Works of art to see Réunion

Originally the name of a tree, Takamaka is an exceptional site, a tropical paradise, with steep mountains and waterfalls, Jurassic Park style. It holds records with more than 6 m of rain per year. A viewpoint is accessible at the end of the beautiful D53. To do so, follow Bourbier, the first exit of the four-lane road leaving Saint-Benoît from the north. The dam, built in 1969, supplied the island with 100% renewable energy. Today, it is only 30%. Go very early and only in good weather. There are opportunities for sports hikes.

This must-see stop on the Route de l'Est is well worth a few minutes' detour. The 152-meter-long suspension bridge spanning the Rivière de l'Est was the longest in the world when it was delivered in 1894. Classified as a historical monument in 2028, it has been undergoing major restoration work since 2021, in order to make it once again (and exclusively) accessible to pedestrians. The reopening of this suspension bridge, also known as the "Pont des Anglais", is scheduled for the end of 2023.

A vestige of a bygone era, this well, architecturally similar to those that were once dug in Arabia, has long supported the thesis that the Arabs knew and conquered the island as early as the 8th or 9th century, the thesis of a poorly informed Egyptologist. More recent studies have proved that the well was commissioned by the colonial administration in the 19th century. A lot of noise for a simple square excavation, whose 42 steps carved in lava, go down to the water table. The source was dried up in 1986, following an eruption.