Anchorage· La Digue· Seychelles

Anse Sévère day anchorage (La Digue NW coast)

4° 20.3′ S · 55° 49.7′ E · approximate

A quieter alternative to the crowded ferry harbour: anchor off the reef in front of Anse Sévère on La Digue's northwest corner, in the lee of the island in the southeast trades, and dinghy in for the snorkelling at Anse Sévère and Anse Patates.

Seychelles Inner Islands

Practical

Coordinate approximate: about 300 m off the Anse Sévère beach on the OpenStreetMap coastline, outside the fringing reef, north-east of Pointe Cap Barbi and so just outside the gazetted La Digue Inner Harbour boundary (SI 98 of 2023, quoted under La Passe Harbour). koek.sc suggests anchoring off Anse Sévère as quieter than La Passe, with about a 10-minute dinghy ride to the village and the beach reached by dinghy only (its page wrongly places the bay on the south side). No source gives a depth or holding rating: anchor in sand outside the reef, never on coral, and keep good swinging room. Shelter: the northwest coast is in the lee of La Digue's 326 m ridge in the southeast trades (May–Oct), but koek.sc warns this side is exposed to any northerly swell, so it is untenable in the northwest monsoon - use Anse Cocos then. Hazards (NGA Pub 171): La Digue's west side is fringed by a reef extending 0.2 mile offshore; an isolated 5.8 m patch lies 0.3 mile WNW of the island's NW extremity, Ave Maria Rock (17.4 m high) lies 1.5 miles NNW, and Les Roches Canales, which uncover 1.2 m, lie mid-channel towards Praslin. SeyVillas warns Anse Patates beach is almost completely submerged at high tide - land the dinghy around low water. Day stop; for the night move into La Passe (book with the harbour master) or back to Praslin.

Best for

Lunch and snorkelling at Anse Sévère and Anse Patates away from the ferry wash

Season

SE trades (May–Oct) only; untenable in N swell or the NW monsoon

Nearby