West Coast Réunion

The West Coast is the only coastline of Réunion to offer a truly classical beach experience — white sand, protected lagoon, easy snorkelling, hotels at the water's edge, restaurants open to the sunset. The secret lies in the coral reef that borders the coast for 25 kilometres between Saint-Gilles and Étang-Salé, creating an inner lagoon with calm, shallow turquoise waters (1 to 3 metres deep), away from the risks of ocean swell and the shark presence that weighs on other coasts of the island.

The resort of Saint-Gilles-les-Bains is the tourist heart of the coast. A former fishing port converted into a beach hub in the 1970s, it combines a lively marina, seafront restaurants, 4-5 star hotels (Lux Saint-Gilles, Hôtel Le Récif, Iloha Seaview Hotel) and direct access to the lagoon. A few kilometres south, L'Hermitage-les-Bains and La Saline-les-Bains offer a quieter and more family-oriented experience, with a white-sand beach bordered by filaos (casuarinas) under which Réunionese picnic at weekends.

Saint-Paul, further north, has no lagoon beach but remains one of the most endearing towns on the island: former administrative capital until 1738, it shelters the marine cemetery where the poet Leconte de Lisle rests, and its Friday and Saturday morning market is one of the largest and most colourful in Réunion. At the southern end of the coastal zone, Saint-Leu has become the world capital of paragliding: its Maïdo slopes offer exceptional thermal conditions that attract pilots from around the world. It is also the seat of the Réunion Marine Reserve and the Kélonia aquarium, a spectacular refuge for marine turtles.

But the other signature of the west coast is the humpback whales. Every year, from June to October, these giants (up to 16 metres and 40 tonnes) come to give birth and mate in the protected waters between Saint-Leu and Saint-Gilles. Observation outings by boat, supervised by the Quiétude charter for respecting cetaceans, are among the world's finest whale watching experiences.