Introducing The Cirques

A trip to the Cirques is an iconic Réunion experience. No amount of hyperbole could ever communicate the astonishingly guileless beauty of the island's heart and soul. Knitted together like a three-leaf clover, the Cirques of Cilaos, Salazie and Mafate are different in spirit from the rest of the island – more inward-looking, more secretive, more austere. Quintessentially Réunionnais. The fast-paced and hedonistic coastal life seems light years away. The few roads daring to traverse the gorges and ranges are more crooked than a politician, winding in and out of tortuous valleys.

The whole island was once the dome of a vast prehistoric shield volcano, centred on Piton des Neiges, but the collapse of subterranean lava chambers formed the starting point for the creation of the Cirques. Millions of years of rainfall and erosion did the rest, scouring out the amphitheatres that are visible today.

No prize for guessing that this rugged region is a fantastic playground for the stimulus-needy, with staggering mountain scenery, a mesh of well-marked trails and jaw-dropping canyons that beg to be explored. But if all you need is to decompress, there are always epicurean delights, including a robust cuisine scene and welcoming accommodation options where you can rejuvenate mind and body.

Nature is not the only drawcard. The Cirques are also of strong historical interest. They first began to be settled by marrons in the 18th century, and their descendants still inhabit some of the wild remote villages of the Cirques. The people residing here are an independent and unhurried lot, adamantly tied to their îlet (village) and their traditions.

Each Cirque has its own personality – try to include the three of them in your itinerary.