Sports and leisure activities West

With over thirty-five years' experience, Helilagon is Réunion's historic airline. Over the years, it has established itself as a key player in Reunion's economic and tourist landscape, operating in three business sectors: tourist flights, aerial work and medical transport. Its priority: to make your flight a unique and safe experience, by offering you the most beautiful views of the Reunion landscape. Sightseeing tours, heli-excursions by the day (heli-cari, heli-rando, heli-resto, heli-4 x 4, heli-golf), airport transfer flights, private flights on request. Authentic and dazzling, the panoramic flight over the island, commented by the pilot in French/English, offers a unique and incomparable interlude. Discovering Réunion's emblematic natural sites from the air is guaranteed to be an unforgettable experience. To ensure that customers have a clear view of the sites overflown, the company carries out a weather check 15 minutes before the departure of each flight, and offers great flexibility with the possibility of postponement in the event of unfavorable conditions. Helilagon has the largest fleet on the island, and is the only company to operate from three bases (north, west and south). Its main base is located on a unique 4-hectare site in the middle of the savannah at L'Éperon, overlooking the bay of Saint-Paul, and its two secondary bases are at the airports of Saint-Denis and Saint-Pierre. Free shuttle service in the west.

With its fleet of four high-performance, comfortable catamarans(Cat Alizé, Cat Ananas, Cata Passion and Cata Punch), each able to carry between 12 and 16 passengers, Grand Bleu has become the benchmark for sailing cruises on Réunion Island. Experienced skippers, lounging on trampolines or sundecks, introduction to sailing or troll fishing, daytime barbecues or sunset cocktails, not forgetting the chance to see marine mammals; whether you choose the Lounge or Premium formula, one thing is certain: you'll have a great time offshore.

A well-established club not far from the others, on the left after the college on the route des Colimaçons. Nitrox, rebreather, night and deep dives, training from level I to level IV, FFESSM, ANMP, PADI certification, you will find what suits you. Once a week, the club offers a day trip to the sea with 2 dives and meals. Ben welcomes you in a good mood and with professionalism. If you need to make a first dive: don't hesitate, this is where they are the most beautiful!

This service provider was one of the first to start hiking through the lava tunnels. Roby Soriano, famous guide in the circus of Cilaos, takes you to the bowels of the Piton de la Fournaise. Entering the caves and lava tubes formed by the recent eruptions, cooled down, one travels almost 2 km under the lava, passing several times in the open air. The route "20 000 leagues under the lava" has even been broadcast on the national news. A must-see!

Ludovic Marconnot, mountain guide and graduate in speleology, offers you extraordinary hikes on the ground as well as below! Come and discover the interior of the island literally by traversing its entrails through the lava tunnels, these natural corridors left by the lava while flowing. Ludovic and his team organize outings, accessible to all, on the side of Saint-Philippe. Réunion Mer et Montagne also organizes your day hikes, in particular to Mafate by the Galets river, with return by foot or by helicopter.

Over the years, visiting lava tunnels has become a popular activity on Reunion Island. It's a fascinating experience, halfway between hiking and caving. From the 2004 lava flow in Sainte-Rose, with its frozen lava scenery, to the bassin Bleu tunnel in Saint-Gilles, renowned for its large volumes, Sébastien, a state-qualified guide in speleology, loves to share this magical universe. He offers discovery tours, accessible to all aged 6 and over, as well as sporting and unusual tours (wine tasting or meditation underground).

Opened since 1989, the Excelsus dive center is a reference on the island. Run by a young, professional and dynamic team, the club is known for its high level of safety as well as for its friendliness. The club house is really very nice, with its terrace, its bar and its beautiful ocean view that make you want to enjoy the after-diving. The connoisseurs will appreciate the technical mastery, with trainings for all levels, from diving to nitrox... One of the two boats has even been specially designed for the bay of Saint-Leu.

Julien Michel, mountain guide, will help you discover the island through mountain and white-water activities, adapting to your expectations and level in professional and friendly conditions. Canyoning (Fleurs Jaune, Trou Blanc, Takamaka...), rock climbing (courses, internships, major routes), hiking, tropical mountaineering, rocky ridge traverses, mountain races: Les Trois Salazes, the "Piton des Neiges-Gros Morne" traverse, Cimandef, Piton Calumet... HD photos and videos will be offered at the end of your day.

An original and unmissable experience to discover the lagoon of Saline-les-Bains. Accessible to all, for hire or on excursion, the fully transparent kayaks or stand-up paddles allow you to explore the shallow sea bed. The qualified guides know their subject perfectly and especially the most beautiful places of the marine reserve; you will thus have much more chance to see tropical fish, turtles and rays. The guided tour, with cocktail and GoPro photos, lasts 2 hours. Advance booking is essential.

Félix ULM, open since 1988, is the pioneer of microlight flying in Réunion. With thirty-five years' experience, it's one of our all-time recommended addresses. You'll discover the must-see cirque of Mafate, the coral reef of the lagoon, or the complete tour of the island: the three cirques, the two volcanic massifs and the lagoon. Its motto: "Serious without getting carried away", and the atmosphere is very friendly. When you return from the flight, you can recover from your emotions by sipping a drink on the clubhouse terrace, overlooking the bay of Saint-Paul.

Since 1996, the friendly Saint-Leusien Jimmy, a state graduate, has been inviting you to fly over the West and the South with straws at the tail, at an altitude of 800 m or 1,600 m. Jimmy and his team are impossible to miss because the reception is located on the parking lot of the landing area. Arriving in Saint-Leu from the north, you will see the paragliders carrying their big colourful bags and getting tangled in the ropes. Don't hesitate to ask for their feelings. Jimmy also drinks to recover from his emotions or simply to come and watch those landing.

It is decided, the appointment is taken, we go there. After some minutes of walk, we begin by a briefing on the use of the harnesses. First impressions: optimal safety, professional and friendly team. The footbridge being suspended under a viaduct of the road of Tamarins, we reach it by a bridge of monkey. Absorbed by the plunging view on the ravine and the ocean, one would almost forget the jump of 120 m, highest pendular of the Indian Ocean and second highest of France. A few seconds of pure adrenaline and an unforgettable experience!

A hybrid mix of ultralight and paraglider, the paraglider combines optimal comfort and maximum visibility. A good option for those who wish to fly over the lagoon under a paraglider canopy or simply observe the sky, dolphins and turtles. During the whale season (from May to October), it also allows you to watch these giants evolve in total discretion. Finally, it should be noted that paragliding, softer than paragliding thanks to its wheels, makes take-off and landing easier, and thus offers children from 6 years old the pleasure of flying!

Created in 1997 and taken over in 2012, the Abyss Plongée centre is located next to the port. In addition to the classic dives, the club offers introductory diving courses, in one day, and courses for children under 12 years old. For the older children, you will be able to take advantage of ANMP/CEDIP training from level I to level IV, PADI training, nitrox diving and night dives. Finally, more family-oriented snorkeling trips are organized during the whale season. Book your dives online with the PADI Adventures application.

The centre dives into an area stretching from St. Paul's Bay to Trois-Bassins. It also organizes special dives on all the sites of the island, wrecks, drop offs, drift dives... without forgetting the classic night dives and all levels of training. Two outings are organized per day and three on Sundays. If you are a certified diver, Ô Sea Bleu organizes, in collaboration with Reef Check Reunion Island, dives to collect scientifically valid and good quality data on reef ecosystems.

Discovering Reunion Island on board a two-seater helicopter has been possible since 2020 from Saline-les-Bains. You embark on this aerial excursion with the pilot and passionate guide Rodolphe, who takes his only passenger to fly over the most beautiful sites of the island on the concept of a private helicopter. Whether it's for a first discovery of the helicopter, a simple flight over the lagoon, an aerial tour at sunset or for lovers of breathtaking photos and videos, we are thrilled by the experience.

Reunion Island offers many opportunities to discover the beauty of its coastline and marine life. The Lady la Fée boat excursion agency offers catamaran cruises departing from Saint Gilles les Bains. Cruises also offer the chance to go trolling, relax on the catamaran's trampoline and enjoy a delicious slice of fresh pineapple. Lady la Fée also offers catamaran rental for group outings, seminars or special events. Rates vary according to the formula chosen, but can be booked online.

Laurent and his crew offer cruises aboard the Bell'île, a comfortable catamaran with 4 cabins, 2 showers, living room, kitchen, as well as a spacious deck for sunbathing. Departures are made according to your desires, for a 3-hour trip, a day cruise or a whole weekend, or even by privatizing the boat. Everything is done to enjoy the experience off the coast. Also in partnership with Duocéan, go in search of cetaceans to make your dream come true: observe or swim in complete safety with dolphins or whales.

Corail Plongée is a diving club with a friendly atmosphere, directly on the port of Saint-Gilles. The boats anchor just in front of it. Many residents and students come here to dive. Like all the other clubs, the team offers FFESSM, SSI, CMAS training, but the most important is the cetacean outing. You will discover the joys of the randosub by observing dolphins and discovering the reef. Let yourself be carried away by Christophe, Popotte, Sandrine and Jérôme and set off to explore the seabed of the West.