The West
Welcome to Réunion's Sunshine Coast, or Réunion's Riviera, or the leeward coast.
Welcome to Réunion's Sunshine Coast, or Réunion's Riviera, or the leeward coast.
If you need to let off steam before (or after) heading off into the Cirques, you've come to the right place.
Francophiles will feel comfortable in St-Denis (san-de-nee), the capital of Réunion.
A trip to the Cirques is an iconic Réunion experience.
Robinson Crusoe–style beaches and pristine wilderness, oh no no! The tourism machine shifts into overdrive in the large resort complex of St-Gilles and L'Hermitage (as they are usually known), with white sands, restaurants, nightclubs and a...
The setting couldn't be more grandiose.
Cilaos is ensnared by scenery so mind-blowingly dramatic it's practically Alpine.
The east coast is everything the west coast is not: low-key, unpretentious and luxuriant (yes, it does get much more rain).
If you need a break from beach-bumming and want to cool off in forested mountains, head to the Cirque de Salazie.
Since the good old days of the sugar industry ended, forward-looking St-Leu has transformed itself into a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts.
Réunion's only cross-island road passes through the Plaine-des-Cafres and the Plaine-des-Palmistes, collectively known as Les Hautes Plaines.
Sugar-cane fields, lychee and mango orchards, rice, spices, coffee… Great carpets of deep-green felt seem to have been draped over the lower hills that surround St-Benoît, a major agricultural and fishing centre.
Velvet-green hills and pastures undulating off into the horizon.
St-André is the anti-St-Gilles.
Be prepared to fall on your knees in awe: far above St-Paul and St-Gilles-les-Bains on the rim of the Cirque de Mafate, Le Maïdo is one of the most impressive viewpoints in Réunion.
The town of Hell-Bourg emerges like a hamlet in a fairy tale after 9km of tight bends from Salazie.
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