Must-SeePiton de la Fournaise
One of the world's most active volcanoes, where a trail crosses a moonscape of old lava to the rim of the Dolomieu crater.
Guide Coming Soon
Réunion
Volcanoes and cirques in the Indian Ocean.
This is a first draft of the Réunion list. The full region guide is being written, and tiers may still change.
Réunion is a volcanic French island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar and close to Mauritius, and part of France itself. Its heart is a World Heritage landscape of jagged peaks and three vast collapsed craters, the cirques of Cilaos, Mafate and Salazie, while the Piton de la Fournaise in the southeast is one of the world's most active volcanoes.
The island is a paradise for hikers, with trails into roadless Mafate and up to the summit of Piton des Neiges, and for canyoning, paragliding and whale watching. The west coast has lagoon beaches around Saint-Gilles, and the island's Creole, Indian, Chinese and French heritage shows in its food, temples and festivals.
Your Réunion list0 of 6 visited
1 more place to become Sailor · tap “Been There” on any place you've visited
- Best Time
- May to November, the cooler dry season; January to March brings heat, heavy rain and cyclones
- Ideal Trip
- 10–14 days: the volcano, a few days on foot in the cirques and the west coast beaches
- Fly Into
- Réunion (RUN), with flights from Paris and Mauritius
- Getting Around
- A rental car; Mafate only on foot or by helicopter
- Entry
- No visa for stays of up to 90 days; Réunion is outside the Schengen Area
- Money
- Euro; tipping isn't expected, as service is included
- Power
- European two-pin, 230 volts
- Drives On
- Right
The Short List
Type
Rank
Must-See
Must-SeeCilaos
A mountain town in a vast volcanic cirque, reached by a road of hundreds of hairpins, with hot springs and the dawn climb up Piton des Neiges.
Guide Coming Soon
Must-SeeMafate
A roadless cirque of jagged ridges and tiny hamlets, reached only on foot or by helicopter, with simple guesthouses along its trails.
Guide Coming Soon
Worth a DetourSalazie
The greenest of Réunion's cirques, with waterfalls streaming down its walls and Hell-Bourg, a village of pretty Creole houses.
Guide Coming Soon
Worth a DetourSaint-Gilles-les-Bains
Réunion's beach resort on the west coast, with a coral lagoon for snorkeling, a marina for whale-watching trips and lively evenings.
Guide Coming Soon
If You're NearbySaint-Denis
Réunion's capital, with Creole mansions, a Hindu temple, a mosque and a cathedral close together, and a covered market full of spices.
Guide Coming Soon
On the Map
Grey pins: guides still being written.
Good to Know
Getting Around
A rental car is essential for the mountain roads, which climb in hundreds of hairpins to Cilaos and the volcano. Mafate has no roads, so you hike in from trailheads above the other cirques and stay in guesthouses called gîtes, which should be booked ahead.
Weather
The coast is warm all year, around 86°F in summer and 77°F in winter, while the cirques and the volcano are much cooler, near freezing on the high summits at night. The cyclone season from January to March can close trails and roads.
Food
Try rougail saucisse, sausages in a spicy tomato sauce, cari, the island's curry, and samosas, with lentils from Cilaos and rum steeped with vanilla and fruit.
Before You Go
Americans don't need a visa for stays of up to 90 days, and Réunion uses the euro. Check the volcano's status before going, as summit trails close during eruptions, and start hikes at dawn, before clouds roll in.