Sports and leisure activities Saint-Gilles Les Bains

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 its fleet of four high-performance, comfortable catamarans(Cat Alizé, Cat Ananas, Cata Passion and Cata Punch), each able to carry between 12 and 16 passengers, Grand Bleu has become the benchmark for sailing cruises on Réunion Island. Experienced skippers, lounging on trampolines or sundecks, introduction to sailing or troll fishing, daytime barbecues or sunset cocktails, not forgetting the chance to see marine mammals; whether you choose the Lounge or Premium formula, one thing is certain: you'll have a great time offshore.

This service provider was one of the first to start hiking through the lava tunnels. Roby Soriano, famous guide in the circus of Cilaos, takes you to the bowels of the Piton de la Fournaise. Entering the caves and lava tubes formed by the recent eruptions, cooled down, one travels almost 2 km under the lava, passing several times in the open air. The route "20 000 leagues under the lava" has even been broadcast on the national news. A must-see!

Over the years, visiting lava tunnels has become a popular activity on Reunion Island. It's a fascinating experience, halfway between hiking and caving. From the 2004 lava flow in Sainte-Rose, with its frozen lava scenery, to the bassin Bleu tunnel in Saint-Gilles, renowned for its large volumes, Sébastien, a state-qualified guide in speleology, loves to share this magical universe. He offers discovery tours, accessible to all aged 6 and over, as well as sporting and unusual tours (wine tasting or meditation underground).

The centre dives into an area stretching from St. Paul's Bay to Trois-Bassins. It also organizes special dives on all the sites of the island, wrecks, drop offs, drift dives... without forgetting the classic night dives and all levels of training. Two outings are organized per day and three on Sundays. If you are a certified diver, Ô Sea Bleu organizes, in collaboration with Reef Check Reunion Island, dives to collect scientifically valid and good quality data on reef ecosystems.

Reunion Island offers many opportunities to discover the beauty of its coastline and marine life. The Lady la Fée boat excursion agency offers catamaran cruises departing from Saint Gilles les Bains. Cruises also offer the chance to go trolling, relax on the catamaran's trampoline and enjoy a delicious slice of fresh pineapple. Lady la Fée also offers catamaran rental for group outings, seminars or special events. Rates vary according to the formula chosen, but can be booked online.

Corail Plongée is a diving club with a friendly atmosphere, directly on the port of Saint-Gilles. The boats anchor just in front of it. Many residents and students come here to dive. Like all the other clubs, the team offers FFESSM, SSI, CMAS training, but the most important is the cetacean outing. You will discover the joys of the randosub by observing dolphins and discovering the reef. Let yourself be carried away by Christophe, Popotte, Sandrine and Jérôme and set off to explore the seabed of the West.

At the head of the harbor, next to the Le Saint-Gilles restaurant, Bleu Marine Réunion offers all types of diving, introductory and advanced courses, with à la carte programs. With four full-time instructors and full certification and insurance, safety is no problem. Two boats for 15 and 18 divers, specially built for diving. Night dives every Friday night, guaranteed fun. Bleu Marine Réunion also organizes snorkeling trips. In short, a reference center on the island, present for many years.

Open for more than thirty years, Réunion Fishing Club offers big game fishing trips with a crew, for a day or a half day on its two dedicated boats, Abaco and Are-Nui. Thanks to the solid experience of our fishing guides and the best equipment, you will have a much better chance of seeing marlin, swordfish or tuna. We also have six pleasure boats for rent by the half-day (coastal license required). Finally, the store offers a wide range of fishing and spearfishing equipment, also the reference on the island.

From early morning to sunset, whether aboard the Grand Bleu with its 10-meter underwater glass surface ideal for observing fish and corals, or the Dauphin Safari with its guarantee to get as close as possible to marine mammals playing at the bow of the boat, the beauty of Reunion Island is revealed between land and sea and enchants us. To fill up with the right sensations according to your desires, several outing options with evocative names are proposed on the website: Tour d'horizon, Adventure, Discovery, Cocktail, Safari and Grand Bain.

Located at the southern end of the marina, the Saint-Gilles nautical base has a sailing school and a kayak school. It offers weekly activities all year round (outside school holidays) or "à la carte" for the practice of sailing and kayaking, for occasional people and tourists. During the school holidays, holiday courses are organised, the opportunity for 5-12 year olds to discover the marine environment, or for adults and teenagers (from 13 years old) to sail aboard a catamaran

Gildas, the boss, triple Reunion Island champion in cross-country, offers mountain bike descents accompanied by a qualified instructor. Departure at 7.30 am for a half-day rich in sensations, which starts with the ascent by shuttle bus of the Maïdo peak at 2,200 metres altitude. If you have never been to Maïdo before, the adventure begins with one of the most magnificent panoramas of the island, at an hour when the clouds have not yet covered everything. And then it's off for a 35-kilometre descent through forests of coloured woods and tamarind trees to the lagoon.

This small dive centre stands out from the large «bubble factories» of the corner, with its small palanquées and friendly atmosphere. Approximately sorties, between the Bay of Saint Paul and Trois-basins, are proposed according to the level of participants and weather. No more than 6 divers per session, and that's all the better! The organization is simple and à la carte; Sub'Marine has no premises on the port, its van brings all the material on the ground. After you have booked by phone, you can get directly to pontoon A for immediate boarding.

You'll be aboard a boat that can accommodate up to 7 people. You'll have access to fishing and safety equipment for deep-sea fishing and scuba diving. As you may have guessed, Batoloc is a motorboat rental agency offering rental by the half-hour, half-day or full day. Rates include boat, safety equipment, comprehensive insurance, depth sounder, GPS, laptop, fishing rod and cool box. Also available for dolphin and whale watching.

Run by Philippe, an instructor for 15 years, this centre will take you diving in small groups in the bay of Saint-Paul in Saint-Leu, every day. The boat, designed for diving, is located in the port of Saint-Gilles. The center is O2CR certified for whale and dolphin outings which last 2h30 including all the snorkeling equipment (fins, mask, snorkel and wetsuit) for your launch. The most important thing is that the team adapts the schedule to your possibilities. To finish, they offer you a debriefing on the boat around a refreshment.

Duocéan has developed a unique protocol for launching dolphins and whales (in season) while respecting their codes. A team of passionate and qualified professionals, the club has developed its techniques in collaboration with a CNRS laboratory and a specialist in cetacean behaviour. Everything is calculated to respect the animals: gentle launching, supervision of the group, analysis of trajectories. The trip starts with a full briefing and lasts about 3h30. A magical experience!

This specialist mountain bike downhill provider will organise your adventures on the slopes of the Maïdo with a team of passionate professionals with state diplomas. Meet at 7:30 am at the car park on the Boucan-Canot square, to get equipped and board the shuttle that will take you to the summit of the Maïdo. The half-day descent will take you to the beach through forests of tamarind and cryptomerias. You will also have more technical and sporty routes, for mountain bikers looking for thrills.

With its varied landscapes and pleasant year-round climate, Réunion Island lends itself particularly well to quad biking. Adventure Quad takes you, accompanied by qualified instructors, to explore the Hauts de l'Ouest, on several routes up to 1,400 m altitude, through cane paths and fruit tree fields. Well-designed, they alternate splendid views, thrills and rural landscapes. Also available is a day trip with a wood-fired carriage at the farm. Bring pants and closed shoes.

Do you dream of swimming with dolphins in the open ocean? Whether it's along the reef or offshore, the dream becomes reality with the Grand Bain experience! As soon as you board the boat, you will be taken care of by a diving instructor and an experienced crew in order to live an exceptional moment, in complete safety and in accordance with the cetacean approach charter. On the program: knowledge about the underwater life of Reunion Island, search and approach, launching, snack. Up to two trips per day, not to be missed!

Parasailing is a new and original nautical activity to try out if you want to gain altitude in complete safety. Open to all, this discipline lets you fly over the ocean while being towed by a boat. Solo, duo or trio, comfortably installed at 70 m above the water, you'll get an eyeful. From the coral reef to the white sandy beaches and schools of dolphins, parasailing offers exceptional views of the treasures of Réunion Island's west coast.