The most beautiful natural sites to discover West

As you leave Saint-Leu on the Route du Littoral, just past Pointe-au-Sel, a parking lot offers a view of a powerful "souffleur", a curious geological phenomenon on the coast. The wave enters a rocky cavity, sucked into the jagged basalt cliffs. A few seconds after the backwash, the water that has remained in the hole is violently expelled in a spray several metres high. This is the great oceanic geyser, the fireworks display. A fascinating spectacle, especially when the ocean is rough.

This is undoubtedly the hike that offers the best "minimum effort for a maximum view" ratio. From the car park, a path starts and reaches a fork 30 m further on. Take the direction of the Cap Noir, for about ten minutes of walking at the edge of a cliff of 1 000 m height from where you have an imposing panorama on Mafate. From there, you can either retrace your steps back to the car park or make a loop via the Verre-Bouteille rock. It's a very nice walk, but beware of the ladders that may make walkers sensitive to vertigo feel cold.

On the sea side, north of Saint-Paul; just follow the signs. This pond, which lazes in the sun in a pleasant undergrowth, was a fantastic food reserve for the settlers. If you are discreet, you can observe moorhens, herons and pawpaws. At the time of the Sunday picnic, the Reunionese families take possession of the green banks and the coconut grove. You can also go water skiing on the pond, or go for a jog on the very pleasant fitness trail along the ocean.

The Saint-Gilles ravine, which flows from the Éperon to the Port of Saint-Gilles, feeds several heavenly pools and waterfalls. Beware, access to most of them is forbidden since 2002 by prefectural decree, and, if everyone ignores it and passes anyway, know that the paths leading to them are not always easy to practice. The ponds supply Saint-Gilles with water. It is for the sake of hygiene and because the community fears that they will become a public dumping ground that they are forbidden to enter.

This is a superb gateway to the cirque de Mafate. Easy but fairly long, the Orangers canalisation path, located for the most part on the rampart wall of the cirque de Mafate, offers a magnificent panorama. A must: with each step, the view opens up a little more over the cirque to the îlet des Orangers. On the way back, the coast gradually reveals itself. This hike is a change from the usual access to Mafate via the Col des Boeufs or the Rivière des Galets.

Created in 2007, it covers an area of about 35 km2 and stretches along the coast for 40 km, half of which along the coral reef: from Cap la Houssaye (Boucan-Canot) to Roche aux Oiseaux (L'Etang-Salé les Bains). This area is home to a unique biodiversity in overseas France, threatened by pollution and excessive fishing. Yellow beacons planted in the lagoon and in the sea delimit three protection zones. Follow its news on its website.

On leaving Saint-Paul, at the end of the four-lane road, you can see a deep ravine to the left, which retains a wild, old-world charm. In the background is a lush, peaceful atmosphere; along a narrow path, you can admire bluish waterfalls and breathe in the fresh air. The place inspired Évariste de Parny, Roussin, Leconte de Lisle and even George Sand in her first novel Indiana, based on the notes of her botanist friend. The gully is unkempt and therefore littered in places, so mosquito repellent is de rigueur.

A pleasant and easy stroll in a gully and pond, 5 minutes from the city centre. Count one hour round trip from the car park. You will walk through a well-kept site, to gradually immerse yourself in the bucolic freshness of the gully, planted with papyrus and dreams. The cliffs become progressively higher, inhabited by numerous strawtails. The path is wide and almost flat, accessible to all and very busy. You will arrive on small pools covered with duckweed.

Here is a pleasant walk on the oldest paved road of Saint-Paul. In the past, it was used to transport crops (especially coffee) by oxcart from Bellemène to the centre of the western capital. This magnificent three hundred year old path has been undergoing restoration for nearly seven years. The Bellemène Pavé association has recreated a Lontan village with a hut, a chicken coop, a kitchen and even a cabin. The climb takes about thirty minutes and offers a superb panorama of the western coastline, from Cape Lahoussaye to the Port.

The Bassin Bleu tunnel, created by the volcanic activity of the Piton des Neiges, is Réunion's oldest lava tunnel (over 450,000 years old). Located just a few kilometers from the lagoon, it is one of the only tunnels in the west of the island, and the most interesting for its length (around 500 m) and diversity. Its geological interest and observable fauna, including colonies of Mascarene salanganes in the tunnel and birds (bitterns, moorhens) in the basin, with a small zip-line at the exit, make it a popular family outing.