Grand Anse faces east into the Indian Ocean and has the island's longest stretch of open sand. It is far less visited than Anse Source d'Argent, partly because it faces the prevailing swell — swimming here can be rough, especially between May and October. But for a long walk on empty sand, with no one else in sight, it is hard to beat.
The landscape here is wilder: the boulders are less theatrical, the palms more wind-bent, the sea a deeper blue. Come for the solitude and the view, not for a gentle dip.