All Réunion Réunion

Saint-Denis is an essential introduction to the multiple, flavoursome colours of Réunion. The lively streets in the city centre reflect the cocktail of different ethnic groups and cultures of Réunion. Although none of the districts are reserved for one cultural group, on the street corners you will find the old boutiques run by the Chinese community and on rue Marechal-Leclerc, shops managed by Indian Muslims. All this, just like the Creole cari, makes a beautiful melting pot, where the customs and traditions from three continents rub shoulders.

Spanning the Saint-Jean River and the Ravine-des-Chèvres, Sainte-Suzanne enjoys a hot and humid tropical climate, an excellent environment for a rich and diverse agriculture.

Sainte Clotilde is a suburb of St Denis, located on Reunion’s northern coast. Within the town centre is a small selection of shops. A marina in the town offers stunning ocean views.

At the time, the land of Sainte-Marie consists of fertile agricultural plains where coffee, wheat, corn and rice were farmed. The area became known for its sugar cane, notably the La Mare district with its sugar refinery, the remains of which can still be seen today.

The international Roland Garros airport, gateway to the island, is situated at Saint-Marie, in the middle of a high-level economic hub, near to a fishing and pleasure port.

At La Montagne, discover the colours and fragrances of an authentic Creole garden in a peaceful setting. Wander into the heart of the tropical flora with a guided walk which leads you on a discovery of the botanical riches of the Island of Réunion and its art of living.

Saint-André is the wetter and therefore, greener side of the island has an extremely fertile soil – this aspect encouraged agricultural workers from India to settle here. The land is exploited as much as possible but with the abundant waterfalls, pools and primitive forests, Mother Nature is still firmly in control....

Saint-Benoît is a town of art, education, culture and tourism, and boasts many interesting sites such as Sainte-Anne church, the Blue basin, the Grand Étang, the La Paix basin, the La Mer basin, Takamaka, the Sainte-Marguerite forest, the forests of Ravenales and Bethléem.

Sainte-Anne’s history is similar to its neighbouring towns: it started out as an important centre for spice production, before branching out into sugar cane production.

Bras Panon is a vast, hot and humid Eastern plain, covered with sugar canes and vanilla plantations, it is the home of bichiques, fish fry used to make a delicious curry for special occasions.

The town of Sainte-Rose covers the whole northern face of the massif de la Fournaise, from the edges to the summits of the mountains.

Salazie is a true Garden of Eden with waterfalls whose mountain water streams down the slopes, forming a kind of long, undulating mane.

Small cirque in the south west of the island, the Les Makes village is situated at 1000m of altitude. The peacefulness of this town where many services are available to the villager, attract many followers tour and many by pass tourists.

Situated on the highland, Cap Blanc offers a beautiful view on the volcano.

Located at 1,000 metres altitude, the Plaine des Palmistes is a heaven of calm. With very high moisture levels, this plateau is incomparably rich in plant species. A holiday destination during the hot season, the Plaine des Palmistes is famed for the richness of its soil, supporting agriculture, animal husbandry and flourishing cheese and flower production. It has several magnificent natural sites such as the Biberon waterfall and the primary tropical forests of Bébour and Bélouve which are home to cryptomerias, eschweilera and cyathea, as well as highland tamarinds, an endemic species that provides excellent wood for furniture-making.

Hell-Bourg is a small village in the Salazie commune of Réunion. It is located at 1344 m (4412 ft) above sea level. It is the main community in the island's Cirque de Salazie, and is named for the respected former admiral and island governor Anne Chrétien Louis de Hell.

Grand Ilet is situated in the Highland of Réunion and it well known for being hiking spot for nature lovers with a very rich fauna and flora. The Guesthouse Cimendef as well as La Tourte Dorée is located there. For people who are seeking for a peaceful hideaway in order to relax and rejuvenate, Grand Ilet is the ideal place to go.

From Tsilaosa, a Malagasy word meaning "place you never leave", Cilaos was, like the other calderas on the island, the preferred hiding place for the "Brown blacks", or runaway slaves. After the abolition of slavery, the "petit blanc", newly penniless, were exiled to the highlands, especially to Cilaos, and continued to live in perfect harmony with the former slaves.

L’Entre-Deux is a village which "welcomes visitors with open arms and a big heart" has lovingly tended gardens, land prolifically cultivated by the most dedicated farmers, and in the high season, hundred year-old litchi trees heavy with their flamboyant fruit.

At an altitude varying from 400 m to 2000 m above sea level, Le Tampon is a residential and agricultural “commune”. The weather is cooler here than on the coast.

The highland plains of the Plaine des Cafres and the Volcan Paysage are uncommon sights on a so-called "tropical" island, as is the massif du Piton de la Fournaise which offers visitors an astonishing sight, both bucolic and unforgettable, just a few kilometres away from a picture-postcard coastline. The sights of the Plaines and the volcano are without doubt must-sees for first-time visitors. Le Piton de la Fournaise, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, is the jewel in the crown of Réunion’s natural treasures, regularly putting on a spectacular show!

Saint Philippe, a small commune, typical of the wild south, seems as if born out of the volcano itself. Black basalt rock contrasts with the lush vegetation in abundance here. The island’s heart seems to beat here in Saint-Philippe, with its rainforests hiding a thousand delicate scents which float in the air such as cardamom, growing on the forest floor, cinnamon, with its tender green leaves, vanilla pods climbing their filaos cane and cloves.

The gateway to the "Wild South", Saint-Joseph has carefully preserved its gentle and unique pace of life. The capital of turmeric (or "péi saffron") and ginger production, Saint-Joseph gives the wild South its spicy aromas. A visit to the Turmeric house, with its garden and spice grotto will delight visitors. The site of Manapany-les-Bains is an excellent introduction to Saint-Joseph. The place was immortalised thirty years ago by Luc Donat, famous Reunionese singer, nicknamed the "King of Sega".

Petite-Ile is an agricultural village which owes its name to the unique piece of land floating just off Réunion: an inaccessible islet perched on a steep rocky outcrop, braced against the ravages of the ocean. The town has now become very residential, and has a welcoming and peaceful atmosphere. Petite-Ile, known as the breadbasket of Réunion, exhales the scent of garlic and honey, minglind with the gentle acidic aroma of citrus fruit growing in abundance in the orchards: oranges, mandarins and "tangors". In this town, the yellow-orange colour of the fruit contrasts with the sloping land, lush with sugar cane plantations.

The beach of Grand Bois is situated off the beaten track is far from the crowds, and where you can only enjoy a calm leisurely atmosphere.

Saint Pierre resolutely turned towards the sea, with its marina port and its attractively renovated promenade, the South’s largest town is brimming with life. The waterfront town of Saint-Pierre has a lagoon and small fine white sandy beaches that are much appreciated by the people of the South. Saint-Pierre has retained the typically Creole charm of its old houses and buildings, following in the style of the current town hall, which was previously the coffee store of the India Company.

The airport of Saint-Pierre Pierrefond is situated in the south of Réunion, near the major tourist site of the island. It is the smaller of the two airports located on the island, Roland Garros Airport being the other. The airport has a single runway.

Saint-Louis invites you on a discovery of its heritage, both cultural and natural. The town is also a centre for wood crafts.

Le Gouffre of l’Etang Salé offers to us a representation of a seacoast grave by the elements, as well as the whole coastline. People come to this beach especially during rough weather not to sunbathe but to see the awesome spray that comes out of the blowhole.

The commune of Les Avirons is the link between the Western plateaux and the South. The altitude rises sharply here and the climate becomes more suited to the agricultural activities of the Creole back-country: sugar cane of course, but also animal husbandry, vegetable growing, fruit producing, and large pasture lands among the most productive on the island.

La Rivière Saint Louis is well-known for its artisan, carpenter and furniture maker. Each year, during the month of august, they organized le Salon Expo-Bois where all the artisan of the island show their creation.

Étang-Salé is famous for its black sand beach. This pleasant rural village, nestled against the backdrop of the mountains, is typical of Creole serenity and lifestyle. Located on the edge of the forest, it invites the visitor to escape, to picnic and hike in lush, richly scented surroundings.

La Ravine Des Cabris is a small river of Réunion situated in the south west of the island. Generally dry, the river flow through the south west on the communal territory of Saint Pierre then flows out in the sea near the airport of Pierrefond.

Piton de la Fournaise is one of the world's most active volcanoes. The volcano is located in the south east part of Réunion Island. A nested caldera has been created by two large eruptions.

15km from Saint-Denis, La Possession, repository for the collective memories of the influx of the population into the Bourbon area, is now a residential area with several business estates. It offers a myriad of landscapes and views and is bursting with unexpected picturesque sites which require patience and effort to reach: Dos-d’âne, nicknamed the gate of Mafate, the starting point for many hikes, or Roche Vert-Bouteille, Roche-Écrite, Ilet-à-malheur…

At Saint-Gilles les Bains you will found the most beautiful beach of the island. Diving and other water activities like snorkelling or swimming are also concentrated around the area of St Gilles les Bain and its coral reefs, and the region is ideal for deep-sea fishing, with charter fishing boats departing from the marina on a regular basis.

Situated at 400m of altitude, La Saline is one of the most important case Creole of Saint Paul, Réunion. There we can found accommodation, gendarmerie, post bureau, bank supermarket and many sports or cultural associations.

L'hermitage Les Bassins has beautiful beach situated near les Roches Noires; it is a must for you to have a rest there. There you can enjoy peace and calm. Only one problem is that the lagoon is not deep, a paradise for children.

The Saint-Leu region seems to have been blessed by the Gods for sport and tourism. From the shore to the mountaintops, all sports and leisure activities are on offer: a world-renowned surfing spot, sailing, water skiing, scuba-diving and fishing, paragliding, mountain biking, long-distance hiking trails, forest tracks that can be taken by car, and a host of historical sites where Réunion’s heritage is closely guarded and protected.

Piton Saint Leu is located on the west part of the Réunion Island and it is a world-renowned surfing spot where a large variety of water sports are available. It is the ideal stop-off point along the “Les Hauts” roads with outcrops overlooking the coast.

An immense district where the first colonials arrived, Saint-Paul was Réunion’s first capital before its status as principal town was transferred to Saint-Denis. Saint-Paul enjoys all possible tourist attractions.

The Trois-Bassins district perfectly matches the image of former trading posts assigned to the Bourbon colonies by the India Company: from the edges to the summits of the mountains.

Section of the commune of Saint Paul, near the beach, Saint-Gilles les Hauts is a small village where there are many merchant, which facilitate provision.

La Chaloupe is a small village of the highland of Saint Leu, where life is good, the temperature is pleasant and the population sympathetic.

Situated on the Petit MaÏdo Road, Le Guillaume is a small village on the communal territory of Saint Paul, at 900m of altitude. It benefits of dryer climate than the littoral. In fact, the cloud bands on the Piton MaÏdo cover and shower the highland morphing the vegetation and the relief.

At the far West point of Réunion, le Port is the island’s smallest district as well as one of its most active, with the dynamic Pointe-des-Galets port which was inaugurated in 1886. At the far West point of Réunion, the Port is the island’s smallest district as well as one of its most active, with the dynamic Pointe-des-Galets port which was inaugurated in 1886.

The Helipad of Pierrefond Airport is situated in the south of Réunion Island at Saint Pierre near the major tourist site of the island.

L'Éperon is situated in the west coast of Réunion Island near Saint Gilles Les Bains and Saint Gilles Les Hauts. It is a very peaceful place where splendid views of the sea will leave you breathless. L'Éperon is well known for its craftmanship and it is the ideal place to go if you are searching for souvenir gifts.

The Helipad of Éperon is located in the west coast of Réunion, between Saint Gilles Les Bains and Saint Gilles Les Hauts.

The Helipad at Roland Garos Airport is situated in the North of the island at Sainte Marie.

Cilaos Helipad is located in the highlands at the «Cirque de cilaos» which is also the centre of the island and where the highest summit of the indian ocean is found and it is known as Piton des Neiges.

Saint-Gilles les Bains Helipad is situated in the western part of Réunion at Saint-Gilles les Bains where one of the most beautiful beach of the island is found.

The Cirque de Mafate is situated in the highlands of Réunion Island at an altitude of 1200m. It is well known for being a perfect spot for Hikers and have more than 140km of paths for those who wish to discover the green side of the island. The place can be reach only by foot or by helicopter. It is a place where tourists will have the possibility to enjoy the pleasures of peacefulness.

The Helipad of Cirque de mafate is located in the Highands of Réunion island and it can service accommodations and activity spot in this region.

The Colimaçons is located on north-east of Saint-Leu, on the highland around 7 km, you can reach it passing by Saint-Leu by the Colimaçons road, name given due to its zigzags road, or by the Hubert Delisle road, departmental 3 highland road.

The Rivière des Galets is a river on the Indian Ocean island of Réunion. It rises on the western slopes of Le Gros Morne, flowing northwest to reach the sea at Le Port.