Introducing St-Pierre

If you need to let off steam before (or after) heading off into the Cirques, you've come to the right place. St-Pierre pulses with an energy unknown elsewhere on the island, especially at weekends. Havana it ain't, but this vibrant, feisty, good-natured city knows what really counts in life: having a good time.

If St-Denis is Réunion's administrative and business capital, enchanting St-Pierre is its throbbing heart. Basking in the clear light of the southwest, the 'capital of the south' has an entirely different feel from its northern counterparts. It remains unmistakably more Creole than cosmopolitan and rather staid St-Denis.

St-Pierre's attractions include a slew of colonial-era edifices scattered in the centre and an attractive seafront. The picturesque Terre Sainte district is also worth a stroll.