Trekking in Reunion

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Kristiina Gaillard

Travel Advisor

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Laura Kankaanpää

Travel Advisor

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A hiking paradise, Reunion offers an incredible mosaic of landscapes! A volcanic island, it is home, within its interior lands, to the famous Piton de la Fournaise and Piton des Neiges, considered the Roof of the Indian Ocean. Other wonders of nature, the three cirques of Salazie, Mafate and Cilaos reveal breathtaking panoramas, lush vegetation, spectacular gorges and waterfalls. Discovering these natural landscapes listed as a Unesco World Heritage site, through a hiking trek, quickly becomes an unforgettable adventure.

The Great Crossing of Reunion on Foot

This great hiking trek starts in Saint-Denis and reveals to you the exotic myriad of facets of the interior lands, also called the “heights”, before taking you to the coast, to relax on the white sand beach of Saint Gilles. Between these two cities, the trek takes you through the three sublime cirques of Salazie, Mafate and Cilaos, where the beauty of the Trois Roches waterfalls and Trou de Fer nestle. You explore the sumptuous chains of volcanoes, with Piton de la Fournaise culminating at 2631 meters and Piton des Neiges at 3070 meters, where the sunrises and sunsets are spectacular. From lush forests to waterfalls and canyons, from tree ferns to orchids, the atmosphere changes as your adventure progresses to become tropical, mineral then lunar. The authenticity of the villages, the warm welcome of the locals and the flavour of Creole cuisine add a slightly spicy touch to your journey.

Easy and Accessible Discovery of the Island

For a more accessible hiking programme the “Light Crossing of Reunion” offers you a discovery of the three cirques of Salazie, Mafate and Cilaos, and Piton de la Fournaise, with an incursion into the wild south of the island to Saint Pierre. This walk in exuberant nature concludes on the coast to reconnect with the pleasures of the Indian Ocean.

With the circuit “Discovering Reunion” you are now in the vertical world of Salazie cirque, then facing the impressive waterfalls of Trou de Fer. You experience a fabulous adventure with Trou Blanc Canyon, then the ascent of Piton des Neiges and Piton de la Fournaise, before savouring the beauty of Mafate cirque and the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean.

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