Reunion Island - Creole Villages - Day Tour

Reunion Island is rich in history and is well known for its Creole lifestyle and architecture. Our day today will involve a glimpse into this lifestyle as we get a chance to stop at a couple of villages perfectly nestled amongst the forest and the Indian Ocean.

Itinerary:

Today, after an early pick up from your hotel, we will make our way to the Plaine des Cafres and the Foret du Volcan, forest of volcanoes.

Our day will also take us to the Plaine des Sables and the Pas de Bellecombe - a breathtaking viewpoint on the Piton de La Fournaise volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in the world!

While on the eastern coast, via the Plaine des Palmistes, a small community, we will explore the lush vegetation of this area in depth. Here you'll experience the absolute power that nature has and what it has left as we have the chance to see lava flows from previous years. These flows include the Lava Flow of 1977 and the Notre Dame des Laves Church, the Lava Flow of 2007 and the land eaten up as it crept into the ocean.

Throughout the day, our stops and sites will include:

Mont Vert les Hauts - A traditional Creole agricultural haven offering amazing views of the island's famous mountain peaks. 

Plaine des Cafres - Cafres is a popular area that separates the Piton des Neiges, known as the Snow Peak, and Piton de la Fournaise, known as the Furnace Peak. 

Nez de Boeuf and Cratere Commerson- A scenic lookout point over the Riviere des Remparts and Roche-Plate.

Plaine des Sables - A vast area of sand, that is sort of lunar looking, amidst the peaks that take us onto the Pas de Bellecombe.

Pas de Bellecombe - Get your cameras ready - this is a mountain pass and the main viewpoint over the crater of Piton de La Fournaise. We will enjoy a little coffee break in Plaine des Palmistes, as we take in this beauty around us at 1000m above sea level. Here, the little village quietly goes on about their everyday life in a peaceful way. We will also have a chance to check out the local arts and gastronomy here.

Domaine des Tourelles: An extremely unique tourist center to say the least. Located in a magnificent Creole house, we'll have a chance to discover the High Plains in further depth.

Riviere des Roches - Here we will enjoy lunch on the river banks. This area is well known for its small fry fishing.

Bridge over the Riviere de l'Est - As you stand on this bridge beautiful bridge, built in the 19th century, you'll take comfort hearing the river as it rushed down from the Piton de la Fouranaise.

Piton Sainte Rose - A small village that was devasted by the lava flow from 1977. The Notre Dame des Laves, otherwise known as the Miraculous Church of Lava, was affected but not completed destroyed by the flow.

Le Grande Brule - Here is the main area where the lava flows from Piton de La Fourniase to the coast. There are also several other flows and here you'll also notice the bits of smoke coming from the crater.

Saint Philippe - A Creole Village, nestled nicely between the forest and the ocean at the foot of a volcano.

Le Cap Mechant - A cliff along the coastline that is another beautiful example of what nature has created.

Saint Joesph - The largest town in the "Wild South" and also the southernmost municipality of France.

The exact order of the sites listed that we will see does vary sometimes. We always offer time to allow for some flexibility should weather impede on our day at all. We take pride in traveling on lesser known roads than on the highways as this only enhances the experience for our guests and allows them to indulge further into the beauty of the Island in the "country".

Our day is set at a comfortable pace so we are able to thoroughly enjoy each spot and feel at peace rather than rushed. 

Once we have finished today, you'll be transferred back to your accommodation around 6 pm.

Included:

- Full day of tours

- Full day of transfers

- Lunch (with drinks)

- Hotel pick up and drop off

Excluded:

- Meals not listed in itinerary

- Drinks not listed in itinerary

- Travel Insurance