Reunion Island offers some 30 km of black and white sand beaches, of which 22 km are well-preserved lagoons.
The sun invites you to relax on the beach and enjoy different activities: swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boarding, etc… The clear waters of the lagoons provide great visibility for discovering multi-colored fish.
Swimming in the ocean is authorized in several areas, which are either supervised by lifeguards or protected by the coral reef. Aquatic activities (surf, bodyboard, bodysurf, longboard, paddle board) outside those areas are prohibited because of the potential presence of sharks. But don’t worry for that as long as you swim in an authorized spot – there’s no risk! Actually I have never seen a shark here.
Bathing areas
The authorized bathing areas are situated on the Western and the Southern coasts, from Saint-Gilles to Saint-Philippe.
My favorite spots are l’Ermitage for its lagoon and Grande Anse for its nature. Here is an exhaustive list of all the beaches where you can swim – from West to South:
- Boucan Canot: beautiful beach between Saint-Paul Saint-Gilles with a natural swimming pool formed by volcanic rocks. I like this beach for its many bars, restaurants and shops, but the bathing area is quite small. I would recommend to go there to enjoy a lunch and do some shopping.
- L’Ermitage: the most beautiful beach for its turquoise water, near Saint-Gilles. It’s a family beach where you can enjoy swimming in shallow water. The lagoon is ideal for snorkeling; please respect the corals. I also love this site for its bars and restaurants (au K’banon, la Bobine), where you can enjoy a good cocktail with a view of the ocean.
- La Saline: this beach is similar and close to l’Ermitage – beautiful lagoon for snorkeling and shallow turquoise water. If I had to recommend a bar/restaurant, that would be “L’Uni Vert” without any doubt!
- Saint-Leu: Saint-Leu is a small city between Saint-Gilles and Saint-Pierre. Its lagoon is also protected by the coral reef, but the water is not as turquoise as in the West.
- Etang-Salé: large volcanic sand beach with palm trees and lots of waves! A basin was created so that people can swim without any risk, and lifeguards supervise the beach. I like to go to this beach at the end of the day when the dark sand doesn’t burn the feet anymore. It’s a perfect place for beach games like beach volley, beach tennis, slack line, etc.
- Saint-Pierre: Saint-Pierre is the third largest city of the island. The beach is situated very close to the city center and surrounded by the coral reef.
- Grande Anse: the most natural beach and therefore the most beautiful to me. Grande Anse is situated in the South, near “Petite-Île”. It’s a white sand beach covered by palm trees. A basin was created like in Etang-Salé because there is no lagoon. I love enjoying the day there (snorkeling is also possible) and then have a good cocktail with a view at the Palm Hotel. I recommend making a stop at the small hill near the beach in order to have a walk and enjoy the beautiful view over the ocean.
- Manapany-les-Bains: Manapany is situated near Grande Anse. A basin was also created, but I would say it’s way better in Grande Anse!