Welcome on Réunion Island !!

Hello !

My name is Arielle, I am french and I spent 2 years on Réunion Island. I really fell in love with this little so charming part of France, lost in the middle of Indian Ocean. Many people have heard about Mauritius Island, but rarely about Réunion Island (except French people, of course), what is a pity.

Land of Adventure, Réunion can offer you a lot of outdoor activities : from the depth of the sea, to the top of the mountains, plenty of sports, trekking paths (more than 1000 km all over the island), tourism professionnals, hotels & guest houses, beachs, riding centres... are here to make you spend smashing holidays !

Réunion was born 3 000 000 years ago : a volcano, current Piton des Neiges (3070 m), shot up from the sea and created an island. This volcano is now sleepy. Its young brother, the Piton de la Fournaise, shot up from its flanks 530 000 years ago. This one is still active, and offer us regularly beautiful shows of lava flood or fountains. Faults, shocks, tectonic movements, settlement of lava of the Piton des Neiges, created collapse around it, and gave rise to the 3 cirques of Mafate, Cilaos and Salazie. Réunion has a tropical climate, very pleasant during the whole year, with 2 main seasons : dry (may to october) and wet season (november to april).

Eruption of Piton de la Fournaise september 2006 // sunset on west coast

This island has been deserted until 17th century. The very first people who landed on Réunion shores were french people, and the island became an official french territory in 1638. Frenchmen began to setlle and exploit the innumerable resources of this new land, real lost paradise. Cultivation of coffee, sugar cane, Eats Indies Trading Company (1664), mix of populations, short wars with Great Britain (1810), big properties, but also slavery until december 20, 1848... Réunion History is quite short but as rich as the creole culture.

Traditionnal house in St Gilles (west coast) // dive in the Bassin La Mer ! (east side)

The Cirque of Cilaos, is the most accessible of the 3 cirques. If you rent a car at St Denis airport (Roland Garros), you will start to drive all along the under-wind west coast, and cross many onteresting places : Saint Paul, where the first Frenchmen landed ; Saint Gilles, nice seaside town to practice nautical activities ; Saint Leu, and its famous surf spot ; Etang Salé and its beautiful black volcanic sand beach ; Saint Louis, and its sugar refinery...

Nice village of Cilaos (1200 m) // The "Nid du Papangue", to rent for your holidays (Cilaos)

Then from Saint Louis, you leave civilization to follow the only road to reach Cilaos : along the river, between gorges, the "400 bends road" will lead you in about one hour, to the charming little village of Cilaos, in the middle of the same named cirque, and huddled under the Piton des Neiges. There, have a few days break in the NID DU PAPANGUE, nice cottage from where yous can discover the cirque, the creole culture, practice all outdoor activities you like (trekking for everybody, canyoning, climbing, mountain bike...), or only have a rest (spa, museum, wine, gastronomy, embroideries...). Click here for pictures.

And now, just enjoy your stay in Réunion Island !!

I hope to welcome you soon in the "Papangue Nest". Information / booking : ariellenieto@yahoo.fr.