As you are already well aware if you read my other posts on Reunion Island, two weeks is not enough to visit the whole island. But you will definitely get a good overview of it and – I’m sure – the desire to come back and see more!
If you like to travel the way I do, meaning you like to move a lot, do some sport, and also rest a little bit (i.e. enjoy good cocktails on the beach), I prepared you an 14-day itinerary that you can adapt easily.
So here it is, from West to East:
DAY 1 – ARRIVAL
You will probably land in Saint-Denis. Take some time to relax and go to one of the beaches of the West coast. If you land in the morning, it’s nice to have lunch on the beach. I love the food at “L’Uni Vert” (great salads, tartars, carpaccio, and cocktails!) situated in La Saline. After that, enjoy snorkeling and have a nap on the beach.
DAY 2
Be ready to discover a beautiful waterfall and swim in turquoise water after a short walk! “Trois Bassins” will lead you to an unexpected place near Saint-Gilles where a river flows all year long, enabling you to enjoy 3 different basins. The trail is closed by municipal decree, but it’s one of the most popular and there is no danger. I recommend going to the second and the third basins (the highest ones), because the first one is full of mosquitoes. It takes around half an hour to get to the third basin, where you can swim and jump (if you dare) in turquoise water. The waterfall flows into the second basin and you can reach the top of the waterfall on your way to the third basin – the view is impressive! The path is not clearly indicated, so ask people there or read more info here. Don’t forget to bring some water, sneakers, a swimsuit, and your camera!
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After spending the morning over there, enjoy one of the beaches of the West coast: l’Ermitage or La Saline, both great for snorkeling. If you’re looking for a place to have lunch, I recommend the restaurant “Au K’banon” situated on the beach of l’Ermitage.
DAY 3
Get yourself familiar with hiking through a short trail for the beginning of your trip: Cap Noir and Roche Vert Bouteille from Dos d’Âne (3 km – 2 hrs). This is an excellent way to discover Mafate with little effort. It’s not a complicated path but it involves some ladders; you might feel dizzy at some areas. I recommend to start the hike early in order to enjoy the view and avoid the clouds, generally forming from 10-11 am. More info on the itinerary here.
After this pleasant walk, reach the market of Saint-Paul, one of the most important markets of the island, taking place on Fridays (all day) and Saturdays (morning). You can’t visit Reunion Island without visiting a market! You will find local produce, spices, fruits, vegetables, souvenirs,…
End your day lazing on one of the beaches of the West coast: L’Ermitage, La Saline, or Boucan Canot (read my post on beaches here).
DAY 4
Time for a real hike! Here is my favorite one on the island: Grand Bénare. Wake up early in order to be at the starting point – le Maïdo – for the sunrise (between 5:30 am and 7 am depending on the season), which is amazing! After taking some photos, start the hike and enjoy the view over Mafate and Cilaos. Read more about this hike in my post “Hiking on Reunion Island“.
DAY 5
Now that you’re a bit tired from your first real hike, take some time to relax on a boat. Reunion Island is a great place for the observation of dolphins (all year long) and whales (mostly from July to September). I recommend booking a morning tour with Lady La Fée, which organizes catamaran cruises to meet those beautiful mammals – it’s always a breathtaking show!
After the tour, have some lunch at the “Sauvage” restaurant, situated on the beach next to the port (great food, great view). Unfortunately, there is no swimming area there, so if you want to enjoy the beach in the afternoon you should reach one of the other beaches on the West coast that you should already know by now: l’Ermitage, la Saline, or Boucan Canot.
DAYS 6 & 7
Discover Mafate – the one cirque accessible only on foot and therefore the most authentic one – during a 2-day hike. Enjoy the view, meet the locals and sleep in a lodge or camp in one of the many villages in the mountains.
I wrote about 3 different hiking trails you could do during your stay in this post, check it out!
DAY 8
Get ready to discover the island from the sky… You have many options: ULM, helicopter, paragliding, sky diving,… I recommend the ULM tour, which is cheaper than the helicopter and brings you to all the beautiful places of the island: the volcanoes Piton de la Fournaise and Piton des Neiges, the 3 cirques (Salazie – Mafate – Cilaos), Plaine des Sables and Plaine des Palmistes, and the impressive waterfalls of Takamaka and Trou de Fer. If you’re interested in reading more about the tours, go to this post.
If you start your tour from the airport of Saint-Pierre, you could discover the beach of “Grande Anse“, situated in the South. It’s the most natural beach of the island and the most beautiful to me, with lots of palm trees. Don’t expect to find a good restaurant over there – there is only one snack bar. If you decide to go to Grande Anse, you should definitely end your day with a good cocktail at the Palm Hotel near the beach; the view over the ocean is beautiful! Read more about the beaches in this post.
DAY 9
Do you like underwater life? Then scuba diving is the activity you don’t want to miss on the island! Spend the morning in the ocean (more info here), then take the road to “Le Gouffre“, a long corridor where the waves hit the volcanic rocks with force. From there, it’s possible to reach a hidden natural swimming pool after a short walk in the rocks. It’s not indicated but you should find it: from Le Gouffre, go left and walk along the coast for a dozen meters, then turn right to reach the ocean as soon as it’s possible; you will have to pass through the volcanic rocks. Bring your equipment for snorkeling in the small lagoon.
“Le Gouffre” is situated near Etang Salé, a black sand beach. This is why I recommend going to this beach at the end of the day so that the sand won’t burn your feet. It’s a beautiful, large beach where you can play volleyball in the shadow of the trees.
DAY 10
You can’t leave the island without walking on a volcano! Piton de la Fournaise is the only active volcano of the island, but there is no danger as long as it’s not active. This is my favorite hike along with Grand Bénare, for its lunar landscape.
Wake up early – very very early – in order to start the hike (around 4 am), so that you will be on top for the sunrise, an amazing experience! Read about the hike here. You will be happy to start early and finish the hike before noon because of the burning sun.
DAY 11
Let’s discover another cirque of the island: Salazie. I love the road that leads to Salazie due to the hundreds of huge waterfalls flowing along the mountains that surround the road, especially during the rainy season. Depending on where your accommodation is situated, you can reach Salazie either from the North or from the center of the island; I like to use the road from the center even if it’s full of curves, because the mountains are beautiful. Regardless of the road you take, you will pass through the waterfalls once in Salazie.
You should make a stop just after the village of Salazie at “Cascade du Voile de la Mariée“, where several big waterfalls are visible from the road. You can have a small walk to reach the foot of the waterfall. Park your car in front of the bus station “Château d’eau”. The round trip takes around 1:30 hrs, and it’s not complicated at all.
After that, move on to “Hell Bourg“, a small, typical village classified as one of the most beautiful of France. Most of the houses were built in the second half of the 19th century by wealthy growers and merchants from the coastline, and it’s been a thermal area for years. The village is full of flowers and bamboos; it’s really nice to have a walk and enjoy a typical creole meal in one of the many restaurants. You should definitely visit the “Maison Folio” museum to learn about the island and the culture with creole people.
DAY 12
One of my favorite activities: Canyoning. There are plenty of canyoning sites on the island. Some of them start from Salazie, so you could sleep in Hell Bourg or another village of the cirque the night before in order to be there early in the morning. I recommend the canyoning of Trou Blanc, known to be the most fun on the island, as it combines zip lines, slides, waterfalls, rappelling and jumps.
DAY 13
Let’s head to the South of the island, the most wild part.
Start the day visiting the famous waterfall “Grand Galet” (my favorite one) along the river “Langevin”. Grand Galet is made of several waterfalls spread over a large wall where the clear water flows in abundance. The landscape on the road is beautiful; lots of vegetation and small typical houses. You might be impressed by the steep slopes on your way; don’t hesitate to honk around the curves to make yourself heard! If the weather is warm, it’s possible to swim at the foot of the waterfall, depending on the water flow.
After that, head to Cap Méchant, a touristic site on the coast where you will admire the cliffs formed by successive lava flows plunging into the ocean. Have lunch there, I recommend either a picnic in one of the many kiosks or a good meal at the Creole restaurant near the parking.
A bit further than Cap Méchant starts the famous Lava road (“Routes des Laves“), a World Heritage Site where old lava flows coming from the “Piton de la Fournaise” plunge into the ocean. You will find several signs along the road indicating the dates of the different lava flows.
This road will lead you to “Anse des Cascades“, situated on the East coast. The park hosts a small fishing port and several small waterfalls. It’s nice to have a walk on the edge of the ocean; it’s an amazing place.
DAY 14 – DEPARTURE
Enjoy one of the beaches before taking off, your mind full of happy memories! 🙂