Réunion

Réunion is a volcanic island of 2,512 km² lost in the Indian Ocean, 700 km east of Madagascar and 200 km from Mauritius. A French overseas department, it is one of the most spectacular destinations on the planet for lovers of nature, mountains and extreme landscapes. In a few hours' drive, you can move from a white-sand beach bordered by a turquoise lagoon to an active volcano steaming at 2,632 metres, then to a cirque of rocky cathedrals carpeted with primary forests.

The island owes its existence to the volcanic hotspot that gave birth three million years ago to Piton des Neiges (3,070 m, the highest peak in the Indian Ocean), now extinct, and that continues to feed the Piton de la Fournaise (2,632 m), one of the most active volcanoes in the world — an eruption every nine months on average. Erosion has carved three spectacular cirques — Mafate, Cilaos and Salazie — whose ramparts plunge in vertiginous cliffs over more than 1,000 metres. Together with the pitons and ramparts, these cirques have formed since 2010 a UNESCO World Heritage site covering 40% of the island.

But Réunion is not just a paradise for hikers. It is also a mestizo island where for three centuries descendants of African and Malagasy slaves, Indian and Chinese indentured workers, Yabs (Whites of the Highlands), Cafres, Malbars and Zarabes have intermingled. From this human mosaic was born a Creole culture of exceptional richness: the Réunion Creole language, the cuisine (carry, rougail saucisse, samosas, bonbon piment), the music (UNESCO-listed maloya, séga), the religions (Catholicism, Tamil Hinduism, Islam, Taoism coexist peacefully). It is also France, with its perfectly maintained roads, modern hospitals, supermarkets, high schools and minimum wage — a rare logistical comfort for such a wild destination.