The D 70 ends at Bois-Court Belvedere overlooking the valley and hamlet of Grand-Bassin. You can see its tin roofs shimmering in the sunlight 700m below. Their only link to the outside is a winch, used to bring in basic daily necessities, and a steep..

The museum, whose architecture was designed to evoke the silhouette of a volcano, takes a playful yet scientific approach to volcanism and the earth’s origins. The Piton de la Fournaise, honoured here, reveals all its secrets. Plunged into the focus-..

Numerous marked trails run through Bébour-Bélouve Forest, and are highly recommended for exploring the vegetation in Les Hauts. The Petite-Plaine botanical trail leads past Japanese cedars, then several paths crisscross the primary forest, great fo..

A trail leads to the foot of Cascade Biberon and its magnificent untamed setting. You can have a picnic and a swim while admiring the falls, over 200m high. In winter, enjoy the guava trees lining the trail.

Coming from Bourg-Murat, 8km after the Nez de Boeuf on the right side of the road, there is a viewpoint where you can stare down into the gaping maw of Commerson’s Crater. This 200m in diameter by 120m deep explosion crater, one of the island’s mos..

The Cirque de Salazie, accessible via Saint-André, is sure to enchant you. Its great hilly spaces are covered in luxuriant vegetation and streaked with multiple waterfalls. The reason? An exceptional amount of precipitation combined with sunlight, al..

The Maison Folio, or Villa des Châtaigniers, stands in a luxuriant and chaotic garden. Built in the 19C, it is a fine example of the charming houses erected in the colonial era by the great Creole families who came here on holiday. The owner takes yo..

Drive through the villages of Casabois and Le Bélier, then along the ramparts at Bord Martinto to get to Piton Marmite , the summit of the ridge separating Salazie and Mafate. The road has some extraordinary panoramas - often simultaneously - of t..

With its sharp relief, vertiginous ramparts and subtle light, Cilaos was made to inspire painters and poets. Its courteous and hospitable inhabitants, ancestral specialities - lentils, wine and embroidery - and salutary hot springs contribute to the ..

To enjoy an extraordinary view of Cilaos, the three rocky peaks of the Trois Salazes and Mafate you’ll need to climb 800m to the Taïbit Pass ( col ). Heading off from the D 242, between Cilaos and Îlet-à-Cordes, you’ll mainly pass through shaded fore..

The Artothèque is housed in a lovely 19C Creole home made of wood. Its contemporary art exhibitions highlight the work of well-known artists and young talents from all over the Indian Ocean. One of its distinctive features: for a modest sum it will l..

Since 1912 this lovely white neo-classical residence, a former bishopric’s seat, has housed the Léon Dierx Museum, with a bust of its namesake at the entrance. The endowment’s main treasures came from the gift of art dealer Amboise Vollard’s collecti..

The Natural History Museum is housed in the former colonial palace located in the Jardin de l’État. Take time to peruse the museum’s permanent collection presenting the island’s land and sea animals in a charmingly old-fashioned way. Find out everyth..

This cemetery takes you on a poetic tour of the island’s past. The sea, scent of frangipani trees and pirate stories conspire to make it even more romantic. The names of the island’s oldest inhabitants can be read on its tombstones, including founder..

The long white sand beaches shaded by filao trees at L'Hermitage and La Salin attract many families, especially on weekends when the atmosphere is at its peak. The barrier reef here protects the shore, forming a peaceful, shallow lagoon. Bring plasti..

Turn left onto Rue Haute at the roundabout in Saint-Leu. A few metres beyond that stands the church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette, built in haste on the cliffside in 1859 when a cholera epidemic was spreading over the island. The disease is said to hav..

This is a paradise for sea turtles, who swim in pools reproducing their natural habitat in the wild. An exhibition shows the relationship between man and this marine reptile throughout history, including thoughts about envisioning a successful cohabi..

Designated a “protected natural site”, Pointe au Sel is worth a visit for the austere landscape of its black coast battered by the waves (swimming prohibited). Created in 1942 and since restored, the salt works are composed of drainage and decanting ..

Sky-watching sessions are held here at the Réunion Astronomical Observatory, considered one of the best in the Southern Hemisphere. A unique spectacle of constellations, stars, planets and galactic trails is on view every evening through the astronom..

Three magnificent trails starting from Entre-Deux take you up Dimitile. Each one follows a different ridge and offers striking views over the Plaine des Cafres all the way to the coast. At the summit (1,837 m) the panorama looks out at Cilaos, whose ..