In Saint-Pierre on the south coast of Reunion, you can be close to places that need to be trusted.
You can venture to a volcanic caldera, natural amphitheaters with enormous basalt cliffs, waterfalls, ravines, lava tubes and an otherworldly plain that could be on Mars. Such is the weight of awesome scenery in the region that a helicopter flight is a reasonable way to see it all. Close to home is a beautiful and prosperous town with some colonial architecture and a fragrant bazaar on Saturday. Locally you can tour coffee plantations, learn how rum is distilled and go swimming with dolphins. Discover the best things to do in Saint-Pierre.
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1. Domaine du Café Grillé
To understand Reunion’s rich botanical story comes to this coffee plantation that abounds with the exotic and endemic plants growing on the island. The distinction between the two categories is quite important, and a keen horticulturalists will be interested to learn which of Reunion’s plants were brought over by humans.
Knowing this will give you a new perspective on colonization, growing crops like coffee that were introduced to the island for cultivation. There are vanilla crops, sugar canes, pineapple and guava trees, more than 200 varieties of palm and an array of orchids to see. Finish up by tasting the many coffees picked here.
2. Saga du Rhum
Inside the island's oldest family distillery, Saga du Rhum is a museum devoted entirely to Reunion rum. You can choose between a guided or independent visit, the difference being that you can ask questions if you’re a rum aficionado.
But by yourself, you can get a lot of the information from the detailed panels shedding light on the sugar cane and distillation. And as with any distillery, there’s a bar where you can try Reunion’s various rums for free at the end.
You might be surprised by the range, and this includes “agricultural”, “traditional” and infused rum, or varieties that have aged in the cask for different periods.
3. Piton de la Fournaise
There are no two ways about it: If you set foot on Reunion you have to come to the Piton de la Fournaise, which is among the world’s most active volcanoes. It will be a day you won’t forget.
You need to allow a lot of time, and the going can be heavy, but the trail is well-signposted and even provides estimated journey times to the various landmarks on the volcano. Early-risers are best rewarded here, and a lot of adventurers get up in the wee hours to climb to the top of the crater and watch the sunrise.
It’s one of those things you’ll be bragging about for the rest of your life.
4. Cité du Volcan
Before or after your life-changing experience on the Piton de la Fournaise you may want some background on the science of this monster, as well Reunion’s the other colossal volcano, the Piton des Neiges.
The museum is a simple drive north of Saint-Pierre and is loaded with child-friendly interactive displays and high-tech multimedia: There is a 4D cinema, a 270 ° panoramic screen, augmented reality and three-dimensional projections, all announced when the museum went through restoration in 2014.
You can also study an Interactive map showing the exact activity of the volcano forming Reunion.
5. Terre Sainte
On the opposite bank of the D’Abord River from the center of Saint-Pierre is the city’s fishing quarter. It’s a neighborhood of tight alleys with colorfully-painted weatherboard houses, and behind the beach are terraces shaded by gnarled banyan trees.
In the afternoon's locals come to benches to play boisterous games of cards and dominos overlooking the harbor and reef. And if you stop by a bit earlier in the day you can watch the fishing boats returning and unloading on the quays.
6. Marché Forain
If you need a real Reunionais to take home or want to try Reunion's great street food, head to the market at Ravine Blanche, on Saturday. Self-caterers can visit stock up on local fruit, fresh fish, meat and cheese.
There are also lots of gift-worthy delicacies like honey, jams, vanilla, packets of spices and kits for infused rum, as well as all sorts of handicrafts. And while you mill around you might be enticed by the food stalls grilling chicken and making samosas or stuffed peppers.
7. Local Beaches
Reunion’s coast is battered by the Indian Ocean, and this can make beaches for bathing quite scarce. Attacking sharks is also a danger, but Saint-Pierre stands out as one of the few places where you can safely shower.
That’s because the waves break on a reef a hundred meters or so from the shore, creating lagoons of crystal clear water beside low-shelving beaches. Plage de Saint-Pierre is the best of these and has a mixture of sand and stone by willow trees where children can play in perfect safety.
8. La Fenêtre des Makes
Another excursion that needs to be done early in the day is the trek to this perched lookout, known as the Fenêtre des Makes. It’s in the Saint-Louis commune by the village of Les Makes and sits 1,587 meters above sea level.
The vistas will blow you away and comprise the astounding Cirque de Cilaos and the Piton des Neiges volcano. If you’re up for the hike you can walk it along a trail from the Chemin Dépot just off the RN5, or just drive up the D20, which snakes up the mountainside.
Whatever you do, set off first thing to experience the view before the clouds roll in around midday.
9. Plaine des Sables
The Route Forestière du Volcan is a road like no other, weaving into an environment that resembles nothing on earth.
One of the strangest places is the Plaine des Sables: This bare and flat expanse was caused by a series of cataclysmic collapses tens of thousands of years ago, forming a flat space with reddish, bronze soil devoid of any features except for the colossal peaks and cliffs that encircle it.
When the fog descends there’s no telling where you are on this vast plain, so it’s best to stick to the road and see the landscapes from the car.
10. Air Adventures
Reunion is a rare destination where a plane trip is a sensible choice if you want to see the best of the phenomenal landscapes. Not everyone is up for grueling hikes, and by car, the winding mountain roads can put many of the natural wonders hours away.
The good news is that Saint-Pierre is just next to an aerodrome where there’s a range of companies waiting to whisk you off to view the volcanoes and cirques from the air. Choose from a big selection of flights, and rest assured that the pilots are constantly on top of the weather forecasts to make sure your trip isn’t spoiled by cloud cover.
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