Anse Source d'Argent tide times

Anse Source d'Argent on the west coast of La Digue is the defining image of the Seychelles for most of the world. The giant pink and orange granite boulders — some 3–5 m high, arranged in the irregular formations that mark the Seychelles' ancient Precambrian bedrock — surround a shallow inner lagoon of turquoise water over white sand. The beach appears on the covers of a disproportionate share of travel magazines and is widely cited as the most-photographed beach on the planet. It sits inside the L'Union Estate, a former copra and vanilla plantation that charges an entry fee at the gate.

The tidal regime at Anse Source d'Argent is mixed predominantly diurnal, consistent with La Digue's position in the inner granitic Seychelles. Spring range: 0.9–1.2 m above chart datum. Neap range: 0.3–0.5 m. The small range interacts with the very shallow inner lagoon to create dramatically different experiences at different tidal states. At mean water level, the lagoon between the boulders is 0.5–1.2 m deep — an excellent wading and shallow-swimming depth. At low spring water (the water dropping 0.6–0.9 m below mean), the innermost sections of the lagoon between the largest boulder groupings become ankle-deep or completely dry. At high spring water, the lagoon fills to 1.0–1.8 m, covering the lowest granite ledges and producing the most intensely turquoise colour in the water.

For photography, the two tidal states serve different purposes. Low water exposes the full base of the granite formations and the inter-boulder sand flats — the foreground is clean sand and exposed rock, and the visual depth of the boulder composition is at its maximum. High water fills the lagoon between the boulders, creating the mirror-like turquoise reflections and depth of colour in the pools that characterise the most iconic images of this beach. Photographers chasing both effects in a single visit need to plan around the tide table and arrive either at low water (for the exposed-boulder foreground) or the rising tide approaching high water (for the colour and reflection).

The mixed diurnal regime on La Digue means the timing of the day's high and low water varies substantially through the lunar month. Some days have a morning low and an afternoon high; others have an early high and a late-morning low. On days when only one dominant tidal cycle occurs, the beach may spend most of the day at intermediate depth — neither the dramatic low-water boulder exposure nor the full high-water colour. Check the tide table the evening before.

Swimming inside the lagoon at Anse Source d'Argent is comfortable at or near high water, when the depth between the boulder groupings reaches 1.0–1.5 m. At low water the inner sections are too shallow for swimming and walking with fins is impractical — the sand is firm and the water is 0.1–0.3 m deep in the innermost areas. The outer edge of the lagoon, toward the reef opening to the west, deepens to 1.5–2.5 m at mean water and is more consistently swimmable throughout the tidal cycle. Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) are frequently observed in the lagoon; the beach and surrounding waters are within La Digue's informal marine conservation zone.

La Digue is reached by ferry from Praslin (15 minutes by the inter-island Cat Rose service) or from Mahé (approximately 2.5 hours by the direct service). From La Digue's landing jetty at La Passe, Anse Source d'Argent is 2.5 km south by bicycle — the standard transport on La Digue, where motorised vehicles for visitors are restricted. Bicycle hire is available at the jetty from SCR 100 per day. L'Union Estate entry fee (approximately SCR 115 per adult) is payable at the estate gate; the beach is a further 10-minute walk or bicycle ride through the estate grounds.

Predictions for Anse Source d'Argent on this page come from Open-Meteo Marine, a gridded global ocean model; accuracy is typically ±45 minutes on timing and ±0.2–0.3 m on height.