Discovering the hiking trails of this wonderful island: 5 tips for experiences of various kinds, lengths and difficulties. Always respecting the wild nature: this tropical location is a paradise for nature lovers and trekking lovers in particular!
If you have followed the previous posts onReunion Island you will have understood that this wonderful tropical location is a paradise for nature and nature lovers trekking. Trekking in RĂ©union is a unique experience: the island has very high mountains, craters formed by the volcano (the Cirque), gorges carved by rivers ... everything you could wish for to make a active vacation.
Residents claim that there are more hiking trails in RĂ©union than paved roads: it is possible. Certainly the choice is vast and in my two week experience I was able to experiment 5 trekking in RĂ©union that I tell you in the post.
Tips for getting started
When you pack your suitcase for RĂ©union, consider bringing what you need for walking, namely boots (real, mountain), a sweatshirt and a windbreaker for the highest peaks, trekking poles.
For the way I travel all these routes have been organized independently, with the help of a paper guide bought in Italy and the detail that only brochures and advice taken in local Office de Tourisme they can provide, but on the island there are agencies that organize all kinds of tour and excursion.
Most of the hiking trails take place in natural park areas: the nature here is protected and must be respected, I'm sure you will.
5 trekking in RĂ©union not to be missed
1. Langevin
This is a path for everyone, just to stretch your legs. It starts from a small town on the south coast called Langevin, reachable by car and you begin to skirt the river, the Langevin, which rises on the slopes of the active volcano: the Snape de la Fournaise.
The river bed is a canyon flanked by beautiful tropical vegetation, it is black (volcanic) rocks and going towards the mountain becomes more and more spectacular.
The road that runs along it, which can actually be traveled by car, is very scenic, with sharp bends, bumps, very narrow bridges and hairpin bends.
The road winds into the Langevin Natural Park, literally dotted with picnic tables (on the island, picnics with family and friends is a weekend must).
The most breathtaking point is reached after a couple of hours of walking: the Grand Galet. It is a basin where some spectacular waterfalls flow, a dark and deep and… icy pool. I did not swim here, nor in other various places where to make a nice stop even for a dip, but someone did. If you are very brave, know that various agencies sell here The Tyrolaise, or the possibility of canyoning in the river waters. Bring your own food and drinks, there are no supply points.
2. Trou de fer
This trek is wonderful because it runs entirely through an intact tropical forest. The trail starts from Plateau de Belouve, a small plateau where there are various gites to sleep if you consider a route in several stages.
In fact, Belouve can be reached both from The Plain of Palmistes, a town in the central-eastern part of the island, which gives Hell-Bourg, the pretty town in the Cirque de Salazie.
I was in Hell-Bourg and did this walk in one day, walking from the center to Plateau de Belouve in about 2 hours, they are 720 meters. uphill on a well-marked and quiet path.
The view is stunning over the town of Hell-Bourg. When you arrive at the Plateau you begin to cross the Foret de Belouve, where the vegetation is very dense: almost the entire path is on a wooden walkway, partly to protect from the mud, partly to protect nature.
The arrival at Trou de Fer is spectacular: a depression into which three or four waterfalls are thrown, surrounded by tropical vegetation. Often low clouds hide the show, but it's worth the wait because as they arrive they go away. You go back by the same path or by the variants indicated, with your eyes full of the luxuriant nature encountered.
3. Piton de la Fournaise
I've already talked about it, it's the active volcano. It is located on the east side of the island and can be reached by an internal road, beyond the town of Le Tampon. A special road, the Route du Volcan, leads, climbing rapidly, towards the area affected by the volcano.
The landscape, of course, was completely shaped by the eruptive activity: the Plaine de Sables, a red desert, is already a place where you can walk.
There are also several hospitality gites. The decisive point to get to the volcano, however, is the No Bellecombe, one step from where to attack the path leading to the mouth. Warning: the volcano is active and this year it has erupted 4 times.
It is imperative to make sure the activity is dormant, and this can also be done at the al shelter No Bellecombe. It is not mandatory to go with the guide, as some paper guides incorrectly specify.
The path to the volcano is given for 4 hours: it is advisable to arrive early in the morning. Obviously there is no vegetation, everything is reddish and burnt; this makes the suggestion of this place unique.
You can also reach Bellecombe by car; parking is free (like all car parks here in RĂ©union).
4. Snape des Neiges
If all the mountains here are Snape, the Piton des Neiges, with its 3070 meters, is the champion. This highly respected peak divides the Cirque de Salazie from the Cirque de Cilaos, so the walk can be done on both sides.
We are in the mountains for real, do not underestimate this peak just because it is located in the tropics! The route I made saw the start a few kilometers from Cilaos, in Le Bloc. The path is very hard up to the foot of the Piton, because you make 1200 meters in altitude by climbing the steps carved into the rock, the sections where you can normally walk are few. After this stretch, which in any case takes two hours, you can climb up to the Snape, or more wisely stop for the night at Caverne Dufour refuge (at 2478 meters, booking recommended) and then continue to the summit considering another two hours.
On the Piton des Neiges (there is no snow!) We are really on roof of the island: the view, if there are no clouds, sweeps 360 degrees up to the Indian Ocean.
Just as it was challenging to climb, it is equally, if not more, challenging to descend! The legs are put to the test.
5. Cirque de Mafate
This trek needs a dedicated vacation and I honestly didn't do it. The Mafate Circus, unlike the other two cirques, it is not accessible by car but only on foot (or by helicopter). Walking through it is therefore an experience that can only be done here. It can be entered from various parts, even from the pass Snape Maido (reachable by car); a few days of walking must be calculated, allowing oneself to be hosted in small villages (about 12) that are isolated from everything, in this world "apart". The paths here, although well maintained, can be of varying difficulty due to the roughness of the geological conformation of the Cirque.
These are just some ideas for discovering this incredible island…. where to walk is beautiful!
photo credits: Adrenal'Ile; Luigi Ferrari
