Saint-Denis and the East offer a varied menu of cultural and natural experiences.
In Saint-Denis, plan a full day on foot. Start with the Jardin de l'État (free entry, 8am-6pm) — one of the oldest botanical gardens in France, created in 1773 by Governor Pierre Poivre: royal palms, banyans, baobabs, aromatic plants and spices, Natural History Museum (€4) which houses the collection of extinct endemic birds (Mauritius dodo, Rodrigues solitaire). Go up by the rue de Paris towards the historic centre: remarkable colonial houses (Villa Carrère, Villa Déramond-Barre, Prefecture), Saint-Denis Cathedral (neoclassical style). Branch off to the Noor-e-Islam Mosque (1905, one of the oldest mosques in France, respectful visit possible outside prayer hours) and the Tamil temples of the Chaudron district.
Markets and gastronomy: Petit Marché (Tuesday-Saturday morning, fruit and spice market), Chaudron market (Wednesday and Saturday morning, more authentic), Barachois street market (Sunday morning, by the sea). Taste on site the samosas, bonbons piment, bouchons (Chinese steamed ravioli), ti-jacques boucanés.
Vanilla plantations: the Provanille cooperative in Bras-Panon (guided visit €10, 1h, demonstration of manual flower pollination and all stages of bean preparation, on-site shop). Several small family plantations by reservation in Saint-André and Saint-Benoît.
Rivière du Mât distillery in Saint-Benoît (since 1859, one of the oldest distilleries in Réunion): free visit with tasting, shop. Old rums (XO), arranged, amber.
Bélouve forest and Trou de Fer: forest road from Hell-Bourg (Salazie) in 30 min, parking at the Bélouve gîte, then marked trail on wooden walkways through the primary tamarin forest. 3-4h round trip to the Trou de Fer viewpoint (plunging view of the waterfall at 725 m total fall). Ideal in austral winter, in clear weather early in the morning.
Niagara waterfall in Sainte-Suzanne: access in 5 min from the parking, 32 m waterfall in a lush tropical setting. Combinable with the Étang beach.
Read also
- Saint-Denis, the Creole capital — Colonial houses, Jardin de l'État, Musée Léon Dierx and Chaudron market: the largest French city overseas.
- The Cirques of Réunion — Mafate, Cilaos and Salazie: accessible from Saint-Denis in 1h30-2h for Salazie.
- The West Coast — Saint-Gilles, L'Hermitage and the turquoise lagoon: 40 min to 1h from Saint-Denis.
- Réunion — Complete guide of the intense island: formalities, budget, climate, regions to discover.