Travel Guide Manapany

Described as a "charming little corner" by the Reunionese poet Luc Donat, this lush, rural site undoubtedly deserves more than a simple stop, especially for a swim in the basin between the jagged black rocks (watch out for sea urchins!), facing the impressive waves.In Malagasy, manapany means "where there are many bats". Straddling the communes of Petite-Île and Saint-Joseph, separated by the Manapany ravine, it is the island's locality that has the most variations: there are Manapany, Manapany-les-Bains, Manapany-les-Bas and finally Manapany-les-Hauts.In addition to its pool, Manapany-les-Bains is also known for its beautiful surfing wave and the Manapany Surf Festival which, in 2013, following the prefectural ban on surfing, was renamed Manapany Festival tout court and is limited to music.In Manapany-les-Bas, let's mention the pretty little chapel Sainte-Marguerite and, just opposite, the Villa des Brises, a beautiful Creole hut on an estate that can be visited and where the Maison des Terroirs has settled. In Manapany "tout court", nothing to report. Finally, in Manapany-les-Hauts, you can take a walk on the Domaine du Relais, a natural area appreciated by the Creoles at weekends. Walks and fitness trails, bicross grounds, kiosks with barbecues for picnics... all within a stone's throw of the primary forests.Finally, let us mention the Manapany gecko, an endemic species of green lizard whose exclusive habitat is Manapany. It is threatened by other invasive species.