Casa De Leela

Arriving by bicycle or on foot, most guests reach Casa de Leela within minutes of Anse Réunion's shops and cafés, and the beach itself is a short walk beyond the garden gate. The property holds ten units in total: two two-bedroom bungalows, two one-bedroom bungalows and four apartments, including a penthouse and a deluxe apartment with a private plunge pool. Each has its own kitchen, living room and bathroom, so meals can be cooked in or taken at the on-site breakfast room. Air conditioning runs through every bedroom. The garden is dense with tropical planting, and a pool sits at its centre for guests who prefer not to walk the ten minutes to the sand. You can hear the palms move overhead from the private balconies attached to most rooms. Anse Source d'Argent, one of the island's better-known beaches, lies within easy reach, and staff can arrange snorkelling, cycling and hiking trips further afield to spots like Anse Cocos, with its shallow natural pools on the island's east coast. La Digue itself measures barely 5 km by 3 km, flat enough to cross entirely by bike in an afternoon. Check-in and the daily rhythm here run on self-catering terms: a fitted kitchenette in every unit, a communal breakfast room, and little else asked of guests beyond finding their own pace on the island.