Reunion in X days

I'm often asked by visitors what are Reunion's essential sites for a visit that will only last 3 or 4 or 5 days. While I'm loathe to pin things down as I feel that each visitor is unique and will have their own wish-list and limitations in terms of budget, transport, accommodation, level of fitness, age, likes and dislikes, this has become such a recurrent question that I'm attempting to answer it here.

Reunion in 3 days

• Piton de la Fournaise Volcano - this is your chance to see one of the world's most active volcanoes. To get there you'll travel via Les Plaines.
• You can drive round the whole island in a day; try and make sure you stop off in the 'Wild South' and Grand Brulé. 

Grand Brûlé

• Visit the cirque of Salazie for its lush vegetation, cascading waterfalls and the pretty village of Hell-bourg

Maison Folio, Hell-Bourg, Salazie

Reunion in 4 days

• Make the trip to the cirque of Cilaos; you'll probably want to stay overnight due to the long and winding road.

Cilaos' iconic church

• Drive up to Le Maïdo (2203m) to get a view over Mafate, the cirque with no roads. 

Reunion in 5 days

• If you hike do try and fit in a trip to Mafate - La Nouvelle is the easiest village to reach. You can hike there and back in a day, or stay overnight.
• Drive to the Forest of Bébour-Belouve for its primary forest.

Tree fern in Bébour-Belouve forest

Reunion in 6 or 7 days

• If you're a keen hiker trek up to the island's summit: Piton des Neiges.

Piton des Neiges seen from Col du Taibit

• Visit Saint-Denis to see its shops and old Creole houses.
• Visit one of Reunion's museums: Kelonia, Cité du Volcan, Stella Matutina, MADOI, Saga du Rhum, Maison 
• Morange Music Museum, Natural History Museum, Villèle,  ...

Staying for more than a week? There are so many things to do in Reunion:

• Hiking (1000 km of marked trails)
• Lava tubes (the most recent visitable lava tubes in the world)
• Paragliding
• Canyoning/Gorge-walking
• Mountain Biking
• Microlight flight
• Scuba diving
• Whale and/or dolphin watching

whale-watching

• Boat trips (big game fishing, sunset watching)
• La Fenêtre des Makes or Dos d'Ane viewpoints
• Sugar cane factory visit (in season; day or night visits possible) and Distillerie de Savannah
• St Paul market 
• Visit churches, mosques, & temples
• Botanical gardens: Jardin d'Eden or Mascarin Botanical Conservatory

Butterfly at Mascarin Botanical Conservatory 

• Horse-riding
• Sky-diving
• Visit a vanilla plantation

However long you're staying do try and go on a helicopter flight over the island - it's sublime! (www.helilagon.com or www.corail-helicopteres.com).

See also: 2 weeks in Reunion Island