19 Best Reasons to Visit the Tropical Island of Réunion
19 Best Reasons to Visit the Tropical Island of Réunion
Administratively, the island of Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France. Like the other four overseas departments, it is also one of the 18 regions of France with the status of the overseas region and an integral status of the republic with the same status as the metropolis. The Union of the United Union and the Overseas Department of France part of the euro area.
Table of Contents
Reunion Map
Informations
Temperature: The dry season is May to October, with temperatures 20-25°C. November to March is more humid, with most rain and occasional cyclones in January and February.
Language: As in the political metropolis, the correct language is French. In addition, the majority of the population of the Réunion region speaks Creole.
Currency: Euro
Food Prices: Meal in a cheap restaurant=7 EUR, Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant=50 EUR
You can find more information about the visa here.
Things to do
Cascade Grand-Galet
Cascade Grand-Galet is the name of a waterfall on Langevin in the municipality of Saint-Joseph on the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean. It is located in the south of the island near the Reunion National Park.
Piton de la Fournaise
The Piton de la Fournaise is a 2632 m high volcano in the French overseas department of La Réunion. It was founded 380,000 years ago on the south side of the Piton des Neiges and is one of the most active volcanoes on earth. 47 eruptions have been recorded since 1950, and there have been indications of nearly 180 eruptions since 1640.
Cirque de Mafate
The Cirque de Mafate in the French overseas department of Réunion is the northwestern Caldera des Piton des Neiges. The basin, which is largely located in the municipality of La Possession, extends about ten kilometers in a north-south direction and about five kilometers in an east-west direction. From the summit of the Grand Bénare, the almost vertical rock faces drop over 1600 m.
Piton des Neiges
At 3,070 m, the Piton des Neiges is the highest mountain in the French overseas department of La Réunion and in the Indian Ocean. The summit is free of snow. On some days of the year it is covered with hoarfrost, very rarely with a little snow. About 5 million years ago, a hot spot, a volcano, formed on the floor of the Indian Ocean. With the rise of the Piton des Neiges, the island of La Réunion was founded about three million years ago.
Trou de Fer
The Trou de Fer is a cauldron-like gorge on the island of Réunion that is about 250 meters deep. The Trou de Fer is located on a mountain flank in the northeast of the island. The inside is not accessible. A viewing platform on the southern edge of the basin can be reached via hiking trails in the Forêt de Bélouve, but the view into the depths is often clouded by fog and clouds.
Kélonia
Kélonia is an aquarium specializing in sea turtles and an observation station in the municipality of Saint-Leu in the west of the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean. It was founded in 2006 on the site of a former turtle farm. Kélonia participates in various scientific activities related to the observation of sea turtles, including migration studies, genetics and population monitoring. It also has a turtle infirmary. Many of the sea turtles released by Kélonia are equipped with Argos GPS transmitters and their migration routes can be followed via the internet.
Voile de la Mariée (Salazie)
The Bridal Veil Falls is a waterfall on the island of Réunion. Located at about 500 m altitude along the mountainous rampart that separates the cirque Salazie and the plateau forest Bélouve, it falls within the territory of the commune of Salazie on the island of Réunion
Plage de Boucan Canot
Located 40 km from the Roland Garros airport, on the west coast touristic and balnéaire of La Réunion, Boucan Canot vestire tout au long de l’année les vacationers comme les Réunionnais en quête de soleil et de farniente.
Plage de l'Hermitage
Hermitage beach occupies the southern third of the coastline of the town of Saint-Paul. It is the longest on the island, more than 7 km long. It is easily accessible from the North by the corniche road and the town of Saint-Paul, and from the South by the Tamarins road.The site was originally spelled “L’Hermitage, but the IGN maps spell it without, and the signposts have now all adopted this spelling1.
Maison Folio
The house “”Maison Folio””, also called “”Villa Folio”” and its garden have been taken over by the Folio family. Visiting the house is a true journey back in time, to a time when the island’s large Creole families fled inland from the summer heat of the coast to soak up charm in the freshness of the mountains in small lakes relax houses. The garden is the symbol of the “”Creole art of living”” with its gazebo, its fountain and its avenues paved with old stones.
Anse waterfalls
L’Anse des Cascades is a natural site in the municipality of Sainte-Rose at eastern Reunion Island. Closed for several months to the public in 2018 after the devastation of storm Fakir, you can once again admire its waterfalls in a green setting just next to the Indian Ocean.
Cité du Volcan
La Cité du Volcan, called Maison du Volcan from its creation in 1992 until 2011, is a museum on the island of Réunion, a French overseas department in the south-west of the Indian Ocean. It is based in Bourg-Murat, a village in the Plaine des Cafres located in the heights of the commune of Le Tampon. The Cité du Volcan offers permanent exhibitions on the various volcanoes of the world and in particular on the Piton de la Fournaise, the active volcano of the island. The Cité du Volcan is one of the four establishments of the local public company Réunion des Musées Régionaux.
Belvedere of Bois Court
The Bois-Court belvedere is a platform in the center of Reunion Island which dominates the Plain of Cafres just above the city of Tampon. Culminating at an altitude of 1,400 meters, you can contemplate from its heights the ramparts of Circus of Cilaos and a superb waterfall, that of the Voile de la Mariée in the small village of Grand Bassin.
Grand Étang
Grand Étang is the largest lake on the island of Réunion, a French territory in the western Indian Ocean. It lies in the commune of Saint-Benoît, close to La Plaine-des-Palmistes, in the eastern part of the island. Its inflow is a short creek from the waterfall Cascade Biberon of the Bras d’Annette creek.
Église Notre-Dame des Laves
The Notre-Dame-des-Laves church is a Catholic church in the commune of Sainte-Rose, on the island of La Réunion, a French overseas department and region. Small building painted in pink colors located in Piton Sainte-Rose, a district near the Piton de la Fournaise volcano, it has a remarkable character due to the now solidified lava flow which only entered the nave over 3 meters, the rest of the flow having bypassed the building without touching it during the eruption of Piton de la Fournaise in March 1977, which occurred outside the Enclos Fouqué, its last caldera. In addition, we are now near a Virgin statue called the parasol which was formerly installed at the Grand Brûlé, and which had to be removed under the threat of being buried by lava during the 2000s. formed is one of the attractions of tourism in Reunion in the Côte-au-vent region.
Grande Anse beach
The beach of Grande Anse, a picnic paradise,Grande Anse is located in the south of Reunion Island in the town of Petite-Île. Small bay at the foot of Piton de Grande Anse, it stands out thanks to its vast white sand beach bordered by coconut palms and vacoas.Considered by the Reunionese as one of the most beautiful beaches of the intense island, Grande Anse is very popular for picnics on weekends and public holidays, a real institution in Reunion.
Cascade Niagara
The Cascade Niagara is a waterfall fed by the waters of the Sainte-Suzanne River on the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean. It is located in the commune of Sainte-Suzanne and is around 25 meters high. At this point the river flows into a basin that is a popular swimming area.
State garden
The island boasts exceptionally rich and varied plant life. At the heart of this lush vegetation, we find the tamarind on Les Hauts (Highlands), as well as the latanier and the screwpine, all endemic plants that make Reunion something of an earthly paradise.
Bassin la Paix
Bassin la Paix is a water point on Reunion Island. Fed by several waterfalls, it is located about 50 meters above sea level on the course of the Rivière des Roches, a coastal river that flows into the Indian Ocean. It is located on the border of the communes of Bras-Panon to the west and Saint-Benoît to the east.
Things to Do – hiking, beaches, surfing, helicopter tours, ,canyon tours , scuba diving.
Attractions – Réunion Museum of Natural History, Cirque de Salazie, Le Maido, Réunion Aquarium, Thermes de Cilaos, Former Hotel de Ville.
Where to stay
A good night’s sleep is particularly important when you are travelling. La Réunion offers its guests a host of luxurious, charming and also out-of-the-ordinary accommodation.
Whether in the heart of the city, near the lake or surrounded by nature – Réunion’s hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses guarantee a relaxing and invigorating stay.
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One of the most impressive aspects of Réunion is its cuisine. Due to a history of foreign influences, including French, African, Indian, and Chinese, Réunion is home to a wonderful array of restaurants and dishes to satisfy all palates. Two of the most famous, yet simple, dishes, are cari and rougail, essentially meat and rice. Of course, the tropical landscape and climate of Réunion bears plenty of wonderful fruits throughout the year. Rum is the beverage of choice when locals are going out on the town, and most of the cities around Réunion have decent, although not particularly extensive, nightlife scenes.
Restaurants
Saint-Denis, Saint-Pierre, and Saint-Gilles contain the widest variety of good restaurants. L’Atelier de Ben (12, Rue de la Compagnie, Saint-Denise) is often described as Réunion’s most interesting restaurant, with its fusion of French and Asia cuisine. The most famous Creole restaurant in the capital is Le Reflet des Iles (27 Rue de l’Est, Saint-Denis), while a taste of true Parisian fare can be had at Le Roland Garros (2 Place, Sarda Garriga, Saint-Denis).
Along Saint-Pierre’s waterfront is the famous Le Retro (34 Hubert-Delisle Boulevard, Saint-Pierre), which serves traditional Parisian food. Even great Italian food can be found in Saint-Pierre, especially at L’Osteria (16 Rue Marius et Ary Leblond, Saint-Pierre). The best fish dishes in the city can be found at Le Marin Bleu (45 Rue de L’Amiral Lacaze, Saint-Pierre), cooked primarily in a Creole-inspired style.
Saint-Gilles also boasts plenty of dining options in Réunion. Although Restaurant l’Oxygene (1 Rue de la Plage, Saint-Gilles) is not in the best parts of town, but it definitely has a delectable Creole and French menu. Restaurant L’A Cote (122 Rue de General de Gaulle, Saint-Gilles) is one of the island’s newest and busiest French restaurants. O’Casier (190 Rue du General de Gaulle, Saint-Gilles) is home to some great local pub fare and a huge wine list.
Travel Tips
- There are two main seasons on the island: austral summer from November to April and austral winter from May to October.
- it’s best to avoid the French holiday seasons when planning your visit (especially school holidays)
- Langevin is one of the best-kept secrets of the island. Visitors revel in its lush and cool water, splashing around all day. This waterfall is situated in the south of the island.
- Head into the tropical hinterlands on horseback
- You must book your accommodation as far in advance as possible
- avoid swimming in beaches not designated for swimming as strong currents and shark attacks can occur.
- the island’s “canyoning” hotspots include Cirque de Salazie and Cique de Cilaos
- Go to the local bar for some séga beats – a genre of music unique to the Mascarene Islands of Réunion, Mauritius and the Seychelles
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Shopping
Most of the shopping culture in Réunion hasn’t been influenced by modernity. Shopping malls are not the norm on the island, and most of the shopping revolves around markets and streets that boast local products rather than international brand-name items.
The southern Réunion city of Saint-Pierre is home to the Saint-Pierre Market. It is held on Saturday mornings, close to the sea along Hubert-Delisle Boulevard. The market is one of the largest operating on Réunion Island, and contains a plethora of different goods to keep shopaholics and bargain hunters satisfied.
This is often regarded as Réunion’s most popular shopping spot, although there is healthy competition from the main market in Saint-Pierre. This large market place offers a miscellaneous mixture of goods from across the region. Wooden handicrafts are popular, and clothing made from local producers are always high on shoppers’ agendas. Embroidery, woven objects, and hand-made jewelry are some of the other products sold within the Grand Market.
Another market held in high regard is the Saint-Paul Street Market. Here, tourists can find a huge range of goods, from French-colonial furniture, to locally made wines. The market is held every Friday night and Saturday morning. The colors and atmosphere of this street market are simply spectacular.
Getting around
There are no trains operating on Réunion. However, there is an extensive bus network on the island. It connects the major cities of Réunion with many of the smaller towns, so travelers can easily reach the most out-of-the-way settlements. Car Jaune is the main bus provider on the island. It generally runs between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Some of the main cities connected by the bus network include Saint-Denis, Saint-Benoit, and Saint-Pierre. A mini-van service, operated by Car Jaune, links smaller towns like Saint-Leu and Sain-Paul.
Even though boats are not frequently used to get around the island, getting to the island of Réunion by boat is possible. The ferries from Mauritius Trochetia and Mauritius Pride depart from the island of Mauritius several times a week, stopping at both Madagascar and Réunion during their journeys.
Réunion’s car rental facilities cannot be beaten when it comes to getting around the island. There are a lot of options when it comes to renting cars in Réunion, and in comparison to taxis, the service is reasonably inexpensive. Drivers will need to be over 21 years old and have had a license for more than a year.
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Getting Here
Fly from Mauritius – It takes only 45 minutes to fly from one island to another. So the best option will be to divide the vacation into 2 parts and visit both islands. On Reunion, you will have all the inhabitance of the island with french civilization. On Mauritius, you can enjoy the beaches and great service. The one-way ticket from Mauritius island to Reunion island cost appr 80 euros.
Air Austral operates (non-daily) direct flights to/from Johannesburg, Mayotte, Madagascar, Seychelles, Mauritius and Comoros. From Mauritius, you can also use Air Mauritius to get to Reunion Island.
You can fly to Roland Garros airport from Paris Orly, Charles de Gaulle and Marseilles airports. You can, if you want, go straight from your flight to a car and then drive to your hotel or set off to explore the island. There are several rental agencies, with a wide range of vehicles, near Roland Garros airport.
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