Best Places to visit in Reunion Islands

BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN

REUNION ISLANDS

REUNION ISLANDSRéunion is a French island with a population of 840,974 inhabitants located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about 200 kilometres southwest of Mauritius, the nearest island.

Area: 970 sq miles (2,512 km²)Founded: 1767Capital: Saint-DenisPopulation: 840,974 (Jan 1, 2013)

1. REUNION ISLAND'S CORAL REEF

Its coral reef covers a concentrated part of the western littoral. The coral reef is located between St Leu and St Gilles. It is more than 9 kilometers (5.6 mi) long and ranges in width from 50 meters (160 ft.) in its northern part at St. Gilles to 600 meters (2,000 ft.) in the south.

2. BOTANICAL GARDENS

Inhale the scent of Reunion's exquisite tropical flowers, trees and fruit; there are tours which aim to show the visitor some of the many species on the island, before returning to the Botanical Gardens at Saint-Denis.

3. Cavadee

See the amazing rites of Reunion's Indian community, principally made up of Tamil Hindus. These rites include Cavadee, which is an Indian sacrificial procession that essentially involves body piercing and other gruesome but reverential symbolism. This takes place in Saint-André. Other rites include fire-walking.

4. LA FOURNAISE

Take a tour to the island's still-active volcano, La Fournaise. Nez-de-Boeuf (ox's nose) affords a splendid view over the Rivière des Remparts, 1,000m (3,300ft) below, the Plaine des Sables and the Belle Combe pass. The Enclos Fouque crater and the highest peak of the 2,631m (8,632ft) Fournaise can both be explored on foot. The still active Bory and Brûlant craters are also interesting excursions.

5. MOUNTAIN WALKS

There are excellent walking opportunities in the mountains. Good climbing is to be had among the volcanic peaks. Cilaos, once infamous as a refuge for escaped slaves, is a lovely mountain area rising to about 1,220m (4,000ft) with impressive views from Le Bras Sec and Îlet à Cordres. Mafate is the most secluded of the valleys, unconnected by any road with the outside world.

6. SAINT-DENIS Saint-Denis, the capital, is surrounded by mountains on three sides and has several places of interest, including the Natural History Museum and the Léon Dierx Art Gallery with its collection of French Impressionist paintings. There are various temples, a mosque and a cathedral, a sign of the cultural and religious variety of the island population.

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