10 Reasons to Visit Beautiful Ile De La Réunion 🇷🇪

Edited December 2024

After three incredibly amazing weeks exploring the wonders of Madagascar, our group of French paragliders and I flew to La Réunion for more aerial adventures above this tiny island in the Indian Ocean. 

The island is one of only a handful of places on the planet that has reliable and consistent flying conditions for paragliders along with spectacular scenery, allowing for flights nearly every single day. Other places in the world that are renowned for paragliding include Ölüdeniz, Turkey, San Gil in Columbia and Pokhara, Nepal – where the Frenchman Piu and I met in March of 2018.

So, first of all, where is La Réunion? I had never heard of it (but then again, I do have geographical shortcomings!) It turns out it’s a French-owned department (similar to the USA, having territories like Guam and Puerto Rico). It is located in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Madagascar, near Mauritius Island and the Seychelles. It’s far. Reallllly far. From the USA – about 10,700 miles from Denver. Which is why there are so few American tourists there. Any time someone asked where I was from, disbelief crossed their faces and they always asked, “Wow! How did you end up here???” When I told them I was traveling with a group of French paragliders, they nodded sagely and said, “Ohhhhh. “That explains it!” Most of the tourists to La Réunion come from South Africa and France, and the language on the island is predominantly French, although the natives speak a form of Creole French, which is different than standard French. Not too many people speak English, so it was a bit of a challenge. But, nothing that charades, Google Translate (downloaded for offline use), and a friendly smile can’t conquer!

A volcanic island with three volcanoes – one of them active, plus rainforests, jungles, beaches, lava tunnels, deciduous forests and waterfalls, means that you can enjoy canyoning, ziplining, snorkeling, diving, kayaking, microlight and ultralight flights, helicopter rides across the volcano, sunbathing, hiking and biking — you’d be surprised, amazed and intrigued by all there is to do on this tiny island.

Although there are plenty of options, here are my suggestions for 9 things to do in La Réunion.

1.   Eat .​ The island offers a mix of Creole, African influence, and French cuisines. There are many bistros, swanky restaurants on the beach, and fancy joints from which to choose. I, of course, can only tell you about the bargain-priced street food and the cafes that offer inexpensive choices and are frequented by the locals. My favorite was an African restaurant in Saint-Leu called Teroubi. Owned by a Senegalese woman with the biggest smile ever, she serves up savory tagines and hearty stews of lamb, chicken, fish or rougail saucisses (sausage casserole) seasoned with exotic spices, raisins, nuts and plenty of fresh vegetables. Piled high on the plate with rice or couscous, you can easily share one order with a friend – or get your own and bring home leftovers for the next day. These heaping platters of steaming deliciousness were priced at 10 euros. Sooooo good!

Another fave restaurant was called Moulin á Eau (Mill on the Water). It was located off the beaten path in Tour des Roches alongside the river, where locals relaxed and soaked while their kids frolicked in the cool water during the heat of the afternoon. You’ll find more deliciousness here – the plat du jour might be curried fish, tasty roasted chicken, or tantalizing slow-cooked pork cooked in a ginormous cast iron pot with tasty beans, fragrant spices, a fresh salad, and a mountain of rice.

And the street food! There are bonbon peppers (small salted and spiced fried donuts) and samosas—deep-fried goodness sold by the piece from carts on the roads and at street markets and fairs. The samosas are triangular bites of yumminess filled with shrimp, chicken, cheese, or vegetables.

And of course, there are tropical fruits galore! You’ll see lychee piled high at roadside stands priced by the kilo, small, dainty and incredibly sweet and delicious pineapple (anana) called Victoria pineapple and named after the queen who loved them so much. The markets sell tamarinds still in the pods, lady-finger bananas which are super stubby and super sweet, gigantic misshapen jackfruit, scrumptiously sour passionfruit, papaya, mammoth-sized banana flowers and mangoes – fresh, juicy, delicious, and all locally grown.

2.  Drink . There are two iconic drinks here on La Réunion – rum, produced on the island in one of three distilleries, and Bourbon Beer. The island was once called Bourbon Island, and thus, the name of the local beer, although it is more commonly (and affectionately) called “Dodo” – the logo on the label of the adorable but extinct big bird – as in “two Dodos, please.”  Beach umbrellas, signs, shirts, chairs, tables, billboards – La dodo is everywhere! “La dodo Lé La!”
   

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Rum is also a favorite beverage on the island, and ti-punch and rhum arrangement (mulled rum) are available at every bar and restaurant. Ti punch is rum with a touch of lime juice and a splash of cane syrup, while rhum arrange is rum infused with anana (pineapple), mango, chiles, lychee, locally grown vanilla beans or any combination of fruits and flavors. You’ll see large glass apothecary jars lining the shelves behind the bar, filled with fruit and rum soaking and steeping to imbue the flavors into the strong locally produced rum. Try a shot (or three!) and enjoy the tropical tastes. And if you’re interested, there are tours at the rum distillery – we visited La Saga du Rhum outside of Saint Pierre and learned about the process of creating rum (and of course, got to sample a few varieties!)

3. Snorkel (or dive).  The coral reefs and basalt walls created by lava flow surrounding this tiny island are incredible!  The diversity of fish was astounding – I read that there are over a thousand different species of fish and two hundred different kinds of coral – there were brilliantly colored clownfish, bright parrotfish, triggerfish, mysterious eels, creepy black sea cucumbers, tiny iridescent blue fish swimming just inches below the surface of the water in groups of hundreds, fish with stripes, fish with spots, fish with whiskers,fish that bit me (causing me to freak out), fish with squishy faces, fish with polka dots and square bodies that looked like they were origami, red fish, blue fish (one fish, two fish!).  Turtles can also be found in the warm tropical waters.  Just bring or buy a snorkel mask (there’s a huge Decathlon sporting goods store in Saint Pierre where I bought a nice mask for about $20), wade out a few feet from the sandy shores into the warm, clear water at L’Ermitage, Saint-Leu, Saint Pierre or Etang Salé and enjoy the underwater show beneath you! What a treat to see these amazing creatures just by walking into the crystalline waters of the Ocean Indien just a few feet from the shore.  The snorkeling in the coves along the shore formed by lava eruptions over the centuries was also incredible.  We found a cove near Saint-Leu called Pointe au Sel and had the place to ourselves for a few hours. Because there’s no current, it was a relaxing place to float on the surface and observe the sea life below.  And also maybe to skinny dip. Just maybe…

4. Hit the Beach. Soak up some Vitamin D at one of the many beaches that ring the island.  Besides the traditional golden sand beaches, you’ll find white coral sand beaches and exotic black volcanic sand beaches due to the lava.  I spent time on the plages of Saint-Leu, La Salines-les-Bains, l’Étang-Salé, L’Hermitage and Saint Pierre snorkeling, sunning, and snoozing.  Make sure you pay attention to the signs posted – there have been plenty of shark attacks on the beaches, so be aware.  The water is warm.  The water is clear.  The water is amazing! In addition to beaches, we swam in a gorgeous cove created by a volcanic eruption at Bassin Bleu Étang-Salé, floating effortlessly in the warm salty waters and enjoying snorkeling in the calm, clear waters.
   

   

   

   

   

5. Paraglide. You knew this was coming, didn’t you? The island is ideal for paragliding nearly 300 days each year and there are scores of companies to provide you with an experience like no other. There are a couple of different locations for takeoffs and landings around the island. I flew from the takeoff above Kelonia, and we twirled and floated high above the coastline, seeing the coral beneath the surface of the clear turquoise waters. Piu flew one day and saw sharks and giant sea turtles gliding along in the ocean from above.  You’ll find large groups of paragliders parked on the oceanfront just a few hundred feet down the road from the turtle aquarium, and there are “parapente” businesses right there to sign up for your flight.
   

   

6. Hike. So many hikes on this island!  Over 550 miles/ 900 km of well-marked trails crisscross La Réunion.  You can choose to hike through rainforests, across rocky lunar landscapes at the volcanoes and calderas, into wooded forests, and traversing the plains.  We hiked along the ridge of Maïdo to Grand Bénare, which offered a panoramic view across the Mafate caldera.  Tiny villages called “islets” dot the valley below – accessible only by foot (or helicopter), where the inhabitants of these hamlets lead a self-sufficient lifestyle.  Another wonderful hike was to Cilaos called “La roche merveilleuse au bassin bleu” and to the waterfalls Le Grand Galet. Many of the hikes that are at altitude need to be started very early – be at the trailhead by 7 am at the latest – because the clouds roll in and obscure the views of the valleys, especially if you want to hike Piton de la Fournaise.
   

   

   

   

   

   

7. Visit a Volcano. One of the most active volcanoes on the planet is here in La Réunion.  Piton de la Fournaise (Peak of the Furnace) erupted twice in 2018, again in October of 2022 and most recently in August of 2023 – more than 170 times since recordkeeping began.  You can hike up to the calderas that flank the Piton de la Fournaise and walk across the hardened lava rock.  We woke up super early one morning to drive from sea level at Saint-Leu up 2600 m (8600 ft) to hike there, but by 9 am the clouds rolled in and the rain started.  The temps were so much cooler up high – a welcome change from the sweltering heat of the beaches. As you can see, it was still pretty spectacular!  Don’t miss the museum, La Cite du Volcan, which has fascinating displays, videos, photos, and learning opportunities to discover all about volcanoes in general and La Réunion volcanoes in particular.
   

   

   

   

   

8. Shop . Charming boutiques line the streets of each of the villages on the island. Selling jewelry, tee-shirts, home furnishings and more, you’ll find a plethora of shops. But my favorite place to shop is the local market. At the Marché Forain de Saint-Paul right along the water, you’ll find a large covered market every Friday (all day) and Saturday mornings. Over 300 vendors selling fresh lychee still on the branches, Victoria pineapple – the absolute sweetest, smallest pineapples I’ve ever had (beside the delicious ones on the Azores Islands!), aromatic vanilla beans, hammocks, tropical dresses in vivid colors and bright floral prints, colorful woven baskets of all sizes from Madagascar, plush beach towels, gold, silver and leather bracelets, sandals, local artwork – the choices go on and on! You can easily spend a few hours shopping here, and enjoy delicious food from the many booths and food trucks selling samoussas , spicy curi (curry),   rougail saucisse (a sausage casserole), fruit smoothies and freshly squeezed juices and rolled ice cream.

9. Treat yourself.  If you’re looking for a relaxing experience, there is an authentic Moroccan hammam, steam rooms, fancy spas, salons and yoga studios around the island. I chose to do something I had never seen or done before – a floating massage! A handsome Frenchman named Didier met me at the beach one morning, and after I climbed aboard his comfortable platform, he floated us out to a sandbar in the water and began my massage, using the warm saltwater on my body rather than oils.  The bed I was lying on was encircled by sheer turquoise and white curtain panels that rippled softly in the gentle ocean breezes as my hands trailed lazily through the saltwater below me. The only sound was the waves and the wind.  Tellement relaxant . So relaxing!

 10.  And last but certainly not least, stop and smell the colorful flowers that grow everywhere – gorgeous sweet-scented jasmine, trailing bougainvillea, fabulous frangipani, jacarandas, heavenly hibiscus, over 120 different varieties of orchids, and the brilliant flamboyant trees that dot the island. Their canopied branches laden with fiery red blossoms will captivate you – and yes, the tree is called la flamboyant.

la Réunion – La Dodo lé La!

 

 

 Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.

~ T S Eliott