Réunion's Cirques are the most singular geographical experience the island offers — and probably one of the most singular in the world. Three immense natural amphitheatres — Mafate, Cilaos and Salazie — sculpted in the flank of the extinct Piton des Neiges massif (3,070 m) by fluvial erosion and gravitational collapse, over a total area of more than 250 km². Each has its own character: isolated Mafate without road, accessible thermal and viticultural Cilaos, verdant and rainy Salazie.
Since 2010, the Pitons, Cirques and Ramparts of Réunion Island have been UNESCO World Heritage listed — a site covering 40% of the island's surface and protecting unique endemic ecosystems (tamarin forests of the Highlands, red palms, tree ferns). For a traveller, it is the opportunity for an immersion in landscapes that have no equivalent in France or in the Indian Ocean basin.
For a first trip (5-7 days in the cirques), we recommend this sequence: 1 day in Cilaos (climb the 400-bend road, village, Roche Merveilleuse, thermal baths), 2-3 days in Mafate (entry by Maïdo or Plaine des Lianes, 2 nights in îlets), 1 day in Salazie (Hell-Bourg, waterfalls).
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- Mafate, the cirque without roads — 700 inhabitants in ten îlets accessible only on foot or by helicopter. The GR R2 and the soul of Réunion.
- Cilaos, the 400-bend road — Cirque accessible by car: thermal baths, AOP wine, lentils, Roche Merveilleuse and ascent of Piton des Neiges.
- Piton Maïdo — Belvedere at 2,205 m altitude over the cirque of Mafate, accessible by car for sunrise.
- Piton de la Fournaise — The other volcanic giant of Réunion — one of the most active volcanoes in the world.