The island has three main settlements - Baie St Anne, where the catamaran docks bringing passengers to and from Mahe and La Digue, Grande Anse on the south coast near the airstrip, and Anse Volbert / Cote D'Or on the north coast. None of these feel much larger than a village, but are handy places to eat or stock up on supplies at the supermarkets. Between these main towns the island is sparsely inhabited, adding to the feeling of being on your own desert island.
The beaches around the island are all dreamlike, picture postcards of white sand and shallow, turquoise seas. That said, the beaches of the south coast are extremely shallow, making swimming off Grande Anse less enjoyable than in Cote D'Or, and from May to October seaweed washes up on the southern shores making the beaches a little less appealing, while this isn't a problem on the north coast.
The beaches on the south east of the island can disappear at high tide, while the north east at Anse La Blague is stunningly beautiful but quite remote - if you stay here you will want your own transport. The Lemuria has a number of beautiful beaches in its grounds to the west, while anywhere between Anse Lazio and Anse Gouvernment on the north coast is an all round winner.