distance

SeasonJan, Feb, Mar, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Nov, Decthe months riders and schools nameHow windy12-22 kttradeLaunchTight and tide-dependent. The beach measures roughly 1,100 m by 20 m, and the usable dry sand shrinks further at high water, with granite boulders taking their share of what is left.access rules on record, belowWaterreef lagoon with flat water and small waves outside/near the reef29°C in summer · 16 things riders flagLevelIntermediate to advancedwith a caveat, in the Level sectionSchools2named at this spotFrom the airport180 minInternational Airport (SEZ)

When it fills in

Monsoon flow rather than a sea breeze, so there is no daily switch-on hour: it either blows for the day or it does not. What does run to a clock is the crowd, which fills the beach between 10.00 and 17.00, leaving early morning and late afternoon as the workable windows. No hour-by-hour wind record exists for this beach.

Anse Source d'Argent is a niche spot on the southwest coast of La Digue, inside the L'Union Estate access area. The lagoon is shallow, clear and reef-protected, with granite boulders on the sand and standing in the water, so the setting is extraordinary and the riding room is not.
It works in both the SE trade season and the NW monsoon, flat water with wave options, and the west-facing beach takes the November-March NW monsoon onshore. Tide runs the day: coral heads and almost no depth at low water, and so little dry beach at high water that launching gets awkward, which leaves mid tide.
Published rider-level ratings contradict each other, from beginner-through-advanced to expert with rock hazards, so treat it as an intermediate-to-advanced session that wants local knowledge rather than a beginner lagoon.
The other constraint is people: this is one of La Digue's most visited beaches, thick with day-trippers and photographers, and you pay to walk in through the estate at around SCR 150 per adult per day (2026).

The wind

locals call it South East Trade Winds / North Westerly Monsoon

Direction

beachwater
onshoreSE in May-September

Kite sizes

8910111213141516

metres · typical quiver highlighted

Character

trade

fills in: Monsoon flow rather than a sea breeze, so there is no daily switch-on hour: it either blows for the day or it does not. What does run to a clock is the crowd, which fills the beach between 10.00 and 17.00, leaving early morning and late afternoon as the workable windows. No hour-by-hour wind record exists for this beach.

Typical strength

12-22 kt in the May-September SE trades and 11-19 kt in the November-March NW monsoon, for the inner islands.

Rated highly in both the SE trades and the NW monsoon. Set against that, Seychelles wind is generally light and not always reliable.
Anse Source d'Argent is rideable in both May-September and November-March. The November-March NW monsoon arrives onshore on this beach. A narrower reading puts the best period at July-September, which is also given as the strongest part of the wider Seychelles kite season.

The quiver, in words

Indicative, worked from the 11-22 knot island ranges rather than any local measurement: 12-14 m for a 75-85 kg rider in the November-March NW monsoon, 10-12 m on a solid SE trade day. A light-wind kite earns its place here more than a small one.

Direction to shore

NW is onshore on the west-facing beach; SE direction relative to the beach is unconfirmed.

Dominant direction

SE in May-September; W-NW/NW in November-March

Forecast

Month by month

  1. Jan, riders' month62
  2. Feb, riders' month78
  3. Mar, riders' month42
  4. Apr36
  5. May, riders' month74
  6. Jun, riders' month94
  7. Jul, riders' month99
  8. Aug, riders' month100
  9. Sep, riders' month99
  10. Oct82
  11. Nov, riders' month47
  12. Dec, riders' month67

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Nov, Dec.

  1. 13Jan29°
  2. 14Feb30°
  3. 11Mar30°
  4. 10Apr31°
  5. 13May30°
  6. 16Jun29°
  7. 19Jul27°
  8. 19Aug27°
  9. 18Sep28°
  10. 13Oct29°
  11. 11Nov29°
  12. 13Dec29°

avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted

MonthForce 4+KnotsFromAirWater
Jan62%12.7 ktNW26.6°C29°C
Feb78%13.7 ktNNW27.4°C29.5°C
Mar42%10.6 ktN27.5°C30.4°C
Apr36%10 ktESE27.5°C30.9°C
May74%13.2 ktSSE27.6°C30°C
Jun94%16.3 ktSSE26.6°C28.6°C
Jul99%18.9 ktSSE25.3°C27°C
Aug100%18.5 ktSE25.5°C26.9°C
Sep99%17.5 ktSE26.1°C28.2°C
Oct82%13.3 ktSE26.4°C28.5°C
Nov47%10.8 ktWSW26.9°C29.4°C
Dec67%13.4 ktW26.4°C28.7°C
modelled

A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.

Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2022-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.

ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2022-2024

The water

Type

reef lagoon with flat water and small waves outside/near the reef

Standing depth

Very shallow reef lagoon; at low tide much of the lagoon can be ankle- to knee-deep.

Tides

Tide runs the day, for depth and for launch space alike. Low water leaves coral heads and almost nothing to ride in; high water leaves so little dry beach that launching and landing get awkward. Mid tide is the window. Navigable at all tides is also claimed, unconfirmed.

Temperature

29°C summer · 26°C winter

Wetsuit

Boardshorts or rash vest year-round.

27–31°C waterBoardshorts or rash vest year-round.
Shallow clear lagoon behind an offshore reef, bordered by granite boulders, flat water with wave-riding options nearer the reef. At low tide the water gets extremely shallow.

Your level

not for beginners hereintermediateadvanced
The ratings contradict each other: beginner through advanced in one place, intermediate in another, expert with rock hazards in a third. Between the shallow reef, the boulders, the tourist traffic and the tide-dependent launch, this is not a reliable beginner venue without someone local watching.

The scene

What riders come here for

flat waterfreeridewave ridingscenic sessions
A postcard beach carrying day-trippers, photographers, families, swimmers and snorkelers. It is not a kite beach.

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

2 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: Tight and tide-dependent. The beach measures roughly 1,100 m by 20 m, and the usable dry sand shrinks further at high water, with granite boulders taking their share of what is left.

access rules on record

Somewhere else

Anse Cocos, 2 km

Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.

Rescue

+248 428 8000+248 252 7196

No lifeguard, no rescue boat, no kite operator on the sand. Seychelles has few lifeguards anywhere and none are stationed here; emergency support on La Digue is thin, and the estate staff and the restaurant by the entrance are the only people on site.
Police answer on +248 428 8000. The one operator that lists this beach is based on Mahe and reachable on +248 252 7196, so cover is something you arrange before you come, not something waiting for you.

Launch

Beach launch inside L'Union Estate, with granite boulders, beach width and tide all working against you. High tide leaves little beach and makes launch and landing tricky; mid tide is the better window.

Space

Tight and tide-dependent. The beach measures roughly 1,100 m by 20 m, and the usable dry sand shrinks further at high water, with granite boulders taking their share of what is left.

Hazards riders report 16

  • Large granite boulders in and around the water
  • Shallow coral reef, some of it degraded from historical lime-manufacturing activity
  • Very high tourist foot traffic on the beach
  • Blacktip reef sharks now and then, and whale sharks passing in winter. Neither is a practical problem for a kiter.
  • Granite boulders on the beach and in/near the water.
  • Shallow reef and coral heads, especially at low tide.
  • Very limited beach at high tide for launching and landing.
  • High tourist numbers on one of La Digue's most visited beaches.
  • Occasional light or uncertain wind in Seychelles.
  • Large granite boulders on the beach and in the water
  • Shallow reef and coral heads, especially at low tide
  • Very little dry beach at high tide for launching and landing
  • Heavy tourist foot traffic between 10.00 and 17.00 on one of La Digue's most visited beaches
  • No lifeguard and no rescue cover on the island beaches
  • West-facing coast, so the November-March NW monsoon puts wind and swell straight onshore
  • Occasional light or unreliable wind
Rules & access
2026: the beach is reached on foot through L'Union Estate, entry around SCR 150 per person per day, and the estate gate rather than any kite rule decides when you can be on the sand. No kite-specific restriction or permit for Anse Source d'Argent was found. Nationally, every beach is public domain up to the high-water mark, and beach activity likely to endanger, obstruct, inconvenience or annoy other users needs prior written consent from the Commissioner of Police.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Rider tips

  • Launch and land at mid tide. High tide leaves almost no beach; low tide puts coral heads under the board.
  • Walk the launch and the first stretch downwind before you rig, and mark the boulders, the coral heads and where the visitors are sitting.
  • Expect the NW monsoon to come in onshore on this west-facing beach, and keep a margin downwind of the rocks.
  • Bring larger kites unless the forecast shows the trades actually filling in.
  • Arrive early or late for thinner crowds, and check L'Union Estate opening and closing hours locally first.
  • Budget the entrance fee: estate access is commonly around SCR 150 per adult per day (2026).
  • Be on the sand before 10.00 or after 17.00. Between those hours the beach belongs to day-trippers and photographers.
  • Budget the entrance fee: estate access is around SCR 150 per person per day (2026).
  • Arrange any cover before you travel. Nobody on La Digue is watching the water, and the operator that lists this beach sits on Mahe.

Getting there

Airport

Seychelles International Airport (SEZ), Mahe

Route

Fly to Mahe, take the Cat Cocos ferry to La Digue via Praslin, then go from La Passe pier to L'Union Estate by bicycle, walking or electric buggy. The beach is reached after entering the estate and continuing on foot through the plantation grounds.

Transfer

180 min

Cost level

high

Staying

Stay on La Digue for easiest tide timing; otherwise visit from Mahe or Praslin by ferry or private charter.

No-wind days

L'Union Estate · photography at Anse Source d'Argent · snorkeling and swimming at high tide · cycling on La Digue · Anse Pierrot · Anse Severe sunset · Coco Island or St Pierre snorkeling trips

Photos

Anse Source d'Argent at sunset, named directly
Didier Baertschiger / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Anse Source d'Argent, named directly
Didier Baertschiger from Genève, Suisse / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Anse Source d'Argent, named directly
Didier Baertschiger from Genève, Suisse / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

FAQ

Is Anse Source d'Argent suitable for beginners?

Sources conflict, but given the shallow reef, boulders and tourist crowds, it is best treated as intermediate to advanced with local supervision.

What is the wind like?

It is rideable in both the May-September southeast trades and the November-March northwest monsoon, at roughly 11-22 knots depending on season.

Is there a launch or space constraint?

Yes, the beach is about 20m wide at average tide and shrinks further at high tide, so mid tide is the preferred window for launching.

Are there rules or fees?

Access is through L'Union Estate, with a 2026 entrance fee commonly reported around SCR 150 per adult per day.

What are the main hazards?

Large granite boulders sit in and around the water, and shallow coral reef and coral heads are exposed especially at low tide.

Also in season in MayMahéPraslin

Last updated: August 2026