Here are my top 5 activities on the island, tested and approved by myself!
DOLPHIN & WHALE WATCHING
Meeting a marine mammal in its natural environment is always an unforgettable experience. The stunning waters of Reunion Island contain a lot of multicolored fishes and corals, but there are more impressive visitors: dolphins and whales.
All year long, you can observe dolphins swimming near the coast of the island. There are two species living there: pantropical spotted dolphins and bottlenose dolphins.
During winter (above all from July to September), Reunion Island is one of the best places in the world to observe whales, mostly the impressive humpback whales. Along with these, you can also spot sperm whales and fin whales.
There are two ways to meet those mammals:
- Meet them by boat: I recommend the tour with the company “Lady La Fée“. They organize catamaran cruises in the morning and in the afternoon. It’s better to go on an excursion in the morning when the ocean is more quiet, plus you get the breakfast! I’ve done it 3 times so far and it’s always a breathtaking show.
- Swim with them: in order to swim with them, you should book a trip with a diving club and you might be lucky enough to swim alongside one of those impressive animals, but don’t be scared – they are totally harmless! You can find several diving clubs on the island, but this one might be the cheapest one; ask for David: Plongée Péï.
HIKING
Small in size but full of contrasting landscapes, the island has more than 900 km of marked trails to offer, a real paradise for hikers!
From a dense rainforest in the east, savannah and sugar canes in the west, lunar landscapes on the volcanoes, ubiquitous waterfalls, to the amazing mountains and ravines created by the eruptions in the center, everyone will find something to enjoy.
There are hiking trails for different levels, from beginners to experienced people, so no worries, you can make it!
See more on hiking trails in this section.
CANYONING
Reunion island has plenty of exceptional canyoning sites. There are actually more than 100 diverse sites, dizzying waterfalls, zip lines, slides, etc.
The canyoning sites of Trou Blanc in Salazie, Fleur Jaune and Bras Rouge in Cilaos have largely contributed to make Reunion island an internationally renowned place. But there are so many more…
I have myself tested the canyoning of Trou Blanc, which was awesome! It’s known to be the most fun on the island, as it combines zip lines, slides, waterfalls, rappelling and jumps.
Next on my list is the canyoning of Takamaka, known to be very technical, but also one of the most beautiful. It takes the whole day and there are many water movements. Usually, guides won’t bring you there unless you’ve already done other canyoning sites with them.
If you’re interested in canyoning, I recommend you to get in touch with Thierry. He is very professional, friendly, and he puts safety first.
FROM THE SKY
If you’re running out of time to visit the island or if you don’t really like to hike, or – if like me – you want to discover the island from another point of view, I highly recommend you to try one of these activities in the air.
Between summits and lagoons, you can enjoy the spectacular landscapes by paragliding, skydiving, ULM or helicopter.
I went paragliding last October with my family and we won’t forget it. We flew during 45 minutes, enjoyed the view over the mountains, ravines and the lagoon of Saint-Leu. We got so lucky – we saw a whale and its baby! I can recommend the agency Adrenaline based in Saint-Leu, which organizes flights from 20 minutes to 1 hour.
I also had the opportunity to do the ULM tour with Planetair974 (from the airport of Pierrefonds) – it was magic! I did the 1-hour tour and flew over the whole island, from the coastline to the cirques passing through the volcanoes and so many waterfalls. I felt suddenly so small and it’s just amazing to see new places accessible only by air.
I haven’t tested the skydiving nor the helicopter yet; I know the helicopter tours are similar to the ULM, it’s just that it’s more expensive and you can access the waterfalls closer because the helicopter is more stable and can go deeper in the ravines. About skydiving, my sister is going to do it (with Para-club Bourbon) so I’ll tell you more about it, but I guess it’s big sensations!
SCUBA DIVING
Reunion island has a wide variety of sea beds, wrecks, and an interesting marine topography due to the recent volcanic activities. A marine natural reserve was created in 2007 in order to protect the coral reef.
I would say the coral reef is not the most beautiful I’ve ever seen because the island is considered young (yeah, only 3 million years) and the coral hasn’t had the time to develop a lot yet. Still, it’s interesting to dive there because you will find a rich and varied marine wildlife, and of course some corals!
Turtles are often observed in the West coast, inside the lagoon. You can actually meet one of them simply snorkeling; most of the time we spot them in La Saline-les-Bains. Turtles are also often observed in Cap La Houssaye, but you can only dive there.
There are several diving clubs on the island, for all types of level. Initiations and diving lessons are usually done in easy sites like Cap La Houssaye (no need to take the boat) and Saint-Leu. The most experienced divers will find multiple sites: wrecks off Boucan Canot, Saint-Gilles or Saint-Leu, the fishway of the Ermitage (Saint-Gilles), or La Pointe au Sel (Saint-Leu) with a descent of 70 meters approached by tuna, jackfish, dolphins, etc. I’ve heard that the seabed of Sainte-Rose (east coast) is impressive and you can explore the lava flows.
I am myself currently passing my diving license (FFESSM), and it’s always very exciting!