A Reunion of cultures
Located in the Indian Ocean just east of Madagascar, Reunion Island finds itself at the crossroads of European, African and Asian cultures, making this French overseas department a true melting pot.
The High Point Take a helicopter ride Make the big jump Explore the forest on a Segway Get thrilled in the rapids
Ile de la Réunion ( or the Réunion Island) is a tiny island located in the Mascarene archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Till date, it remains an undiscovered secret among all except the French because it is part of the French department. This means that when you enter Réunion, you're officially entering France, despite being more than 9,000 kilometres away from Paris. The currency used here is Euro and the official language remains French. However, the majority of the region's population also speaks Réunion Creole.
This scenically-magical island enjoys a truly astonishing diversity of landscapes. It offers travellers the exoticism of a tropical island as it climate softened by the breeze of the Indian Ocean. The Piton de la Fournaise – or le Volcan – is a major tourist attraction on Réunion Island and is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. It is located within Réunion National Park, a World Heritage site. Even when she is not erupting, Her Majesty la Fournaise is worth the visit, not least because the route which leads there crosses such stunning scenery! The route that leads to the Piton de la Fournaise crosses through a lunar landscape: the Plaine des Sables, a stretch of scorch marks and volcanic rocks at more than 2,000m above sea level. First of all, it climbs through a forest of cryptomerias, conifers with straight trunks, which quickly gives way to vegetation stunted by the cool temperature and the altitude. The road is now a track in the middle of a landscape where volcanic rock is everywhere. As guests cross the Plaine des Sables, they will feel like they are walking on the moon! The volcano sits majestically in the middle of a high rampart in the shape of a horseshoe, the Enclos, created by the many collapses which have marked the geological history of the massif. Guests will love to discover the full splendour of Réunion Island with Mafate Hélicoptères that takes tourists for a ride over the island. You can see the volcano, the cirques de Salazie, Mafate and Cilaos, the Trou de Fer, as well as the lagoons. The ride takes-off at Pierrefonds airport in Saint-Pierre. Visitors can enjoy the most intense experience of their lives, above the South coast of Réunion Island: a parachute jump 3000m above sea level, from a helicopter! Few destinations in the world offer such an exceptional experience; the view of Réunion Island from the sky is phenomenal. Everything speeds up with only the Piton des Neiges, Grand Bénare and the Indian Ocean around. This is an all-terrain - cent Etang-Salé forest, right at the edge of the sea. Also called a gyropod, a Segway is an ideal way to discover Réunion Island's landscapes, specially the 1000 hectares of forest created in the 19th century on the lower slopes to the south-west of the island. La Rivière des Marsouins, in the East of the island, is an ideal place to go kayak-rafting. It undoubtedly is the island's wettest region. The plentiful rain nourishes the exuberant vegetation and feeds the rivers which are ideal for white-water rafting, particularly La Rivière des Marsouins. These are very light kayak-rafts which are easily manoeuvrable. Kayakers will cross a lychee plantation alongside crystalclear waters in a little corner of paradise.