Félicité

Félicité is 2.68 square kilometres of granite island in the inner archipelago, 15 minutes by boat from La Digue and accessible to guests of Six Senses Zil Pasyon only. The resort has thirty villas — each positioned within the granite formations of the hillside, each with a private pool and a view of the sister islands that on clear mornings extends to the outline of Praslin to the northwest. The architecture has received considerable international attention, and it deserves it. But the island would be extraordinary without a single building on it.

The house reef starts in ten metres of water and extends along the western shore. Hawksbill turtles feed on the reef daily — the same individuals, identifiable by their facial markings, that the dive team has been monitoring since the resort opened. The coral restoration nursery in the lagoon maintains over 600 coral fragments as part of a long-term reef rehabilitation programme. Guests can participate in a guided coral planting session, which takes ninety minutes and requires no diving certification.

The hillside trail rises to 140 metres above sea level through a forest of takamaka, bwa pom, and tree ferns. At the summit, the view encompasses the channel between Félicité and La Digue, the granite profiles of the inner islands, and on exceptional mornings, the distant silhouette of Mahé. We bring guests up here on their second morning, before the heat builds, and we have never had one express regret at the effort.

The Six Senses wellness programme — one of the most substantive in the group's global portfolio — is integrated into the island rather than contained in a building. Yoga on a granite outcrop at sunrise. Biohacking suite in the wellness centre. Sleep consultation with the resident practitioner. Alchemy bar where guests make their own supplements. These are not novelties. They are the framework around which many of our guests build their entire week.