Thứ Năm, 19 tháng 12, 2019

Top 10 things to do in Le Port

On the northwest coast of Reunion, Le Port is the island’s main harbor.

As ports go it’s unique in France as the only one to include an industrial port, naval base (the third largest in France), passenger port, fishing port, and marina. For tourists, the marina is the source of most of the excitement as you can embark on unforgettable nature-spotting voyages or set sail for reefs and underwater caves with dive companies. For days out you can journey down Reunion’s west coast where there are white sandy beaches, wildlife attractions, fruit plantations and scenes of mind-blowing splendor all in reach. Discover the best things to do in Port Le.

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1. Whale-watching

About 23 species of whales and dolphins visit the waters off the western coast of Reunion. From June to October, you can witness the exhilarating spectacle of humpbacks breaching after they’ve made an epic swim to these climes from Antarctica.

Other species gathered around the island are sperm whales and fins, as well as many types of dolphins (Fraser, spinner, Indian humpback, spotted spots), here year-round. If you’re worried about interfering with these creatures’ habitats you’ll be happy to know that operators on Reunion all adhere to the O²CR conservation label, imposing strict rules.


2. Diving

There’s a clutch of dive centers based in Le Port, and these companies will lead you out to more than a dozen unbelievable sites off the west coast. Experienced divers will get more out of this underwater environment, investigate shipwrecks and plunge into volcanic caves and canyons or explore great places.

The wildlife down here is even more magnificent than the seabed, with sea turtles, kaleidoscopic tropical fish, barracudas, moray eels and crustaceans on coral reefs. If you’re fortunate you’ll also catch a glimpse of predators like hammerhead sharks, from a distance!


3. Bazaar sous Pied Bois

Le Port, which trades weekly markets on Wednesday at Port des Cheminots and is the fastest way to live the island lifestyle. The name “sous Piedboi” comes from the location, as the shaded by the dense foliage of mahogany trees.

You’ll be intoxicated by the perfumes of coffee, vetiver, vanilla and turmeric, all fresh from plantations on Reunion.

Meanwhile Saint-Paul’s market, on Fridays and Saturdays, maybe the best on Reunion and will entice you with its stacks of tropical fruit and “truck-bars” cooking Indian-style samosas and bouchons, which are Chinese dumplings.


4. Le Musée de Villèle

You’ll get to know Reunion’s complex origins at this museum a few kilometers down the coast in Saint-Paul. This building is a colonial property on a 10-hectare plantation, owned by the Desbassyns family, where it built its rich sugarcane.

Naturally, this isn’t an altogether happy place, as slavery played a big part in the family’s success, as well as the island’s development. The museum doesn’t shy away from this and other aspects of life on Reunion in the 1700s and 1800s.

There are antique furniture, décor and historical documents, all in an authentic colonial environment.


5. Cimetière Marin

On the opposite bank of the Galets Estuary is a graveyard that can transport you to the earliest days of Reunion’s colonization. There are graves for 19th-century shipwreck victims, pirates, plantation owners and some of Reunion’s most prominent political and cultural personalities.

The most illustrious burial is Leconte de Lisle, the 19th-century Parnassian poet who was born right in Saint-Paul and transported back to the island after he died in mainland France in 1894. The ocean scenery, behind a black sand beach and tropical vegetation evoke an era of ocean conquest and adventure.


6. Plage de Boucan-Canot

Reunion isn’t known so well for its beaches. This has a lot to do with ocean waves and the risk of shark attacks, but the west coast tends to. At Boucan Canot, the shark problem has been overcome with a new network (for the first time on the island), so you can shower safely.

On choppier days there are excellent breaks for surfers and body-boarders. You might prefer to stay onshore where there’s a comforting swathe of fine white sand to relax on. There are rumbling basalt cliffs on the beach, delineated by palm palms and bars carrying rum and other drinks to your sun lounger.


7. Bassin des Aigrettes

Reunion excels in wonderful tropical scenes like waterfalls, clear lakes, and ravines covered with rich vegetation. But often you need an expedition to reach them.

Bassin des Aigrettes though only 10 minutes left and is located just outside the N7. There’s a heavenly waterfall only 15 minutes along a track, pouring into a pool that glows deep blue in the sun.

This is probably the most beautiful of a series of pools along the Ravine Saint-Gilles, coursing for 25 kilometers from the center of the island to the west coast.


8. Plage de l’Hermitage

Another piece of coastal paradise, Beach Square contrasts with Boucan-Canot when it is shielded from the ocean open by a reef. So for around 500 meters, there’s a clear and warm lagoon with depths of no more than two meters.

On the shore, the white sand gets smoother as you travel further and is surrounded by Australian pine trees and hops, with bright purple flowers in season. And provided you follow the local guidelines you can also go snorkeling in the shallows.

There is no risk from dangerous marine creatures but you can see blue turtles, Moorish idols, rays and mussels on the reef.


9. Paragliding

The grassy slopes on the west side of Reunion have ideal terrain and winds to play paragliding. You can show up on the day to take part in this sport as you’ll be flying in tandem with an expert.

Most flights are launched from a spearhead at Saint-Leu, a short distance down the west coast. And what makes it such an invigorating experience is the savage majesty of Reunion’s mountainscapes.

As you circle you’ll get privileged views of the impassable walls of rock in the Piton des Neiges range, including the namesake shield volcano at more than 3,000 meters.


10. Kélonia

On the site of an old lime kiln in Saint-Leu is a center for the research and conservation of sea turtles. Kélonia is also a modern tourist attraction, with a spacious 500,000 tank that recreates the habitat of six species of turtles.

Then there are exhibitions explaining the effect humans have had on turtles, and what the future holds for these species, as human encroachment increases but technology and scientific conservation also improve.

Maybe best of all, you can see Kélonia’s conservation efforts firsthand, at the rehabilitation center where hundreds of rescued turtles have been treated before being released into the ocean.


More ideals for you: Top 10 things to do in Latina



from : https://wikitopx.com/travel/top-10-things-to-do-in-le-port-708709.html

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