Guided tours Réunion

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.

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.

Created in 1968, the island's only vanilla cooperative buys, collects and processes the green vanilla grown in the forests of the island's east and southeast, by the hundred or so producers it groups together, supervises and trains. Through gardens, workshops and enthusiastic guides, the guided tour allows you to learn more about the history of vanilla, and discover the different stages of ripening, processing and pollination of this famous "black gold". The boutique offers a wide selection of vanilla beans and related products, as well as a delicious vanilla coffee.

This steaming steel monster, which never sleeps in the middle of the sugar cane fields, is one of the last two sugar factories on Réunion Island. It adjoins the Savanna distillery, allowing visitors to combine a sugar factory and a distillery in a single visit (from July to December). An industrial universe that impresses both by its sheer size and by the detail of its production processes. By reservation only, this interesting and animated journey through Réunion's sugar odyssey begins at the Tafia & Galabé boutique (please note the clothing restrictions detailed on the web page). After a few explanations on the history of the Bois Rouge site, you'll be transported along the cane journey (crushing, juice extraction, syrup making, purification, crystallization), and it's a real spectacle of sounds, lights and smells, made even more impressive at sunset with the last departure at 6pm. In the second part of the tour, a visit to the distillery will introduce you to the meticulous production of great rums, from fermentation processes to the mysteries of ageing, right in the Savanna Distillery cellar. Finally, a rum tasting will help you identify the production processes and flavors discovered during the tour, not to mention various local pure cane artisanal products (sugars, syrups and jams). The boutique is also a great place to shop, with expert advice on the products on offer.

Juanito Boyer is a "marmaille la cours", you can hear a local child, who knows Saint-Philippe and its lava tunnels like the back of his hand. A mountain guide, he has been surveying these tunnels for several years and will make you discover exceptional sites. Bring long clothes (ideally jeans), closed shoes and water. Safety equipment is provided (gloves, helmet, headgear, knee pads). Don't forget to bring your camera to immortalize the magic of these dark, improbably shaped bowels.

A true enthusiast, Maryse Mounier will introduce you to her primary forest, with its many endemic species, on which she has grown more than 5,000 vanilla lianas over 4 hectares. Not a building or a machine on the premises, here everything is natural and artisanal, in a listed area. Many explanations are given: planting, fertilization, processing and the main varieties of vanilla trees. Walking shoes recommended. Production offered for sale.

Created in 2002 by a Mafatais, Mafate Hélicoptères offers different tours and tourist flights à la carte, over the natural wonders of Reunion Island, as well as combined and original experiences from 5 people: heli-Rando (from 7am to 3pm) with a Pei guide, a 4 x 4, an authentic meal in a gite, then a helicopter return in the middle of the steep mountains of the Mafate cirque; Heli-Cari (from 10am to 3pm), a round trip in the Bras de la Plaine gorges, with a Pei meal in a gite and a swim; or Heli-Wedding.

The cultural service organizes guided tours in and around the city from 1 hour to half a day. We discover the covered market, the mosque, the Hindu culture, the big Creole villas... Torchlight lectures on the beach allow you to meet pirates and illustrious characters of the island. The schedule is variable. With affordable rates and guides approved by the Ministry of Culture, here's something to learn for cheap!

Corail Hélicoptères offers daily flights over the island aboard its H130s, the latest additions to the Airbus Hélicoptères range, with seating for six passengers and panoramic views for all. Departing from the Ermitage heliport or Pierrefonds airport, and usually in the morning, you can enjoy all the natural wonders of Réunion Island from the air: the three cirques (Mafate, Salazie, Cilaos), the Trou de Fer, Takamaka, the volcano and the lagoon. We also offer private flights in groups of six, with the option of an inland drop-off.

To discover Reunion in a different way and especially if you have little time to stay, here are some 4x4 excursions for the day. On the program, several possible circuits: volcano/South, volcano, wild South, Entre-Deux/Cilaos, Salazie or Dimitile. At 7am, the 4 x 4 arrives at your hotel and it's off for a day of adventure, mixing nature and culture. In collaboration with Villages Créoles, a circuit "On the traces of the marronnage" has been designed, with meals at the inhabitant's house : to discover the first maroon settlements.

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 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.

Guy Payet has been flying over the island for more than fifteen years and has concocted eight tourist circuits departing from Pierrefonds airport. On the program, two 15-minute flights: "le survol des lagons" and "Cilaos"; two 25-minute flights: "le piton de la Fournaise" and "les deux cirques" (Mafate and Cilaos returning by the lagoon). In 45 minutes "le complet" flies over the three cirques, the Trou de Fer, the Bélouve forest, the volcano and the lagoon. It is undeniably a must! Finally, the 55-minute "le grandiose" for a complete tour of the island.

From industrial activity (flour mills, forges, chocolate factories, bakeries...) over the centuries to the river's ecosystem, military or religious monuments and the skills of the local people, these neighborhoods are full of riches just waiting to be shared. The Pti Colibri association has enlisted the help of professionals to help you discover this little-known heritage. Four Tikatsou guided tours are offered in the Bas de la Rivière, Colline and Petite Île neighborhoods. Get curious!

What if you were to rediscover the secrets of "galabé", the long-defunct sweet of yesteryear? After years of research and testing, Alexis Rivière, from a family with deep roots in the island's sugar and farming history, has revived the production of this traditional Reunionese sweet, which is still fondly remembered by old-timers. In 2022, in the heart of the Beau Pays, on the historic Bel Air farm in Sainte-Suzanne, the site of the family business, Alexis set up his own factory, the Payet & Rivière micro-sugar factory. Visitors will be able to discover the galabé production process, now used in all its forms by top pastry chefs on Réunion Island and in mainland France, and taste the product. "Galabé" also represents a whole range of by-products (lontan sweets, syrups, spreads, etc.) that you can discover on site. But it's also a unique experience for visitors, evoking the history of the family, the plantation, and the various stages in the cultivation and processing of sugarcane. Of the estate's 200 hectares, three are reserved for the micro-sugar factory. These areas are now cultivated according to the principles of organic farming, a first on Réunion Island. The Payet & Rivière estate and micro-sugar factory complement visits to the two major sugar factories (Bois-Rouge and Le Gol), along with the Stella Matutina Museum and the Saga of Rum. An experience not to be missed.

Les Aventuriers invites you to discover the town of Saint-Pierre on your own, thanks to a family treasure hunt. Guided by a map of the city and oeil de Papangue's riddles of observation and reflection, become the explorers of the "bay of the best anchorage" for a morning. The activity unfolds at your own pace; you'll discover old Saint-Pierre through more than ten stages highlighting the town's history, legends and anecdotes. An original, enjoyable and fun way to explore Réunion Island.

Les Aventuriers offer a guided tour of the Creole huts, immersing you in the history of Salazie and discovering the architectural and cultural heritage of the village of Hell-Bourg, ranked among the most beautiful in France. Fun and suitable for everyone, the walk will take you back in time, through the village's lanes and paths, with exceptional views of the Salazie cirque. Stories and legends will be told, and the dark days of the "marronnage" will be evoked, while you admire varangues, gardens and Creole huts.