Travel Guide Le Tampon

Le Tampon has a population of 77,000, almost as many as Saint-Pierre, but is far from stealing its thunder as the capital of the south: the town center is small and the nightlife very limited. Le Tampon sees itself primarily as a vast residential area. With its houses on the mountainside, the town looks like a belvedere. Its name, more poetic than at first sight, is said to come from the Malagasy word tampona, meaning "place where you can see far". Le Tampon slopes gently down to the plain between the two volcanoes and the sea, and the panorama embraces the whole of the South, when the clouds don't obstruct it. The setting is restful, with an abundance of flowers. Floral art here is not confined to beautifying homes. The Parc Jean-de-Cambiaire, next to the church in the town center, is representative of the floral culture of this commune, which since 1983 has organized the Florilèges, an annual show-exhibition of the best floral creations. The Parc des Palmiers, opened in 2010, features thousands of palm trees. Also worth a visit is the CAHEB, which has been distilling plants since 1963 and is adjacent to a garden of medicinal and aromatic plants. Behind its dormitory-town exterior, Le Tampon is home to the island's major university complex and a dynamic campus, albeit one-tenth the size of Saint-Denis. Le Tampon is a good place to stay for tourists, with an ideal location for touring, lower prices than on the coast, some good restaurants (La Case Dodie, HappyTime.Run) and a less stifling climate in the southern summer.