Things to see and do L’éperon

In the 1970s, a handful of illustrious Réunionese artists fell in love with the site, a former industrial wasteland, the heir to a sugar factory that had been abandoned since 1935. They dreamed of a village where Reunion's creative talents could come together. In 1978, the Association pour la promotion du site de l'Éperon (Association for the promotion of the Éperon site) was formed, founding the "village artisanal de l'Éperon". In 2014, some fifteen artists occupy workshop-boutiques, whose products go beyond traditional Reunionese crafts. Today, it's not so much a craft village in the strict sense of the word, but rather a locality, located on Rue Fond Générèse, a pretty cobbled street with a fountain and flower-filled spaces, bringing together artisan and designer workshops (pottery and ceramics, stained glass, painting, framing, illustrations, design..), boutiques selling ready-to-wear, jewelry, bags and fashion accessories, concept stores, a café-library, two hairdressers, a wine cellar... not forgetting a few excellent places to eat and spend a pleasant moment suspended in an atmosphere of its own. The Association also organizes a popular annual Christmas craft market (usually held on the first weekend of December), a craft festival and a Reunion music festival. See the association's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/asso.eperon974/) for more details. Two free parking lots are available at the entrance and exit of the village.

The Bassin Bleu tunnel, created by the volcanic activity of the Piton des Neiges, is Réunion's oldest lava tunnel (over 450,000 years old). Located just a few kilometers from the lagoon, it is one of the only tunnels in the west of the island, and the most interesting for its length (around 500 m) and diversity. Its geological interest and observable fauna, including colonies of Mascarene salanganes in the tunnel and birds (bitterns, moorhens) in the basin, with a small zip-line at the exit, make it a popular family outing.