Discover 18 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Reunion. Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Kélonia (Saint-Leu), Conservatoire botanique national de Mascarin (Saint-Leu) or Jardin de l'État (Saint-Denis).
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Reunion.
Table of Contents
Kélonia, Saint-Leu
Aquarium in Saint-Leu, Réunion. Kélonia is a public aquarium and observatory specialising in Marine turtles in Saint-Leu, Réunion.
It was built on the site of a former Turtle Ranch and purposes guided visits and educational workshops.
Kélonia also participates on different research programs on marine turtles. These include migratory studies, monitoring populations, genetics, etc.
It also has a turtle clinic.[1]
Address: 46 rue du General de Gaulle, 97436 Saint-Leu
Conservatoire botanique national de Mascarin, Saint-Leu
Park in Saint-Leu, Réunion. The Conservatoire botanique national de Mascarin is a national conservatory and botanical garden located at 2, rue du Père Georges, Colimaçons, Saint-Leu, Réunion, France. It is open daily except Monday; an admission fee is charged.
The conservatory was established in 1986 as the Conservatoire et Jardin Botanique de Mascarin on farmland belonging to the family of the Marquis Antoine Sosthène Armand de Châteauvieux, at an elevation of 500 meters on the leeward side of La Réunion. In 1993 it was given its current name as it became one of France's eight Conservatoires Botaniques Nationaux. In 1996 its mission changed focus from conservation within its gardens, and the cultivation and the propagation of rare and threatened plants endemic to La Réunion, to a primary emphasis on management and monitoring of species in their natural habitats.
The conservatory's ongoing projects include establishing plots in mid-elevation wet forests for long-term study of plant diversity and vegetation dynamics; field surveys to determine locations for rare endemics (such as the highly endangered Ruizia cordata and Carissa xylopicron; replanting the endangered Lomatophyllum macrum in situ; and seed germination studies of endemic plants including Hugonia serrata and Antirhea borbonica.
The conservatory's garden (3 hectares) contains about 4,000 plant species endemic to the Mascarene Islands, i.e. including Madagascar, Mauritius, and Rodrigues, as well as Réunion itself. It is organized into seven sections as follows:
- Réunion collection - indigenous flora, including more than 50 endemic species.
- Lontan plants - a historical collection of local agriculture, including coffee, spices, fruit trees, sugar cane, and geraniums.
- Orchard - more than 50 fruit tree species.
- Succulents - succulent plants and exotic cacti, including species from the Americas and Africa.
- Palm trees - endemic and exotic palm trees.
- Orchids - orchids.
- Bamboo ravine - bamboos.
Address: 2 rue du Pere Georges, 97436 Saint-Leu
Jardin de l'État, Saint-Denis
Garden in Saint Denis, Réunion. The Jardin de l'État, formerly known as the Jardin du Roy, is a historic botanical garden on the island of Réunion, found in the capital Saint-Denis.
Planted with trees and spices taken from outside the island by Pierre Poivre, the garden is home to a natural history museum opened in August 1855. The garden was built from 1767 to 1773.
The garden's golden era came at the beginning of the 19th century, when its plants were tended to by famous botanists such as Joseph Hubert, Nicolas Bréon and Jean-Michel-Claude Richard. At that time the garden housed 2000 species. 7000 of its plants were distributed to the islanders in 1825 as part of a scheme to improve the colonial agriculture.
Today, the garden's main entrance faces the historic Rue de Paris. In the garden itself a bust of Pierre Poivre and a Wallace fountain.[3]
Address: Place de Metz, Saint-Denis
Grand Marché, Saint-Denis
The large market of Saint-Denis is a craft market of the island of Reunion, French department and overseas region in the southwest of the Indian Ocean. Located 2, rue du Maréchal-Leclerc, in the downtown area of the town of Saint-Denis, it is listed in full in the supplementary inventory of historical monuments since August 21, 1997.
Address: 2 Rue du Marechal Leclerc, Saint-Denis
St. Denis Cathedral, Saint-Denis
Also known as: Cathédrale de Saint-Denis de La Réunion
Catholic church in Saint-Denis, Réunion. Saint-Denis Cathedral or at greater length the Cathedral of St. Denis, Saint-Denis, Réunion, is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Saint-Denis, capital of the island of Reunion, a province of France in the Indian Ocean, part of Africa. It is dedicated to Saint Denis, after whom the city of Saint-Denis is named, and is the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Saint-Denis-de-La Réunion.[4]
Address: 34-36 Rue Jean Chatel, 97400 Saint-Denis
Plage de Saint-Pierre, Saint-Pierre
Saint-Pierre beach is a white sand beach on the island of Reunion, a French overseas department in the southwestern Indian Ocean. It is located in the downtown area of the town of Saint-Pierre west of the port of Saint-Pierre.
Four à chaux, Saint-Leu
The lime kiln Méralikan is a lime kiln located in Saint-Leu in the island of Reunion, a French overseas department in the southwest of the Indian Ocean. It is registered as a historical monument since March 29, 1996.
Address: Rue du Général Lambert, Saint-Leu
Bridal Veil Falls, Saint-André
Also known as: Voile de la Mariée
The Bridal Veil Falls is a waterfall on the island of Réunion. Located at about 500 m altitude along the mountainous rampart that separates the cirque Salazie and the plateau forest Bélouve, it falls within the territory of the commune of Salazie on the island of Réunion. A legend related to it: a father crying on the veil of her daughter fell into a deep precipice.[5]
ENERPOS, Saint-Pierre
ENERPOS is the first educational net-zero energy building in the tropics and one of the 13 Net ZEBs in the tropics thanks to its bioclimatic design. Its name comes from the French "énergie positive". ENERPOS is located on Réunion Island, a French territory in the Indian Ocean. Building an energy-efficient building in such a climate is particularly challenging, but the energy expectations with regard to ENERPOS have been reached, even largely exceeded. ENERPOS is not only an energy-efficient building but also displays various passive methods to reduce energy consumption while providing a comfortable environment for its users. Classes are hosted for both undergraduate diploma and degree courses as well as for the Department of Construction and Energy at the Graduate Engineering School of Réunion Island.[6]
Aquarium de la Reunion, Saint-Gilles
Zoo, Sailing, Marina
Mairie de Saint-Pierre, Saint-Pierre
The city hall of Saint-Pierre is a public building on the island of Reunion, a French overseas department in the southwestern Indian Ocean. It serves as the town hall of the city of Saint-Pierre, a municipality in the southwest of the island. Located on the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, it is classified as a historical monument since December 13, 1982.
Address: Rue Méziaire Guignard, Saint-Pierre
Domaine de Villèle, Saint-Gilles
Museum
Address: Chemin Des Roses, Villéle, Saint-Gilles
Les Roches Noires, Saint-Gilles
Beach
Cascade Biberon, Saint-André
The Biberon waterfall is a waterfall on the island of La Réunion. It is part of the territory of the commune of La Plaine-des-Palmistes, a commune in the east.
Address: 54 rue Bras Patience, Saint-André
Pas de Bellecombe-Jacob, Piton de la Fournaise
Also known as: Pas de Bellecombe
Mountain pass in Réunion. Pas de Bellecombe-Jacob is a mountain pass and vista point overlooking Enclos Fouqué, the last caldera formed by Piton de la Fournaise, the active volcano on the eastern side of Réunion island in the Indian Ocean.
It is named after Guillaume Léonard de Bellecombe, governor of La Réunion during the 18th century, and Jacob, the slave that actually discovered the pass.[7]
Immeuble dit salle Jeanne d'Arc, Saint-André
The Sainte-Jeanne d'Arc chapel, known as Jeanne d'Arc Hall, is a remarkable building on the island of La Réunion, a French overseas department in the southwestern Indian Ocean. Located at 16, rue du Père Buschère, in Saint-André, it was built in 1943 and registered in its entirety as a Historic Monument since January 26, 2012.
Address: 16 rue du Père Buschère, Saint-André
Formica Leo, Piton de la Fournaise
Volcanic crater in Réunion. Formica Leo, named for its similar shape to the pitfall built by the antlion, is a small volcanic crater of the Piton de la Fournaise, the active volcano on the eastern side of Réunion island in the Indian Ocean. It is located at the bottom of the caldera called Enclos Fouqué, just beneath the mountain pass Pas de Bellecombe.[8]
Rivière des Remparts – Rivière Langevin Important Bird Area, Piton de la Fournaise
Rivière des Remparts – Rivière Langevin Important Bird Area is a 7000 ha tract of land on the island of Réunion, a French territory in the western Indian Ocean.[9]