Things to do in Mafate and the Maïdo

Mafate is the one cirque with no road at all: you get in on foot only, from the Maïdo, the col des Boeufs, the rivière des Galets or Dos d'Âne, and even helicopters that resupply the ilets only fly over the cirque rather than land vehicles in it.

Îlets such as La Nouvelle, Marla, Roche Plate and Aurère have gîtes that need booking ahead, and most visitors plan one to three days of walking between them.

If you just want the view, drive to the Maïdo, at around 2,200 metres above Saint-Paul, and go early: clouds usually roll in from about 10am and can erase the whole belvedere within half an hour.