Stories · Réunion
7 days in Réunion Island
Not a list: a thread to follow, at your own pace.
Réunion is an island lived at altitude as much as by the water: you wake up in a cirque at a thousand metres, lunch above the clouds, swim in the lagoon before dark. A rumbling volcano, three cirques, hundreds of waterfalls: it is the most beautiful place for walking I know.
Day 1 · The icons
Early in the morning, it’s Cirque de Cilaos. The road of four hundred bends, the thermal baths, the lentils and the Cilaos wine. From here the trails leave for the Piton des Neiges, the roof of the Indian Ocean. 4.8 out of 5 across 309 reviews: few places are this unanimous. Practical: the public-transport route · what visitors say.
Late morning, meet me at Julmos Loisirs - Parc Nautique & snacking. The kids will still be talking about it weeks later. So will the adults, though they admit it less. Practical: here is the route by public transport, and if you’d rather skip the queue, get your tickets in advance or also check Tiqets.
For lunch, Cilaos 97413 is full of options: trust the rooms full of locals rather than the menus translated into six languages.
In the afternoon, I make my way to Bras Rouge Waterfall. Go late in the afternoon: the heat drops, the light softens and the photos take themselves. Travellers give it 4.5 out of 5 (219 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. To get organised: how to get there; skip-the-line book your visit, otherwise go through Tiqets.
In the evening, let go: a terrace, a walk, and Réunion Island does the rest.
Day 2 · The icons
To start, head to Cascade de Grand Galet. Take the time to walk all the way around it; the best views are rarely at the entrance. 4.8 out of 5 across 5,454 reviews: few places are this unanimous. Practical: the public-transport route, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your tickets or compare on Tiqets.
Around noon, I make my way to Trou Noir Waterfall. This is the breath of the trip. Even one hour changes the day. Travellers give it 4.8 out of 5 (1,042 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. Practical: here is the route by public transport, and if you’d rather skip the queue, get your tickets in advance or compare on Tiqets.
At lunchtime, stay around Saint Joseph 97480: a noisy room, a dish of the day, and you’ve understood everything.
After lunch, it’s Point le plus méridional de la Reunion. You’ve seen it a hundred times in pictures; in person it is bigger, closer, more alive. To get organised: how to get there; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise also check Tiqets.
Keep the evening free. Réunion Island is a city that tells itself better at night.
Day 3 · The icons
In the morning, meet me at Kélonia. The kids will still be talking about it weeks later. So will the adults, though they admit it less. 4.6 out of 5 across 8,967 reviews: few places are this unanimous. To get organised: here is the route by public transport; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise compare on Tiqets.
Then, meet me at Ravine des Colimaçons. It’s the kind of place that makes you go quiet for a moment, even when you thought you knew it all. Practical: here is the route by public transport, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your tickets or go through Tiqets.
For lunch, Saint-Leu 97436 is full of options: trust the rooms full of locals rather than the menus translated into six languages.
Later, meet me at The House of Coco. It’s the kind of place that makes you go quiet for a moment, even when you thought you knew it all. 4.8 out of 5 across 5,781 reviews: few places are this unanimous. Practical: the public-transport route, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your visit or go through Tiqets.
Keep the evening free. Réunion Island is a city that tells itself better at night.
Day 4 · Fresh air
In the morning, it’s Anse des Cascades. Bring water, shoes that hold, and no watch. Travellers give it 4.7 out of 5 (6,560 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. To get organised: the public-transport route; skip-the-line book your visit, otherwise compare on Tiqets.
Then, I make my way to Suspension bridge of East River. This is the breath of the trip. Even one hour changes the day. Practical: the public-transport route, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your tickets or also check Tiqets.
For lunch, Sainte Rose is full of options: trust the rooms full of locals rather than the menus translated into six languages.
After lunch, meet me at Arche Naturelle. Bring water, shoes that hold, and no watch. Practical: here is the route by public transport, and if you’d rather skip the queue, get your tickets in advance or go through Tiqets.
In the evening, let go: a terrace, a walk, and Réunion Island does the rest.
Day 5 · The icons
In the morning, head to Piton de la Fournaise. The volcano road to the Pas de Bellecombe, then down into the enclosure and the walk to the Dolomieu crater, four to five hours round trip on the lava. Leave at dawn; the clouds rise at ten. Getting there: the public-transport route. To get a feel for it: travellers’ reviews.
Around noon, it’s Helicopter flight. The three cirques, the Trou de Fer and the volcano in forty-five minutes: expensive, and the most beautiful flight of your life. Book the first morning slot. Practical: here is the route by public transport, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your tickets or compare on Tiqets.
Lunch without a plan: the first noisy room you pass is often the right one.
In the afternoon, I make my way to L’Ermitage lagoon and Saint-Gilles. Mask and snorkel in the lagoon protected by the coral reef, then a rhum arrangé at sunset on the beach. The west coast, to breathe between two hikes. Practical: the public-transport route · travellers’ reviews.
Keep the evening free. Réunion Island is a city that tells itself better at night.
Day 6 · The icons
Early in the morning, it’s Whale watching. From June to October, humpback whales pass off the west coast: a supervised boat trip is a rare emotion. To get organised: how to get there; skip-the-line book your visit, otherwise go through Tiqets.
Around noon, head to Piton Maïdo and the view over Mafate. At sunrise the viewpoint dominates Mafate by a thousand metres: the hamlets, the ramparts, the clouds below. The most beautiful panorama on the island, by car. Practical: here is the route by public transport · what visitors say.
For lunch, trust the rooms full of locals rather than the menus translated into six languages.
Later, I make my way to Saint-Pierre and its market. Saturday morning, the street market for fruit, spices and samosas; in the evening, the seafront for dinner. The capital of the south has character. Getting there: the public-transport route. To get a feel for it: what visitors say.
Keep the evening free. Réunion Island is a city that tells itself better at night.
Day 7 · The icons
Early in the morning, I make my way to Cap Noir. You’ve seen it a hundred times in pictures; in person it is bigger, closer, more alive. Travellers give it 4.8 out of 5 (1,041 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. To get organised: how to get there; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise also check Tiqets.
Late morning, meet me at Bassin Vital. It’s the kind of place that makes you go quiet for a moment, even when you thought you knew it all. Practical: the public-transport route, and if you’d rather skip the queue, get your tickets in advance or compare on Tiqets.
At lunchtime, stay around La Possession 97419: a noisy room, a dish of the day, and you’ve understood everything.
Later, head to Park La Luge. The kids will still be talking about it weeks later. So will the adults, though they admit it less. Practical: the public-transport route, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your visit or also check Tiqets.
In the evening, let go: a terrace, a walk, and Réunion Island does the rest.
If you’re still hungry
Other places I wish I could have fitted in: Langevin and Grand Galet waterfalls, Cirque de Mafate, Forest Bélouve, The Makes Window, Col des Bœufs and La Roche Merveilleuse. Slip them in wherever a day feels light.
My advice
Rent a car at the airport: the island is driven in hairpins and buses do not climb everywhere.
Hikes are done in the morning: clouds cover the heights from late morning.
Cari, rougail saucisse, samosas and bonbons piment: Creole cooking is found in the roadside food trucks.
Safe travels. And get lost at least once; that is where Réunion Island begins.
A Triovol story · written by someone who would go back tomorrow
Opening hours, prices and closures change: a quick look at the venue’s website before you go avoids bad surprises.