Best Things You Should Know About Reunion Island -The Ultimate Guide

Reunion Island, the best kept secret of the French overseas, alleviates its innate shyness with the rotundity of some great landscapes in the shadow of the great Piton des Neiges with its 3070 meters of height and in the light of the lava flows of Le Piton de la Fournaise, considered one of the most active volcanoes on the planet. Between the two are born bucolic valleys and old completely green calderas called circuses where lovely villages survive sustained by vertigo. Around the sea, more fierce in La Réunion than in other surrounding islands, plantations of sugarcane and vanilla serve on a tray the aromas of a rough nature paradise. A place in which the miscegenation of races, cultures, and religions becomes the best gift of a surprised traveler who wonders how long it has taken to reach him.

Reunion Island Tour Packages

NORTH OF ISLA REUNIÓN 
Saint Denis, capital, and starting point 

The largest and most important city of Reunion Island is normally the entry point for travelers who land at the Roland Garros Airport (this aviator that gives a name to a tennis tournament was Reunionnais). It is not a city that has much of itself, but in which it is advisable to spend at least one day in it to acclimatize. In addition, the historic center, small and lively, is quite beautiful. The Avenue de la Victoire joins with Rue de Paris from the pier of the canyons (Barachois) leaving aside and one very prominent colonial buildings. This is where one of the largest collections of Creole mansions on the island in the last three centuries comes together, ending in Jardin de l'État, a kind of botanical garden with a museum of natural sciences in sight.

It is highly recommended to go to the Maha Kali Hindu temple, Rue LeClerc, one of the most interesting "and accessible to everyone" in La Réunion. Follow the architectural standards of the Hindu temples of South India, hence the profusion of statues and that color.

Be that as it may, there is no doubt that the trip begins in Saint Denis.

CIRCLE OF SALAZIE 

Barely three quarters of an hour from Saint Denis, the closest circus is Salazie. This is the leafiest and rainy if we compare it with the other two (Mafate and Cilaos), as well as one of the most interesting areas of the island for hiking. The main population of this place with mountains in its 360º (hence its a circus) is Salazie, although the most tourists are Hell-Bourg and Grand-Îlet. Here are some corners to take into account the area:

Grand Mare, the great waterfall at the gates of Salazie 

No more than four kilometers before entering the Salazie circus from Saint André appears a huge waterfall that is not marked in the guides and whose name is Grand-Mère. To see if you have to stop with the car as far as possible and it is likely that various routes will arise on foot to it, although it is far away and the terrain is leafy and, above all, humid. It is one of the best welcomes I can think of in order to enter Salazie.

Le Voile de la Mariée (the veil of the bride)

Leaving the small village of Salazie, a few meters before the road makes us choose between going to Hell-Bourg or Grand-Îlet we have on the right an amalgam of small waterfalls that come together in a reminder of "the veil of a bride ", hence its name. It is one of the most typical postcards of Salazie and, although there is not much place to stop (it is better to turn around and take advantage of a width on the shoulder) we have to do it to enjoy an enviable natural panorama.

Grand-Îlet, the other arm of Salazie 

We retraced our steps and just when we saw "the veil of the bride" we took another road to Grand-Îlet, a town not as extraordinary as Hell-Bourg but much more interesting than the municipality of Salazie. For example, it has one of the most beautiful churches on the island and the road to the Mare a Martin pond (ideal for a quiet picnic) is beautiful. There are also many walking routes from here (A La Roche Écrite or even a long access to the circus of Mafate), but from the car the panoramic that we can reach are as fascinating as dizzying.

ORIENTAL PROFILE OF ISLA REUNIÓN 

Details of Saint André 

I had the bad luck to get to Saint André from Salazie (20 minutes) on a rainy day, so I could not make the visits that I would have liked, such as, for example, the Vanille Roulof plantation, I had good references. But in one of the places with more presence of Hindu population of La Réunion I could look out to its great temple Le Colosse (although this can not pass non-parishioners) and see a beautiful Victorian wooden mansion as is the Maison Valliamée, declared a monument historic of the region.

Cascade Niagara 

Before entering Sainte Suzanne we turn off to the right and enter through a series of poorly paved roads that cross the plantations. If we follow the signs for just four or five kilometers, they will lead us to a waterfall that, although it has the name of Niagara, has nothing to do with the American Falls. It is a waterfall without more, but very photogenic and to which many people will do climbing or take a bath on sunny days. It seems to me a very interesting detour that has an extremely simple access and for once there is where to leave the car well parked.

Takamaka Valley, a royal postcard of the Jurassic Park Island

Takamaka Valley according to experts is among the places with the highest rainfall rate on the planet and the strange thing is to find it clear, but when you are lucky enough to be able to admire it well to be contemplating the scene and taking pictures for a long time. A succession of fine waterfalls falls vertiginously through a collection of hills of pure cloud forest that reminds one of all those images of Isla Nublar, the tropical setting of Jurassic Park (although the film was actually shot in Costa Rica).

* Note: From the central one a path leaves but given the amount of rain that falls it is elusive to the extreme. It is advisable to keep all precautions and turn around if the terrain is impassable.

Santa Rosa and Our Lady of the Lavas 

Sainte-Rose or Santa Rosa is one of the last inhabited localities of the west of La Réunion before reaching Le Grand brûlé, a kilometric area devastated by the lava of the Piton de la Fournaise volcano. In fact, she herself has been a victim of the rush of the volcano through lava flows that reached the beach in a strong eruption in 1977. A Catholic church, Notre Dame des laves

Anse des cascades 

Less than two minutes by car on the N2 after leaving the church there is another detour to the left that says "Anse des cascades". Anse means "inlet" or "Caleta", and Santa Rosa is one of the most beautiful areas on the west coast of Réunion. In this corner that becomes a bay in miniature, numerous waterfalls fall from the surrounding hills. The locals come here for a picnic or to spend the day taking advantage of such a scenario. It is worth stopping and relaxing contemplating numerous waterfalls just a few meters from the sea.

Le Grand brûlé 

The literal translation of Le Grand brûlé is something like "the great burn". Sense has if we take into account that it occupies a good part of the southeast of Reunion Island, which is where the most frequent lava rivers of the Piton de la Fournaise volcano have been coming along over the centuries. It is a vast expanse of petrified lava reverberated by moss and reaching the ocean. The road crosses an absolutely ghostly place that points out where the main lava flows of the last forty years were.

Cascade Grand Galet (Langevin) 

More to the south than to the east, very close to Saint-Joseph (but before arriving) ends the Langevin river. Chasing its course on a road that goes through a very exuberant valley we will reach one of those waterfalls that we could spend hours looking completely blind. It is not a jump but several at the same time that mix in the shadows of a wall as wet as rocky. It is a typical place to do canyoning and even bathe in the river, even if you throw yourself into the pond that forms the waterfall itself (although you have to know the path for which one must be avoiding stones and branches, so the best thing is not get involved and follow a local that knows).

Grande-Anse

A cove past Saint-Joseph where the beach looks like a postcard but in which we must be clear that we can only make do with pic-nic, lie down in the sun or take pictures. Here the marine currents are quite dangerous and it is known that many people have lost their lives in this part of the island (there are crosses and messages for those who have disappeared in the area in recent years).

This does not mean that it remains one of the favorite places for families to come from La Réunion to spend the day or eat together in an esplanade with grass between the sand and the palm groves (It is eaten well in the two kiosks that Grande has- Anse, especially the most remote).

ROAD TO THE GRAND VOLCANO PITON DE LA FOURNAISE 

Start in Bourg Murat one of the most fascinating roads on the island. There are 25 kilometers from this town to Pas de Bellecombe, the best vantage point of the Piton de la Fournaise volcano, which can be reached with your own vehicle. 25 kilometers of ascents, changes of landscape and panoramic that take away the hiccups. Although the great volcano is the star of the island, reaching it is one of the most interesting parts of all trip to La Réunion. Especially if we find it in full eruption.

Bourg Murat 

In this town, where the road to Le Piton de la Fournaise is born, there is an important and renovated museum that explains the particularities not only of the great volcano but also puts you on the trail of the most essential concepts of volcanology. The Cité du Volcan, formerly known as La Maison du Volcan, is one of the most visited interactive museums on the island. It opens every day from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Mondays at 1:30 p.m.) and its entrance price are about € 9.

But in Bourg Murat, its greatest attraction is that we started to save a slope to reach the great volcano at last.

Nez de Boeuf 

After climbing a road full of curves begin to emerge forests and viewpoints. On clear days the Piton des Neiges (the highest mountain on the island) is perfectly appreciated and the meadows are full of cows and calves. Although many roads and lookouts arise, probably one of the most beautiful of this first part of the journey to the volcano is Nez de Boeuf, with privileged views towards a deep valley known as Rivière des Remparts. The stop is essential for its spectacularity. Right there, the green ends precisely because only a couple of minutes later the Martian territory begins to be glimpsed.

Cratère Commerson 

When the road looks more and more like the Cañadas del Teide in Tenerife (there are many similarities in this part of the island) and we have exceeded 2000 meters altitude, the fog is slightly squeezed by the little yellow vegetation that emerges from the reddened earth. We are going very hard to stop but you should wait until you see a sign that says Cratère Commerson.

A few steps further on, leaving the crater behind, there is a natural stone balcony from which to take very good pictures of the plains of Plaine des Cafres and the Piton des Neiges.

Plaine des Sables 

We see it coming as soon as it reaches a cliff. Just below it, it expands like a huge plain of sand from the volcanic scum through which passes a road without asphalt. It is the best possible prelude to the definitive visit of the most "alive" part of the volcano, from which only a few kilometers separate it.

Pas de Bellecombe 

The end of the road to the last caldera created by Le Piton de la Fournaise (L'Enclos Fouqué) takes us to its best viewpoint. From just over 2300 meters above sea level, there are not only paths to the cliffs but a balcony from which to admire the Dolomieu crater and the small Formica Leo. The Dolomieu is a crater of those that impress, with almost a kilometer in diameter and a depth of 300 meters. Although it was born there by one of the eruptions of the XVIII century, it has finished modeling in recent years, since this caldera is the most active part of the volcano.

There is a fairly large car park, a nearby mountain lodge (with a restaurant) and a small kiosk that serves as a bar. The rests are wooden railings and a thousand different angles to observe and photograph the wildest (and new) part of the Piton de la Fournaise volcano.

Walk to Bert Piton to see a live eruption 

When coinciding with a volcanic eruption you would be interested to know the area from which the lava explosion could be seen (in addition to a helicopter).

If you are kind of adventure person and want to see active volcano then you should plan to visit Reunion Island.