Texts mention the presence of a “mountain of fire” in the southeast of the island as early as the 17C, but the first stories of an ascent of the volcano weren’t written until over a century later. Although easily accessible nowadays, the Piton de la ..

On the volcano road, 8km from Bourg-Murat you reach Nez de Boeuf, which has one of the finest views over the Rivière des Remparts.

After crossing the Plaine des Remparts, the volcano road opens abruptly onto the Plaine des Sables (2 260m). Two very unusual conical peaks emerge from the vast lunar expanse with its bronze and reddish reflections, which is lined on both sides by th..

After the Plaine des Sables, the volcano road goes through a chaotic decor with fractured blocks of basalt and ends at Pas de Bellecombe, an observation point and gateway to the volcano’s summit. Standing before you, the volcano looks solitary and ma..

The Piton des Neiges, the highest peak on Réunion, rises to 3 069m on the edge of the Cilaos, Salazie and Mafate cirques. A now dormant volcano, it was at the origin of the island’s creation. A challenging trek to the summit is rewarded with wonderfu..

Only accessible by foot, the pristine landscapes of the Mafate cirque are the exclusive preserve of hikers. Its footpaths, which wend their way through small villages and hamlets and are still used today by local inhabitants, will reveal to intrepid ..

In the heart of the Mafate cirque, a path from Marla leads to the Trois Roches (Three Rocks), an impressive chasm ( gouffre ) into which water cascades down. The name of the site refers to the three large rocks that seem to be balanced perfectly over..

Rue de Paris begins at the war memorial and ends at the Jardin de l’État, extending from Avenue de la Victoire and crossing Saint-Denis in a north-south line. It is one of the main arteries of the town’s checkerboard plan, a legacy of the French pr..

Piton Maïdo - Malagasy for “scorched earth” - rises to 2,203m in a desolate moor-like landscape. Standing before you is the untamed Mafate Cirque, dominated by Piton des Neiges and Le Gros Morne - a breathtaking sight in the early hours of the day!..

This museum is a must for anyone who wants to fully understand the history of La Réunion. This was the home of the Panon-Desbassyns, a rich landowning family equally linked to the development of the sugar industry and to the fanatical slavery it prac..

After passing Cap de la Marianne and crossing Cap La Houssaye, you reach Boucan-Canot beach, considered the finest in La Réunion. Along with the Roches beaches in Saint-Gilles, it is the only beach where the water gets deep quickly. People like to sc..

The clever museography here features a highly educational tour that takes you through the island’s various underwater environments to explore its fascinating flora and fauna: rocky slopes (sabre squirrelfish, eyestripe surgeonfish, red lionfish, red-..

This botanical conservatory offers you a total immersion into the flora of Réunion. The island’s diverse plant life is presented in five collections. Fruit trees are on display in the Verger (Orchard) collection, native species in the Réunion collect..

This museum is a vibrant tribute to the men and women who made this sugar factory, which closed its doors in 1978 after more than a century of operation. The history of sugarcane, so intricately intertwined with that of the whole island, is recounted..

Tévelave is the gateway to the “great Les Hauts forest”, swarmed with island families on weekends. You can get there on the superb Tamarins Forest Road (RF 9) which starts near Les Fougères inn and connects with the Route du Maïdo (RF 8) about 30km..

The pleasant seaside resort of L’Étang-Salé-les-Bains, on the West Coast, has regained its peace and quiet since the bypass was constructed. The fine long beach of basaltic sand is a favourite of surfers. Watch out for the currents and scorching hot ..

At the end of a pretty forest road lined with blue hydrangeas, La Fenêtre affords an extraordinary view of the Cirque de Cilaos and the striking silhouettes of Grand Bénare (2,896m), Trois Salazes, Piton des Neiges (3,069m) and Dimitile. This is also..

Grande-Anse beach, 10km south of Saint-Pierre, is very appealing with its white sand, filao trees and the rugged beauty of Piton de Grande Anse . But swimming in the turbulent waters here is extremely risky. If you just can’t resist, be content with..

The Piton de la Fournaise is still active and sometimes awakens, leaving lava flows at each eruption which can cross the road (N 2 running along the southeast coast) and run all the way into the sea! You follow the volcano’s trail here, with vegetati..

This area designating the eastern slope of the Piton de la Fournaise is delimited by the Rempart du Tremblet on the south and by the Rempart de Bois-Blanc on the north. Several generations of eruption ejecta have poured out here, often all the way to..