Réunion Island, a gem in the Indian Ocean, captivates visitors with its unique natural landscapes and diverse activities. From the majestic volcanic eruptions to the vibrant coral reefs and mysterious lava tunnels, everything here is awe-inspiring. Our journey on the island began with an early morning volcano adventure, followed by a snorkeling excursion in the colorful lagoon, and concluded with an exploration of the fascinating lava tunnels. Each part of our trip deepened our appreciation for this beautiful island and made us fall in love with its charm.
The Piton de la Fournaise
6:00 AM, and we finally set foot on Réunion soil after an 11-hour flight from Lyon. We’ve left the heatwave behind to cool off 9000 km away on Réunion Island. In the southern hemisphere, it’s winter, 24°C on the coast and much cooler in the highlands. The time difference is +2 hours.
We pick up our rental car and head south of the island to La Ravine des Cabris, near Saint-Pierre, our base for these three weeks of family vacation.
The neighborhood is a maze of inscrutable alleys. After driving around in circles for a while, we finally find our rental. A small house in a residential area. The owner gives us a tour. A small garden and jacuzzi enhance the place. It’s very nice.
The girls have their own studio upstairs. I didn’t book this house; the owner mixed it up with his other small house across the street. High standards in the end, but shh!!!
After a quick 20-minute nap, we head out for groceries. We find a Leclerc nearby. The products are more expensive than on the mainland, often +30%. Except for fruits and vegetables at markets and fuel: diesel is €0.98/liter, a single price at all the island’s stations, with employees even serving you. Watching the number of liters rise faster than the price feels strange!
The Piton de la Fournaise
A 450-meter-long fissure opened on its south flank, releasing seven lava fountains up to 30 meters high over 200 meters. A volcanic cone has formed, spewing two arms of lava flows. It has been 12 days now since “the volcano blew its top,” as they say in Creole, and the intensity has already diminished significantly. It’s now at only 50% of its initial activity. We must hurry if we want to see it in action.
We leave at 3:30 PM for a 1.5-hour trip. After an hour of driving, we are surrounded by dense fog, and despite the distance covered, it persists… We decide to continue anyway, with no certainty. Just before the Plaine des Sables, we break out of the cloud and find clear skies. Incredible!
We park at the Foc Foc lot, where gendarmes ensure we have warm clothes and a lamp.
And off we go for a 7 km walk to the viewpoint at Piton de Bert. Very soon, the summit of La Fournaise with its old lava flows comes into view. The path is easy, a dirt trail. Night falls, and we put the headlamp on. Many people are present, but it’s nothing compared to the start of the eruption. All these little lights form a serpent of light in the night.
Long before arriving, orange projections visible in the distance offer a preview. We’re already excited! At Piton de Bert, we set up our cameras and stay for a long time. The wind is chilly, so be well covered. Even in the tropics, at 2274 meters altitude, it’s cold, around 6°C! The spectacle of lava constantly ejected from this forming cone impresses us all. Grandiose, magnificent, splendid, extraordinary! Nature in all its power.
We start the 7 km return, a bit chilled from the pause. It’s pitch dark, no moonlight to help. We see countless stars and the Milky Way like never before. Another incredible natural spectacle. With fatigue, we didn’t think to take a long-exposure photo of the sky. The return was tough. 2 hours of walking, in the dark, with no scenery to admire, after the sleepless night on the plane, it’s long. We see the parking lot as a relief. But we’re happy to have come before the volcano stops! In total, we walked 14 km with a 385-meter elevation gain.
Snorkeling at the Ermitage Lagoon
Réunion is a relatively recent formation island, and therefore, the coral reefs are not well developed. Of the 200 km of coastline, the lagoons, protected by coral reefs, cover only 25 km of the coast, on the west side of the island. They rarely exceed 200 meters in width and their shallow depth (usually less than 2 meters of water) offers excellent snorkeling opportunities and optimal safety conditions for beginners. In winter, the water is 23°C and the wind can be strong.
Swimming in Réunion is only allowed in the lagoons, designated pools, and beaches equipped with anti-shark nets. In these areas, there is no risk of shark attacks.
The Ermitage lagoon is the largest (7 km), the widest, and the best preserved. Its crystal-clear waters dotted with corals make it the premier snorkeling site on the island. We will make it our snorkeling base camp!
After a morning of rest, we head to this vast white sand he same. Fish are very abundant and not shy. The Black Gregories even charge at us to defend their territory. We don’t insist and move on. Sea cucumbers are also very numerous. It’s recommended to wear shoes and be careful not to damage the corals.
We leave the beach in the late afternoon and make a snack stop further south, on the beach of Saline-les-Bains.
Lava Tunnel
We had dreamed about it for a long time… We made the reservation a few days in advance by email with Roby Soriano. We were scheduled to meet in the parking lot of the 2001 lava flow at 8:30 AM. We got up early and left at 7:15, estimating the travel time to be 1 hour and 15 minutes. But the road signs were not always clear (signs were only set up for one direction of travel, and not ours!). We made several wrong turns while passing through the towns. Of course, we encountered tractors, buses, and leisurely tourists along the way… And to top it off, our youngest daughter got nauseous from the curves and ended up vomiting her breakfast. I sent a text message to Roby to inform him. We arrived 20 minutes late! But despite this delay, the welcome was very friendly, and we were told there was no problem to still do the tour. Phew!!! One group had already started. We left with another late couple. In the end, there were only six of us, much fewer than the other group, with a super nice guide, Matthieu, who explained the volcanism of Réunion very well.
Equipped with helmets, headlamps, and knee pads, we walked to the tunnel entrance via a short hike on the 2004 lava flow, which covers part of the 2001 flow. The birth years of my daughters!
A lava tunnel is formed by a fluid lava flow that cools on the surface, forming a solid crust while its core remains liquid, allowing the lava to continue flowing. When the flow is no longer supplied by molten lava, it empties and leaves a cavity in the shape of a gallery.
A network of 6.5 km of galleries was discovered in this 2004 flow. We observe benches, sometimes suspended floors, which correspond to the traces of flow level variations.
The ceilings of the lava tunnels are often adorned with frozen basalt stalactites, formed when still-viscous lava dripped down.
We explored the inside of the tunnel for 3 hours; it’s truly an experience to live. We discovered the roots of surface plants hanging below, the streaks left by the flow, lava stalactites of very varied shapes, the vitrification of lava when cooling, giving it a pearly or chocolate-like appearance, drapes, and more whimsical forms: the lion, the shark, the dodo, the droppings, the headdresses…
And then the lava cascade, which our daughter will climb to her great delight!
The guide regularly took our camera to capture wonderful family photos. The whole visit was enriched with very interesting explanations, bordered with humor.
We took a short briefing break with a group that got lost… while waiting for their guide to return! Guides’ advice: if you get lost, stay put; they will find you!
The exit from the tunnel is through a window that must be climbed. We resurfaced on the flow with its beautiful ropy lava folds.
Sainte-Rose
We had lunch at Piton Sainte Rose, in a small roadside restaurant. The rougail saucisse, an iconic dish of Réunion, was ordered by our chief tester. The girls and I opted for something simpler with fries and salad. The rougail turned out to be excellent, so we promised ourselves to try it next time!
Then we visited the church of Notre Dame des Laves, miraculously spared by lava flows during the 1977 eruption of the Piton de la Fournaise. The religious building was renamed afterward! Inside, panels detail this event.
Anse des Cascades
On the way back, we made a brief stop at Anse des Cascades, a small natural bay surrounded by lush vegetation, numerous small waterfalls, and tall palm trees with orange trunks.
We encountered, as everywhere on the island, many stray dogs. Here, the relationship with pets is not the same as on the mainland. Animals are left to fend for themselves, and since they are not neutered, they proliferate. We saw many on the roads, so we had to be very cautious while driving. The most problematic aspect for us was their sometimes incessant barking for hours, day and night, in our residential area. Otherwise, they were not particularly aggressive.
The Lava Road
We took the Lava Road again. This famous road passes at the foot of the Piton de la Fournaise, along the ocean, in the area called the Grand Brûlé, a unique landscape shaped by the regular lava flows down this side of the volcano. Only the largest eruptions cause the lava to flow all the way to the ocean, covering the only road that circles the island and requiring its reconstruction.
La Pointe du Tremblet
The last stop of the day was La Pointe du Tremblet, at the bottom of the 2007 lava flows. The tongues of basalt challenge the ocean waves.
Saint-Pierre Fair Market
The Saint-Pierre fair market takes place every Saturday morning on the seafront. It offers a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, live poultry… or grilled, local products, handicrafts, and clothing. You can bring home fresh products as well as prepared foods like samosas, stuffed peppers, local cakes, and pastries.
We bought small bananas, avocados, much larger than ours, passion fruits, Japanese medlar (loquats), oxheart tomatoes, zucchini, chayote, tomatoes, onions… Unfortunately, as it is winter, many fruits are not in season (mangoes, lychees, etc.). The atmosphere is pleasant, and the vendors are friendly. The grilled chicken vendor even offered to take a photo of us in front of her rotisserie! However, we were surprised not to find any fish. In fact, local fishing is not very developed. The island is more oriented towards the land than the sea.
Chayotes, called christophines in other countries, are a type of zucchini with a sweeter taste. We prepared them au gratin, and we all enjoyed them. Passion fruits did not win unanimous approval; their tangy taste was disliked by our teens. As for the papaya, the first bite was not unpleasant, but we quickly grew tired of it because its flesh is very bland.
Cascade de Grand Galet
This beautiful waterfall is visible from the road going from Langevin to Grand Galet. Its beauty and easy access attract many people. The most challenging part is finding a parking spot along the winding road. The water bursts from multiple points on the cliff rather than from the top, creating a stunning effect! However, a zip line installed across the waterfall spoils the view a bit.
A little further down the same road, we stopped at another waterfall, marked on the map, which we mistook for the Trou Noir waterfall. But we later discovered it was actually the Jar 2 basin, crowded with swimmers. The waterfall we were looking for is well hidden from the road and will be the reason for another hike.
The road runs alongside the very pretty Langevin River with its pure waters. Many locals picnic or fish along the river. The setting is very relaxing.
The Terre Rouge Trail
This hike allows you to discover part of the wild south coast between Langevin and Vincendo. But it’s mainly an opportunity to encounter a rare geological feature in Réunion: red, yellow, and ochre soils. Here, the meeting of molten magma with underground water created explosively violent eruptions. The accumulated explosive residues formed a cliff with extraordinarily yellow-orange colors… hence its name “Cap Jaune.”
The path starts along a banana plantation and then a palm plantation with impressive spiked trunks. We quickly glimpsed, hidden behind trees, the stunning cliffs. The descent to the tiny cove that houses the ochre cliffs is dizzying. It is done on a narrow, slippery path, with ropes installed for the steepest parts. The best view is from the bottom, and the 10-minute detour is well worth it.
The cove is so small, and the cliff so high, that it’s hard to get a good photo. We climbed back up the trail, which led us, after one last view of the cove, to old lava flows covered with grass.
The place is charming, but we couldn’t enjoy it longer. We literally saw a curtain advancing towards us… The scene would have been nice if it hadn’t brought rain and gray skies! We didn’t bring raincoats, so we rushed back to the car.
Cap Méchant
Despite the unfavorable weather, we ended the day at Cap Méchant, located only a few kilometers away. Successive lava flows formed a coal-black cliff. The almost constant swell in the wild south crashes against the cliff, contributing to the island’s inevitable erosion.
A welcome lull allowed us to explore the site, under gray skies but dry. We could have stayed for hours watching the waves crash against the rock.
Higher up, we discovered the “coastal grass” or “pique-fesse grass,” an indigenous grass of the island that anchors itself on the basalt battered by the winds. This carpet of greenery spreads thanks to the ambient humidity. Quite rare, it is mainly found in Réunion, on the cliffs of this region.
During our time on Réunion Island, we were not only amazed by the grandeur of its natural beauty but also touched by the rich culture and the warmth of its people. Whether driving along the roads at the foot of the volcano, wandering through the bustling market, or enjoying a peaceful picnic by the river, every moment here was filled with unforgettable memories. As we departed, we carried with us a profound sense of gratitude and a longing to return. The wonders and stories of Réunion Island will always remain in our hearts, and we eagerly anticipate the day we can come back to explore even more of its beauty and surprises.
