Tourist Attractions & Monuments Réunion

Opened in 1992, then rehabilitated from 2011 to 2014, this science museum is a modern, family-oriented and fun discovery space. Inside, models, interactive terminals, video screens allow you to live the experience of the volcano! You will discover the reproduction of a lava tunnel, a panoramic projection room, a dynamic 4D cinema, a bathyscaphe and many holographic devices. It is the geological history of Reunion Island that you will remember: from the first eruptions at sea to the formation of today's Intense Island!

Boasting exceptional views of the sea, lagoon and Saint-Leu, the de Châteauvieux family's former estate and its^19th-century outbuildings are quite simply magnificent. In 1857, the estate covered 660 hectares from the sea to the mountains. Its agricultural activity was based on sugar cane and geranium, as well as food crops, tea, cotton... Beer, cider and oil were also produced. Today, the park covers 13 hectares, 8 of which are open to visitors. Its primary vocation is to raise awareness of the island's cultural heritage, particularly its indigenous and endemic plant life. There are three botanical collections to discover: the Bas de l'Ouest forest, "lontan" plants, a Creole orchard, succulents, palms, orchids and ferns, world coffee trees, a cathedral bamboo gully and a collection composed exclusively of Bourbon roses. The guided tour lasts 45 minutes, but to explore the entire garden, you'll need a good two hours (beware, it's a bit of a climb!). We enjoy discovering the richness and diversity of the botanical collections as much as admiring the architecture of the former agricultural estate, both inside and out, while strolling through a well-organized, clean and well-maintained estate with magnificent views. We highly recommend it! There's also a souvenir store and a restaurant, Le Vieux Pressoir, offering decent Creole and metro cuisine.

Kélonia is at the same time a research centre, an observatory, a care centre and an educational centre. Built partly in the open air, this site offers a playful and interesting visit in the mysterious and vulnerable world of turtles. Accessible to the whole family, we strongly recommend the guided tours which are given by the care staff at 10 am, 11.30 am, 2 pm, 3.15 pm and 4.30 pm. You will find in the shop the latest works of the craftsmen working the tortoiseshell.

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.

Nestled in the district of Piton Saint-Leu, the museum tells, with a lot of originality, the history of the island. A history marked by the work of slaves and those engaged in the transformation of cane into sugar, and today by the fate of the workers who lived at the pace of this factory, closed in the 1970s. The content is truly interactive and at the cutting edge of technology with amusing and very successful holograms that explain, for example, the process of sugar crystallization. Allow at least half a day for a visit.

This educational farm is dedicated to the coconut. You'll discover all its secrets, from planting to processing and using the products: wood, fibers, cabbage-coconut, water, coconut milk and oil, shell crafts... Participatory workshops enable you to learn how to make coconut punch, braid the leaf, or grate the coconut to make cakes. If you want to tantalize your taste buds, think of the Coco Snack (11.30am-1.30pm) or the Saturday brunch (once a month, 9am-12pm, by reservation), all made with coconut, of course.

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.

Angèle Mac-Auliffe, daughter of the first doctor of Cilaos, introduced the young girls of the circus to embroidery. Today, the Maison's president, Suzanne Maillot, Meilleur Ouvrière de France, continues the tradition. Exhibited in the style of the great galleries, you'll find household and table linens. The tour explains the "jours" technique, handed down through the generations, and the time needed to complete the work. It takes three months to make a one-meter table throw. You can also meet the embroiderers. A warm welcome awaits you.

This museum owes its existence to two Reunionese, Georges Athenas and Alexandre Merlot, who decided in 1912 to collect works and open a museum in their home town in honour of Léon Dierx, the famous local poet who died that year. In this superb Creole hut you can see a few sketches by Gauguin, a Chagall, a self-portrait by Vollard, paintings by Vuillard, Rouault, Caillebotte, Bourdelle, Carrière, Guillaumin... The curator regularly proposes temporary exhibitions. We never tire of them.

This is an original walk, open to all, even Sunday swimmers! Accompanied by an experienced guide, you will discover the richness of the Hermitage coral reef. A few strokes of the flippers, a bit of walking, three or four fathoms and you're done. Reassuring enough for the less adventurous, who should not hesitate to take advantage of this beautiful underwater adventure, free, safe and very instructive on the lagoon. The schedule of the trips is published at the beginning of each month on their Facebook page.

A typical Creole villa built at the end of the 18th century, in neoclassical style, the Villa Rivière comprises a stone main building and a wooden facade, with varangue and pilasters. On two levels, it brings together all the canons of classical composition and presents a rare architectural authenticity. The villa, its outbuildings and the garden have been listed as Historic Monuments since 1990. It is the only Creole hut of its kind open to the public. The guide, Marion, offers you an incredibly rich guided tour!

Take the Route Forestière du Volcan from Bourg-Murat and plunge into a whole new world. It's 24 km long and passes through superb, varied, lunar landscapes. On your way there or back, take the time to stop at Nez de Boeuf to admire the view of the Rivière des Remparts, then at the Commerson crater. You'll then cross the Plaine des Sables, before finishing at the Pas de Bellecombe, culminating at 2,311 m, to admire the magnificent panorama of the Fouqué enclosure and the volcano. It's also a meeting point for hikers.

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 Avenue de la Victoire and the Rue de Paris are worth discovering on foot and walking along the baros (Creole gate) of its superb Creole houses. The Tourist Office has moreover chosen to live within the walls of the sublime Maison Carrère, a completely renovated hut that can be visited. The Chapel of the Immaculate, the old town hall, the State garden, the Natural History Museum... So many monuments that you can discover with a guide or on your own thanks to the signage that the town hall has put up at the gate of each building.

This is a walk not to be missed, whether you are on foot, on rollerblades, by bike or by car. At the Saint-Paul bus station, go under the bridge in the direction of the Grande Fontaine district. You'll find yourself in another world. It is best to get there early in the morning or just before nightfall to enjoy the subtle play of light and the special atmosphere of this island of greenery nestled in the heart of an immense coconut grove. The Tour des Roches takes about an hour on foot, plus 30 minutes if you reach your starting point.

Located in the heart of the famous Isautier distillery created in 1845, the Saga of Rum is the only museum dedicated to rum in Reunion Island. Thanks to exhibition spaces and short films, you can discover the history and the successive stages of rum production. From elevated walkways, one can observe machines, stills and distillation columns. The visit ends at the "Dépôt de Rhum", a store fitted out as a Creole village where you can find all the ranges of rums and liqueurs, as well as local products from Reunion Island.