Réunion Island: Should You Actually Book France's Wildest Island?

Réunion is not the Indian Ocean island you expect. It is not a beach destination — or rather, it is not only a beach destination. It is a volcanic island of extraordinary geological drama: an active shield volcano that erupts several times a year, three ancient calderas so deep and steep they are accessible only on foot, a peak (Piton des Neiges, 3,070m) that is the highest point in the Indian Ocean, and a coastline where paragliders launch from cliffs above turquoise water. It is one of the most physically dramatic islands on Earth.

Réunion is a French overseas department — as French as Brittany or Provence, but located 800km east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The island has a population of 900,000 and a Creole culture that blends French, African, Indian, and Chinese influences into something entirely its own. The cuisine is extraordinary — a fusion of French technique with Indian spices, African ingredients, and Chinese flavours that produces dishes unlike anything else in the world.

Piton de la Fournaise: The Active Volcano

Piton de la Fournaise (2,632m) is one of the world's most active volcanoes — erupting 2–5 times per year on average, with some years seeing 6–7 eruptions. It is a shield volcano, which means its eruptions are effusive (lava flows) rather than explosive — the lava pours from fissures on the flanks and flows slowly towards the sea, creating new land as it goes. The eruptions are spectacular but not dangerous if you stay outside the restricted zones.

The Pas de Bellecombe car park (2,311m) is the starting point for hikes to the summit. From here, a 3-hour return hike crosses the Enclos Fouqué — a vast caldera 8km wide — to the base of the active cone. The landscape is extraordinary: black lava fields, steam vents, and the smell of sulphur, with the active cone rising above. When an eruption is in progress, the lava flows are often visible from the car park at night — a river of glowing orange against the black rock.

The Three Cirques: Réunion's Hidden World

The three cirques — Cilaos, Mafate, and Salazie — are ancient calderas formed by the collapse of Réunion's original volcano (Piton des Neiges) millions of years ago. Each is a world unto itself: steep walls rising 1,000–2,000m, a floor of villages and farmland, and a microclimate that produces extraordinary vegetation. They are the heart of Réunion's hiking culture.

Cirque de Mafate is the most extraordinary — accessible only on foot (no roads, no cars), with a population of 700 people living in 11 hamlets connected by hiking trails. The only way in is a 3–4 hour hike from the rim. The hamlets have gîtes (mountain huts) serving Creole food and offering basic accommodation. Spending a night in Mafate — eating rougail saucisse by candlelight, with no phone signal and no road noise — is one of the great simple travel experiences.

Cirque de Cilaos is the most accessible — a road winds down from the rim in 400 hairpin bends, and the village of Cilaos at the bottom has good hotels, restaurants, and a thermal spa. The cirque is famous for its lentils (Lentilles de Cilaos, a protected designation of origin) and its wine — the only wine produced in the Indian Ocean. Cirque de Salazie is the greenest and wettest, with waterfalls cascading from the rim walls and the village of Hell-Bourg (one of France's most beautiful villages) at its centre.

Paragliding: Flying Above the Indian Ocean

Réunion is one of the world's best paragliding destinations — consistent trade winds, dramatic topography, and launch sites above the Indian Ocean create conditions that attract paragliders from across Europe. The main launch site is at Saint-Leu on the west coast — a cliff 300m above the sea, with thermals that allow flights of 1–2 hours and views across the Indian Ocean to Mauritius on clear days.

Tandem paragliding flights are available for non-pilots — you fly with an instructor, no experience required. Flights last 20–40 minutes and cost EUR 80–120. The experience of launching from the cliff and soaring above the turquoise water, with the volcanic peaks of the island behind you, is extraordinary. Book in advance in the dry season (April–November) — flights are weather-dependent and popular.

The GR R2: The Island's Great Hike

The GR R2 is a 150km, 7-day hiking trail that crosses Réunion from north to south, passing through all three cirques and over the Piton des Neiges. It is one of the world's great long-distance hikes — technically demanding (total elevation gain of approximately 12,000m), but extraordinarily beautiful. The trail passes through landscapes that change completely every day: tropical forest, alpine meadows, lava fields, and the interior of the cirques.

• ·Day 1: Saint-Denis to Cilaos (via Salazie) — 25km, 1,800m ascent
• ·Day 2: Cilaos to Piton des Neiges summit (3,070m) — 12km, 1,600m ascent
• ·Day 3: Piton des Neiges to Mafate (La Nouvelle hamlet) — 18km
• ·Day 4: Mafate traverse (La Nouvelle to Marla) — 15km
• ·Day 5: Mafate to Cilaos (via Col du Taïbit) — 20km
• ·Day 6: Cilaos to Plaine des Cafres — 22km
• ·Day 7: Plaine des Cafres to Saint-Pierre — 18km

Creole Cuisine: The Island's Best Kept Secret

Réunion's cuisine is one of the Indian Ocean's great undiscovered pleasures — a fusion of French, African, Indian, and Chinese influences that produces dishes of extraordinary complexity and flavour. The staple is rougail — a tomato-based sauce with ginger, garlic, and chilli, served with rice and grains (lentils, kidney beans, or split peas). Rougail saucisse (with smoked sausage) is the national dish. Carry (curry) is the other staple — a slow-cooked stew of chicken, pork, or seafood with turmeric, ginger, and thyme.

The best place to eat Creole food is in the gîtes of the cirques — mountain huts that serve set menus of traditional dishes for EUR 15–20. In Saint-Denis, the Marché du Chaudron is the best food market, with stalls selling samosas, bouchons (Chinese dumplings), and fresh fruit. The restaurant Le Reflet des Îles in Saint-Denis is the most celebrated — a formal Creole restaurant with a wine list that includes Cilaos wines.

Practical Information & Weather

April–November: 20–28°C west coast, dry season, best for hiking and paragliding. December–March: 25–32°C, wet season, cyclone risk, some trails closed. Getting there: Air France from Paris CDG (11 hours, daily). Currency: Euro (EUR). Language: French (Creole widely spoken). Car hire: Essential for exploring the island — EUR 40–60/day. Roads are excellent but the mountain roads (especially to Cilaos) are narrow and winding. Driving on the left: No — Réunion drives on the right (French system).