Experience Reunion Island

Overview

Reunion Island is often referred to as an “intense” island, it can be like night and day depending on where you travel within the island. A French department located in the Indian Ocean it is a 3 million-year-old volcanic island boasting a beautiful mixture of French, Asian, and African influences. Its iconic features are the towering mountains like Piton de la Fournaise its highest peak, rainforested interior, stunning beaches, vibrant coral reefs, and stunning waterfalls. There is so much to see and do on this breathtaking island including trekking its spectacular varied and enticing landscapes, relaxing on the soft white sand, endless watersports in the aquamarine waters, and enjoying the delicious local cuisine. 

This unique island is decorated with quaint colorful towns and villages and is known for its outstanding beauty with its dramatic shifts from soaring volcanoes to verdant forests, from flat coastal areas to its steep canyons. Reunion provides its visitors with the most amazing holiday experience ever with its friendly residents and their varying cultures and luxurious accommodations it's the perfect spot to soak up the sun, sand, and sea along with island vibes. It is one of the most intriguing destinations on earth with over 17 miles of warm welcoming beaches it's a popular place for your beach holiday.

Things to see and do

Go Hiking or Trekking on many hiking paths scattered around the island, Reunion is filled with some of the highest peaks in the region. The island is defined by its volcanic formations and is home to two inactive shield volcanoes; Piton de la Fournaise, and the massive Piton des Neiges (Snowy peak) which soars to a staggering 10,072 feet, making it the highest point on the island.

Hike in the cirques and explore the three cirques (Mafate, Cilaos, and Salazie), three large calderas formed by the collapse of a shield volcano. Of the three, Mafate is inaccessible by roads, making it ideal for hikers wanting to enjoy the impressive nature in total solitude. There are several villages inside the Cirque de Mafate which are accessible only by trails (and helicopters).

Piton de la Fournaise is a highly active volcano standing at 8,631 feet it is closely monitored to anticipate future eruptions and is counted as one of the most active volcanoes on the planet. There are helicopter tours available to reach a new perspective from a different angle. Some also venture up the mountain's highest reachable point on foot, an unforgettable experience and breathtaking sight. 

The diverse terrain of Reunion makes it a premiere destination for avid trekkers to seek out their favorite activity. Trekking through the highlands of the fascinating island is so interesting and so much fun and gives you a chance to get up close with the locals in the quaint farms and villages dotted around the island. The island’s three cirques are one of the popular places to explore on foot. 

Explore the island via two wheels and go Mountain biking for an intense and exhilarating ride to discover the island's incredible landscapes. The trails throughout the island are often quite steep and the volcanic terrain can be rough and unpredictable, so you're in for quite the adventure. Le Maido is the most popular downhill biking spot on the island boasting 62 miles of marked trails.

Go whale and dolphin watching in the Indian Ocean! The shores of Reunion Island are home to many marine mammals. Many diving schools, as well as other establishments, offer sessions of whale and dolphin watching. Among the mammals you will get to see are blower dolphins, spotted dolphins, humpback whales, and the Risso dolphins, a species discovered off the shores of the island.

Check out the lagoons found on the west and south coast between St. Paul and St. Pierre. There are wide expanses of sandy beaches here ranging from white to black! The most popular beach areas are around La Saline les Baines with plenty of accommodation options and local restaurants and bars. You can choose to laze on the beach or indulge yourself in a variety of watersports like windsurfing and stand-up paddling. Around St. Leu, you can engage in more active sports like paragliding.

Notable towns to visit in this area are Saint-Paul, Saint-Gilles, and Saint-Leu. Spend a few days in this area exploring the coastline. The coastal road (N1A) from Saint-Paul to Saint-Gilles offers beautiful views of the ocean and the cliffs. 

The west coast is also the best area to go scuba-diving, deep-sea fishing, or whale-watching (June - October are the best whale-watching months). There are various tour operators based in towns like Saint-Gilles-Les-Bains and Le Port.

A cross between hang gliding and parachuting, paragliding involves riding a large "parafoil," fashioned with a harness, from which riders hang while gliding from a height. Reunion Island is a paradise for this free-flying sport, with the weather providing more than 300 clear days a year to enjoy this pursuit, according to the island's many paragliding experts. Riders can fly alone or in tandem. Even children can enjoy these two-person flights, sharing the fun of adrenalin sports with their adventurous parents.

Shopping

Visiting the vibrant bustling markets is part of the authentic culture and heritage of Reunion Island. The locals in Reunion flock to the markets to shop for fresh products, especially produce at the best prices. Checking out the local markets is also a great way for tourists to discover the country’s culture, and meet the friendly locals while picking up some amazing finds.

Saint-Paul’s seafront market is considered one of the most beautiful markets on the island boasting over 300 colorful stalls. This beautiful and popular marketplace is so incredibly diverse with an abundance of fresh produce as well as local handicrafts and other local items handmade here that make the perfect gift to take home.

Shopping on Reunion Island has not been influenced by modernity. Most of the shopping takes place at the markets and streets that offer local products rather than international brand-name items. The main items for sale are local handicrafts and African-influenced products, mostly found in the markets rather than stores. Wooden handicrafts are popular, and clothing made by local producers is always high on shoppers' agendas. Embroidery, woven objects, and hand-made jewelry are some of the other products sold within the Grand Market.

Popular markets include: Saint-Pierre Market, held on Fridays and Saturdays, this is one of the largest operating markets on the island; Grand Market Saint-Denis, often regarded as the most popular shopping spot; and St Paul’s Street Market, another popular and high regarded market offer a huge range of goods.

Dining

The local cuisine of Reunion Island blends the influences and traditions from Africa, India, China, and Europe. Reunion Island is a French overseas department, where diners will find an abundance of delicious French cuisine served throughout the island's restaurants. As an island, the cuisine includes a wide variety of local fish, and deliciously tasty seafood like lobster, shrimp, and crab. If you prefer more Western-style food, you can find this in both gourmet and fast-food establishments across the island. There are also a wide variety of local fruits, vegetables, herbs, and other ingredients not usually found in French mainland cuisines such as Manioc, Mangue (mango), Goyavier (guava), Chevaquines (dried shrimp), Baba-figure (banana flowers which are stuffed and fried), Songe, and Ti-Jacques (jack fruit).

As far as local specialties are concerned, make sure to try the Hedgehog carri (curry) eaten with boiled rice cooked in Indian style. Another unique food to try is the eggs of a wasp (a kind of kleptoparasite that lays its eggs on another wasp species). Wasps undergo a phase of ‘larvae’. The natives of Reunion Islanders (mostly the Tamils) make a dish called `Rougail,` a kind of semi-solid porridge out of the larvae of Wasps. It’s a truly exotic dish of the country. And lastly, the native staple of Reunion Island is rice cooked in various forms accompanied by meat and vegetables.

For dining options, we highly recommend getting out of the center of Saint-Denis to discover authentic places to eat good Ruionese food at affordable prices.

Nightlife

Reunion Island is a country with a wide variety of nighttime entertainment to suit everyone's taste. It is possible to dine in a fine dining restaurant or relax after a hard day in one of the many coffee shops and then go to a theatre or nightclub.

Reunion Island's west coast is the area most frequented by party-goers - the general stretch between Saint-Paul in the north and Saint-Piere in the south is where most bars and nightlife establishments are concentrated, with Saint-Gilles and the paradise beach of L'Hermitage particularly known for their animated, glossy venues, while Saint-Pierre still retains some of the authentic local charm. Drinks to be had on the island are the locally-produced rums and the island `Burbon` beer brand, simply referred to as "dodo" by locals.