Things to do in the Wild South

Saint-Joseph and Saint-Philippe form the least developed stretch of Réunion's coast: black basalt cliffs, the Cap Méchant viewpoint, a natural rock arch known as the puits arabe, and spice gardens inland. The main draw is the Grand Brûlé, where lava flows from the Piton de la Fournaise crossed the coast road and reached the sea, leaving a field of solidified basalt you walk across on foot.

5 hours of driving each way rather than judging by the kilometre count. Add the Langevin river valley and its waterfall as a stop on the way back. Swimming stays off-limits outside the lagon and supervised zones here, shark risk being the reason, so this basalt coastline is for walking and photographs, not for wading in.