Things to do in Cilaos

Cilaos sits at the end of the RN5, a road of roughly 400 bends climbing from Saint-Louis; budget about an hour of non-stop driving and treat it as a demanding drive, not a distance in kilometres.

The cirque is the island's sport and altitude base: canyoning routes at Fleurs Jaunes, Gobert and Bras Rouge, thermal springs, and local lentils and wine.

It is also the trailhead for Piton des Neiges (3,070 m), the highest point in the Indian Ocean, reached via an overnight stay at the Caverne Dufour hut and a night ascent timed for sunrise. That bunk needs booking well ahead, especially outside the May-to-October dry season, when trails are driest and clearest.