World’s Most Photographed Beach

Show Me the Money

Today it pours as we have breakfast and just like that, it clears up.

We take our bikes into La Passe where John tried to use the ATM but a sign says it is out of money. Another ATM has a paper sign saying it is temporarily closed. We have enough money for the day and will check out the one remaining ATM later. 

L’Union Estate

We continue biking towards Anse Source D’Argent. ‘Anse’ is a Creole word meaning ‘cove or small bay’ and in the Seychelles it seems to always designate a beach. ‘Source’ is French for a ‘water source or wellspring’ and ‘d’Argent’ is French meaning ‘of silver or money’. 

Whatever the original meaning of the name, currently the beach is certainly a source of money for the owners of L’Union Estate Farm because you have to go through the Estate to get to the beach at $15 CAD per person

The Estate is interesting and goes back to the 1800s, French colonial period. The graveyard looks every bit it’s age. The plantation house now houses a Seychelles rum store with another area outside for tastings. 

There is also a vanilla plantation and a produce farm area as well as an Aldabra Tortoise enclosure.

Anse Source D’Argent

But it is the beach that is the must see sight. It has been said to be the most photographed beach in the world. The movies Castaway, Robinson Crusoe and Crusoe were shot here. Also numerous commercials. National Geographic listed it at #1 in the world.

You walk along the powdered white sand coastal path to get to it through gorgeous, uniquely shaped, granite rock formations sculpted by wind and waves. So beautiful.

The beach although not huge, is stunning. I am glad we are here early because we are able to get a shady spot under a palm before it gets busy.

John decides to do some exploring while I happily stay with our stuff and reading a really good book. He continues on a path through the woods and palms to reach beaches further south. At one point he shimmies across a log over a creek at which point his phone falls out of his swimsuit pocket and into the creek. He retrieves it after searching the creek bottom for 5 minutes. On his return over the creek he clambers over rocks instead of doing the log to cross and the phone falls in again. Fortunately the phone is working fine with no ill effects from its double dunking. 

Back on the beach the sun is out in full force, it feels much better to be in the shade. Seychelles is about 480 kms/300 miles south of the Equator so the sun is very strong.

Grocery Shopping

We stay for a few hours and then start riding back towards our cottage. We stop at three tiny grocery stores before I find a lemon and the shrimps I want. It is a challenge finding specific foods. It is really random what stores carry and they don’t.

And the food and alcohol are expensive. A 750 ml bottle of Bombay Sapphire gin that costs $34 CAD in Ontario costs $68 CAD here. A small box of Ritz crackers is $14 CAD. We did not buy either. 

We have lunch at the Glorious Bakery which was recommended by the owner of the Mango Lodge. We also indulge in their ice cream.

Shortly after we get back to our accommodation it pours. It stops before sunset but we decide to skip going to Anse Severe beach tonight.