Cirque of Cilaos:
Higher altitude: 1300 metres
Temperatures: 12 to 24 degrees
What to wear: good shoes, rainwear, pullover, sunscreen
Full Day Tour to Cilaos
Surrounded by the highest mountains, Cilaos is well known as a mountain resort with a hot spring spa. A very picturesque road allows for discovering impressive landscapes, steep peaks, mountains and the paths that used to be taken by the sedan chairs. A short walk to La Roche Merveilleuse will enable you to discover a look out over the whole valley, before stopping at the hot spas. In the traditional place of Cilaos, natives make famous embroideries, typical wine and grow lentils that you will taste at lunch. In the afternoon on your way back to your hotel, you will make a stop in St-Leu, a typical village of the sea side with some buildings from the Trade Ship company.
Volcano Tour:
Daily Tour by 4×4 for a French/English Speaking Guide. Inclusive of lunch, drinks and entrance fees to museums. Weekly schedules guaranteed with a minimum of 4 passengers per tour.
Full Day Tour to the Volcano
From Saint-Pierre, we will take the only road going across the island, up to La Plaine des Cafres. The forest path will take you to the ‘Plaine des Sables’, a large expanse of volcanic sands, with a particularly strange lunar appearance, before reaching the ‘Pas de Bellecombe’, where you can see the magical beauty of the whole of Piton de la Fournaise. The more courageous will be able to walk onto the so called ‘twisted’ lava, to the Formica Leo crater, among the ‘Enclos’ a natural overflow of the volcano. After lunch at a creole restaurant, we will have a look at the spectacular museum: La Cite du Volcano, to complete the knowledge of the landscape you explore prior to lunch.
Salazie Tour:
Full Day Tour to Salazie: French/English speaking guide 4×4 (Minimum 2 Adults)
Full Day Tour to Salazie
A world of quietness, waterfalls and bananas. On the east coast, we will take the road that leads to the most verdant cirque of the island. Rock faces of the mountains are covered with heady waterfalls; the most famous is the ‘Voile de la Mariée’. You will discover the lush vegetation, watercress beds, and banana plantations, surrounded by green mountains before reaching Hellbourg. In this small village, old houses that used to belong to some of the greatest local families are witnesses of a glorious past. A walk in Hellbourg gives you the opportunity to catch some of the local atmosphere, before having lunch in a Creole restaurant. In the afternoon we will stop at a Vanilla Factory, where they continue to cultivate and prepare the best vanilla in the world.
Wild South Tour:
WILD SOUTH, the “Garden Route” Full day Tour: French/English speaking guide 4×4 (Minimum 2
Full Day Tour to the South
After breakfast, departure along the coast to discover the very authentic seaside and, in one day, both sides of the island, the rain coast “au vent” and the dry coast “sous le vent”: Verdant landscapes, sugar canes fields, South Coast is much more tropical, with wild countryside, typical houses and charming flowering gardens, surrounded by old lava flows: the reunion “Garden Route” After lunch in a traditional restaurant, a walk in the Mare Long forest will make you discover a lot of endemics plants, vanilla plantations, etc.… On the way back to St-Gilles, passing the South coast with nice and wild sceneries, you will make some stops to discover most aspects of the whole area: Langevin, its river and its small typical Harbour, Grand Anse and its white sand beach, Manapany,
Maïdo Peak & St Paul
Maïdo Peak and St-Paul (Friday only) Half-Day Tour: French/English speaking guide 4×4 (Minimum 2
Half Day Tour to Maïdo Peak & St Paul
Early morning, after breakfast, we will go to the magnificent look out of Piton Maïdo (up to 2000m). Road will take you up, amongst sugar cane fields, geranium plantation then typical Forest, before reaching the summit to enjoy a wonderful view over the valley of Mafate: A breath-taking scenery over this valley surrounded by the highest mountains, you might only reach it by foot or helicopter. On the way down, we will stop at a geranium handmade factory, that produces the oil from the plant Then we will drive to St-Paul, oldest town of the island, with its caves and its famous market by the sea-side (Friday only): in a tropical atmosphere, plants, fruits, vegetables and handy craft make of this market a place you should not miss on Friday! Way back to the hotel by 12:30
