Your complete guide to Reunion Island
Verified tours, honest advice, and no-fluff tips on the cirques, the volcano, and day trips across the island, from Saint-Denis to the Sud sauvage.
Top-rated activities on Reunion Island
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Top destinations in and around Reunion Island
From Saint-Denis and Saint-Pierre to the cirques, the volcano, and the Sud sauvage further afield.
Saint-Gilles-les-Bains: Réunion Island's beach town and lagoon
Saint-Gilles-les-Bains guide: the lagoon, sand, boat trips and where you can actually swim on Réunion Island's west coast.
Saint-Denis: Réunion's real capital, not a beach stop
Saint-Denis is Réunion's administrative capital: creole streets, the Barachois seafront, mosques and temples. No lagon here — that's the west coast.
Saint-Pierre: the South's capital, markets and seafront
Saint-Pierre is Réunion's southern capital: covered and Saturday markets, a lively seafront, the busiest nightlife on the island, and Pierrefonds airport.
Piton de la Fournaise: hiking Réunion's active volcano
Piton de la Fournaise: the active volcano hike, Pas de Bellecombe views and when the enclos is actually open.
Cilaos: the road, the canyons and the climb to Piton des Neiges
Cilaos guide: the 400-bend road from Saint-Louis, canyoning, thermal springs and the climb to Piton des Neiges, the Indian Ocean's highest point.
Salazie and Hell-Bourg: Réunion's green cirque
Salazie is the green, drivable cirque, with Hell-Bourg village, waterfalls and the Trou de Fer viewpoint. Distances, timing and how it differs from Cilaos.
Things to do on Reunion Island
A helicopter flight over the cirques, the Piton de la Fournaise, Mafate, and the lagon of Saint-Gilles — the best things to do on Reunion Island and beyond.
Helicopter and aerial tours
Helicopter or microlight flights over Piton de la Fournaise, the cirques and the coastline for views the trails cannot reach.
Hiking and trekking
Guided hikes in the cirques of Mafate, Cilaos and Salazie, and ascents of Piton des Neiges on marked ONF trails.
Whale and dolphin watching
Boat outings off Saint-Gilles and Saint-Leu to spot dolphins year-round and humpback whales during their seasonal passage.
Food, rum and local culture
Rum distillery visits, vanilla and sugar farms, and tastings of Reunionese Creole cuisine and produce.
Essential travel guides
Our most popular guides to help you prepare.
Cilaos day trip from Saint-Gilles-les-Bains
A realistic Cilaos day trip from Saint-Gilles: the 400-bend road, drive times, what to see, and why the summit stays out of reach.
Hiking in Mafate: planning guide
Mafate has no road. Plan the walk in, the gîtes, and the days you need to see Réunion's most isolated cirque on foot.
Piton de la Fournaise volcano tours: hiking to the crater
How to visit Piton de la Fournaise from Bourg-Murat: Pas de Bellecombe, enclos closure rules, and honest timing for the hike.
Rum distilleries and Creole food in Réunion Island
Where to taste rum, carri and rougail saucisse in Réunion, from Saint-Pierre's Saturday market to a working distillery.
Whale and dolphin watching from Saint-Gilles-les-Bains
Boat trips from Saint-Gilles for humpback whales and dolphins: realistic season, distance rules, and what a sighting actually depends on.
Best time to visit Réunion Island
When to go to Réunion: dry winter hikes, whale season, cyclone months, and how the island's inverted seasons actually work.
Suggested itineraries
Tested routes to make the most of your time.
3 days in Réunion Island: lagoon, volcano and Cilaos
A 3-day Réunion Island itinerary that adds Cilaos to the lagoon-and-volcano weekend, with honest drive times and no summit promises.
Five days in Réunion Island: the west coast and cirques
A 5-day Réunion Island itinerary built around Saint-Gilles, the volcano, Cilaos and Salazie — the Hauts and cirques, not a coastal loop.
One week in Réunion Island: cirques, volcano and the wild south
A 7-day loop from Saint-Denis covering Salazie, Cilaos, the volcano, the wild south and the lagon, with honest drive times.
Why trust Reunion Island Escape?
Every recommendation is based on verified information and honest, hands-on research. Our guides include real prices in euros, practical tips and straight advice - not sponsored rankings. When you book through our links, you pay the same price and we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.