Best beaches in Réunion Island

Where you can actually swim in Réunion Island

Réunion Island is a volcanic island with a narrow fringing reef, not a string of open, swimmable beaches. A prefectoral order bans swimming and water sports outside the lagoon and outside a handful of supervised or enclosed zones, because of shark risk along the open coast. That single rule shapes this whole guide: the beaches below are the ones where swimming is allowed and genuinely pleasant, not every stretch of sand on the island. For the reasoning behind the ban and how it’s enforced, see is Réunion Island safe for tourists; this page sticks to where to put your towel.

Almost every workable beach sits on the west coast, in the Saint-Gilles and Saint-Leu area, where the coastline is dry, sunny and edged by a coral lagoon. The south adds one enclosed option at Grand Anse and one black-sand stretch at Étang-Salé. The east and the wild south are worth visiting for waterfalls, lava fields and cliffs, not for a day on the sand — that’s covered separately in our east coast guide, not here.

Saint-Gilles-les-Bains and l’Hermitage: the postcard lagoon

Saint-Gilles-les-Bains is the busiest beach town on the island, and its lagoon is the easiest place to get your first swim right. The main beach, right in town, has white coral sand, calm shallow water protected by the reef about 300–800 m offshore, and a boardwalk lined with snack bars, ice-cream stalls and the marina where whale-watching and dolphin boats leave from. It gets crowded on weekends and school holidays, and parking near the centre fills up by mid-morning in the dry season (May–October).

A short walk or drive south, l’Hermitage-les-Bains is the quieter, greener half of the same lagoon. Casuarina trees (filaos) shade the sand, the water is just as calm, and this is where most snorkelling tours put in, since the reef here holds more coral and more fish than directly off Saint-Gilles’ town beach. Renting a kayak or a paddleboard from the beach huts is easy and cheap; going out with a guide is worth it if you want to actually find turtles rather than paddle past them.

a guided snorkelling trip out to the turtle feeding grounds off l’Hermitage covers the reef sections where green turtles reliably graze, with gear provided — useful if you don’t already know where in the lagoon to look.

The lagoon between Saint-Gilles and l’Hermitage is entirely inside the Réserve naturelle marine de La Réunion, created in 2007 to protect the reef. Walking or standing on coral is prohibited and damages a reef that recovers slowly; use reef-safe sunscreen and stick to sandy patches when you put your feet down. For a wider look at the lagoon’s wildlife beyond turtles, our Hermitage lagoon snorkelling and kayaking guide goes into more detail on routes and seasons.

La Saline-les-Bains: the same lagoon, fewer people

La Saline-les-Bains continues the same reef-protected lagoon a little further south of l’Hermitage, and it’s the beach locals tend to prefer over Saint-Gilles itself. The sand is white, the water is shallow and calm close to shore, and the crowd is thinner on an average weekday, though weekends bring out plenty of Réunionnais families. There’s less infrastructure directly on the beach than in Saint-Gilles — fewer restaurants right on the sand — which is part of the appeal if you want a straightforward swim without a boardwalk atmosphere.

The reef sits further out here than at l’Hermitage, so the swimmable lagoon feels a bit more open, but the same rule applies: stay inside the buoyed or visibly reef-protected zone, and don’t push out toward the reef break or beyond it.

Saint-Leu: small coves, big lagoon reputation

Saint-Leu is known first for paragliding — pilots launch from the hillside above town and land on a strip near the coast — but at sea level it has its own lagoon beaches, smaller and less crowded than Saint-Gilles’. Pointe des Châteaux and Pointe au Sel are the two worth knowing: narrow strips of sand with clear, calm water over a reef that’s popular with snorkellers and, further out past the reef pass, with divers and surfers.

This is also one of the better spots on the island for scuba diving, since the drop-off beyond the reef is close to shore and well charted by local dive centres.

a supervised first scuba dive run from nearby Le Port is a straightforward way to get underwater with an instructor if you’ve never dived before and want to try it on this stretch of coast.

Saint-Leu’s beaches share the same lagoon-only swimming rule as the rest of the west coast — the surf break and the open water beyond the reef are for surfers and divers under local guidance, not for casual swimming. For everything else the town offers beyond the sand, see things to do in Saint-Leu.

Étang-Salé: black sand and a different mood

South of Saint-Leu, the coastline changes character entirely. Étang-Salé’s beach is volcanic black sand, backed by a filao forest that gives real shade — useful, since black sand gets noticeably hotter underfoot at midday than the white sand further north. The atmosphere here is more local and less resort-like: families picnic under the trees, and the beach feels wilder even though it’s easy to reach by car.

A supervised swimming zone is marked by buoys and patrolled by lifeguards in season; it’s protected by a reef edge that keeps the water calmer than the open coast just beyond it. Stay inside the marked zone — the appeal of Étang-Salé is the contrast with the rest of the coast, not an invitation to swim past the buoys. For diving rather than swimming, the reef here connects to some of the sites covered in scuba diving in Saint-Leu and Étang-Salé.

Grand Anse: the enclosed pool in the south

Grand Anse, near Saint-Joseph in the south, solves a problem the rest of the southern coast can’t: a genuinely safe place to swim where the open sea is otherwise off-limits. The council built an enclosed seawater pool (bassin) right on the beach, walled with rocks so the water stays calm regardless of the swell outside. It’s the single best beach on the island for young children for exactly that reason — no current, no surprise depth changes, supervised sightlines from the sand.

The beach itself is scenic, backed by casuarina trees, with picnic tables and a snack bar nearby, but this is a stop for the pool and a picnic, not a base for a beach holiday — accommodation options and how to combine Grand Anse with the rest of the south sit in other guides on this site, not here.

Comparing the beaches at a glance

Beach	Coast	Sand	Best for	Crowd level
Saint-Gilles-les-Bains	West	White	First-timers, easy access, boat trips	High, especially weekends
L’Hermitage	West	White	Snorkelling, turtles, kayaking	Moderate to high
La Saline-les-Bains	West	White	Quieter swim in the same lagoon	Moderate
Saint-Leu (Pointe au Sel)	West	White	Diving, small coves, fewer tourists	Low to moderate
Étang-Salé	Southwest	Black	Contrast, shade, supervised swim zone	Moderate
Grand Anse	South	White	Enclosed pool, young children	Moderate, busy on weekends

Prices for boat trips and lagoon excursions from these beaches typically run from around €40 for a shared snorkelling outing to well over €100 for a half-day whale and dolphin watching cruise; check the current rate on the booking page before you go, since fuel and boat costs shift the fare over a season.

a snorkelling trip out of Saint-Gilles that combines the lagoon with a chance to see dolphins in open water is a good option if you want to pair a lagoon swim with something further offshore, under a skipper who knows the approach rules.

The lagoon is protected — what that means on the sand

Every white-sand beach on this list sits inside the Réserve naturelle marine de La Réunion. In practice that means: don’t touch or stand on coral, don’t collect shells or dead coral, use a reef-safe sunscreen where you can find one, and keep a respectful distance from turtles rather than chasing them for a photo. Boat operators working inside the reserve are required to follow approach rules for turtles, dolphins and whales, which is one more reason a guided trip is worth it over renting your own kayak and guessing where the wildlife is.

None of this is about the shark closures further out — that’s a separate, well-publicised rule covered on our safety page, and this guide won’t repeat the detail. What matters for a beach day is simpler: the lagoon is where you swim, the reef inside it is fragile, and the buoys or visible reef line mark the edge of where you should be.

a half-day boat trip along the west coast is a straightforward way to see the coastline from the water without needing to identify reef boundaries yourself — the boat stays in cleared channels the whole way.

Getting to each beach

All of these beaches are on the coastal road network and reachable by rental car in 15–45 minutes from Saint-Gilles, depending on direction; a car is close to essential, since the Car Jaune bus network connects the main towns but not every beach access point directly. Saint-Gilles, l’Hermitage and La Saline sit within a 10-minute drive of each other along the coast road. Saint-Leu is about 20 minutes further south. Étang-Salé adds another 15–20 minutes, and Grand Anse, near Saint-Joseph, is roughly 40–50 minutes south of Saint-Gilles — plan it as part of a day out rather than a quick stop. For driving logistics on this stretch, see driving in Réunion Island.

Best time of year for the beaches

The dry season, from May to October, gives the most reliable sun and calmer seas on the west coast, and it overlaps with the best whale-watching window (roughly June–July to October) if you want to combine a lagoon swim with a chance of seeing humpback whales offshore. The wet, cyclone-prone season runs November to April; the lagoon itself is sheltered enough to stay usable on an ordinary day, but heavy rain and any cyclone alert can close beaches and boat trips with little notice. See best time to visit Réunion Island and Réunion Island weather by month for a fuller seasonal picture, and check our best time tool before locking in dates.

Frequently asked questions about Réunion Island’s beaches

Can you swim anywhere along Réunion Island’s coast?

No. A prefectoral order restricts swimming and water sports to the lagoon and to supervised or enclosed areas. Most of the coastline, including the east and the wild south, is off-limits for swimming.

Is the sand black everywhere in Réunion Island?

No. The west coast beaches (Saint-Gilles-les-Bains, l’Hermitage, La Saline-les-Bains) have white coral sand inside the lagoon. Étang-Salé, further south, has black volcanic sand instead.

Which beach is best for young children?

Grand Anse, thanks to its enclosed seawater pool, and the shallow lagoon at l’Hermitage or La Saline-les-Bains, where the water stays calm and knee-to-waist deep close to shore.

Can you walk on the coral reef in the lagoon?

No. The reef sits inside the Réserve naturelle marine de La Réunion and is easily damaged. Wear reef shoes to avoid rock and urchin patches, use reef-safe sunscreen, and avoid standing on coral.

Is Saint-Leu a swimming beach or a paragliding spot?

Both, but they don’t overlap on the sand. Saint-Leu’s small lagoon beaches (Pointe des Châteaux, Pointe au Sel) are for swimming and snorkelling; the paragliders launch and land well above and around them.

Is Étang-Salé safe to swim at?

It has a supervised, reef-protected swimming zone marked by buoys, and lifeguards patrol it in season. Stay inside the marked area; the open sea beyond it is not a swimming zone.

Do Réunion Island’s beaches have facilities?

The main west coast beaches and Grand Anse have showers, toilets, parking and beachfront snack bars (snacks). Smaller coves and the Étang-Salé forest fringe have fewer or no facilities, so bring water and shade.