Réunion Island: Africa's Hidden Paradise Everyone Is Talking About

An Island That Rewrites Your Expectations

Réunion is one of the most extraordinary places on Earth that most people cannot find on a map. An overseas department of France sitting in the Indian Ocean between Madagascar and Mauritius, it packs more geological drama, ecological diversity, and cultural richness into 2,512 square kilometres than most countries manage across an entire continent.

This is not a beach holiday — or rather, it is not only a beach holiday. Réunion is where you hike through a caldera that has no road access, photograph a volcano actively reshaping the coastline, and eat a Creole curry that draws from four continents in a single bowl.

The Three Cirques: Landscapes Without Compare

The island's volcanic interior collapsed millions of years ago into three vast amphitheatres — the cirques of Cilaos, Mafate, and Salazie. Each is a world unto itself.

Cilaos

The most accessible of the three, reached by a spectacular mountain road of over 400 hairpin bends climbing from the coast. The village at its centre produces a wine that surprises everyone who tries it, and the surrounding peaks offer multi-day treks with refuges run by local families. The thermal springs at the village centre are the reward after a long day on the trail.

Mafate

The wildest cirque, and the only one in France with no road access whatsoever. The handful of villages inside — Îlet à Cordes, La Nouvelle, Roche Plate — receive their supplies by helicopter or on the backs of mules. Reaching them requires a minimum of six hours on foot. The reward is a silence and a sense of remove that feels increasingly rare in the modern world.

Salazie

Lush, green, and dramatically wet — waterfalls pour from every ridge. The Voile de la Mariée falls are visible from the road without leaving your car, which gives some idea of the scale involved. The village of Hell-Bourg is one of the most beautiful in France, with Creole architecture painted in colours that would look excessive anywhere with less extraordinary light.

Piton de la Fournaise: An Active Volcano You Can Walk Into

One of the world's most active volcanoes, Piton de la Fournaise erupts on average three or four times a year — and between eruptions, you can hike to the crater rim. The approach crosses the Plaine des Sables, a high-altitude desert of red and black lava that looks genuinely extraterrestrial. The final ascent to the rim of the Dolomieu crater (2,632m) rewards effort with views into the smoking interior of the Earth.

The trail closes immediately when volcanic activity resumes — check the OVPF (Observatoire Volcanologique du Piton de la Fournaise) website before you go. The hike is 9km return and achievable by most fit hikers in four to five hours.

The Beaches and the Lagoon

The west coast holds the island's best beaches, sheltered behind a coral reef that creates a lagoon of extraordinary colour. Boucan Canot and Roches Noires are the most developed; L'Hermitage is the longest stretch of white sand. The lagoon is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside the cirques and forests — swimming inside it is safe year-round from sharks.

The east coast, by contrast, is all black sand and raw Atlantic power — surf beaches where the Indian Ocean arrives unimpeded and the landscape feels more like Iceland than anywhere tropical.

Creole Food: Four Continents in One Kitchen

Réunion's food culture is the island's most underrated asset. The cuisine is a living record of its history — African, Indian, Chinese, and French traditions have been cooking together for 400 years and the result is something wholly original.

• Rougail saucisse — smoked sausage in a tomato and ginger stew, served with rice and lentils. The unofficial national dish.
• Cari poulet — chicken curry with fresh turmeric, thyme, and tomato. Nothing like an Indian curry; nothing like a French stew. Entirely itself.
• Bouchon — steamed pork dumplings adapted from the Chinese Hakka community, sold everywhere as street food.
• Riz cantonnais — fried rice with egg, ham, and spring onion, found on every menu, perfect after a long day of hiking.
• Vanilla desserts — Réunion produces some of the world's finest vanilla; the crème brûlée and île flottante here are in a different category.

Getting There and Practical Information

Flights: Direct from Paris Charles de Gaulle with Air Austral and Air France (approximately 11 hours). Connecting flights from other European cities via Paris. The airport is Roland Garros International, near Saint-Denis.

Visa and currency: No visa required for EU and Schengen passport holders. The currency is the euro — one of the few Indian Ocean islands where this is the case, which simplifies budgeting considerably.

Best time to go: May to November is the dry season and the best period for hiking. December to April brings cyclone season and heavy rain on the east coast, though the west remains drier. Piton de la Fournaise is climbable year-round when not erupting.

Budget: Expect to spend €80–120 per day for accommodation, food, and activities. Car hire is essential — the island has limited public transport and the distances between attractions are significant.