Things to do in Arrondissement of Saint-Pierre

Top Things to Do in Arrondissement of Saint-Pierre

Things to Do in Arrondissement of Saint-Pierre


Top Attractions in Arrondissement of Saint-Pierre

These rankings are informed by traveller reviews—we consider the quality, quantity, recency, consistency of reviews, and the number of page views over time.

What travellers are saying

  • PaulRey-91
    Atlanta, GA7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    2 hours of discovery. The guide is explaining with humor everything about history, plants… we went with kids and the explanation (in English) was great !
    At the end try the coffee !!!!
    Written 17 April 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Vacation51600427307
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful guided tour of this very special property, with more than 1,500 species of plants, many beautiful to look at, and many grown for the produce they offer. Have you ever wondered what a nutmeg tree looks like? Or how ananas grow? Or why vanilla beans are so difficult to produce? Or where turmeric comes from? Our guide, Yohann, with an infectious passion for plants and botany, was super informative and didactic (even the young children from the group were mesmerised and drinking his every word!), climbing trees to pick fruit and spices to show us or even make us taste. I have seldom seen 90 minutes fly so fast and only wish i could spent the whole day there to learn and see more! Many thanks Yohann!!!
    Written 15 November 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Gints K
    Riga, Latvia172 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    From Saint-Gilles we took a bus to Saint-Louis and then changed for bus to Cilaos - the last part was very beautiful with a lot of road bends so expect around more than 3 hours for driving. Cilaos is situated more than 1000m above sea level and the air was much fresher and cooler. For 2 people we bought 6 liters of water, but 4 liters would be enough as the middle way to top there is resting place where you can refill water from spring. As we were in June, then luckily for us were fortunate to book not only sleeping in Gîte Caverne Dufour but also dinner (normally 2 days prior) - sleeping was 15 euro per bed and dinner/breakfast cost 30 euro per person and NO DRINKS included.

    We started ascending from Cilaos at 12am - first 4km and 200m ascend is to get to starting position - you can drive by bus, but low season and no buses for long time. The track starts in the forest and is impossible to get lost - the only way to go as forest is dense and soon starts very steep ascend. Luckily - the track is in shade, so it was not hot (June technically is winter and coldest month, but for us it was very hot in Reunion), but climbing is very, very hard and for kids a bit challenging as some steps are very steep. As we knew that we had a place to stay, then we took our time and enjoyed the landscape and did some relaxation. The higher you go, you start to notice the change in vegetation - there were some friendly birds, but otherwise it was only quiet and only time from time you say bonjour to people coming from top. Maybe we were not going so slowly, but nobody passed us. After 16pm we reached the top of the mountain where we could see Gîte Caverne Dufour. As Gite was in shade, we decided to wait in sunny part for some 30-40 minutes before going down to Gîte Caverne Dufour. We were shown our beds and dinner was 18:30pm. The place was not full (like 1/3 of capacity) and when sun went down it soon get cold - partly because we did not do acclimatization for Reunion strong sun. After dinner (that was same for everybody, and it was eat as much as you want) everybody went to bed. But only after 22pm it was quiet - by that time body was acclimatized to heights and sun and outside it felt so warm... And the moon was fantastic over clouds.

    Weather forecast was, that in the morning there will be clouds and only around 8-9am it will be clear, so I decided to sleep longer and while most of people started ascend in 4am, we started it after 6am and good for us - last climb is over loose rocks and stones and it could be dangerous for kids to do climbing in dark - on the way up we saw sunrise and weather forecast was right for one time in Reunion - everything was in clouds, so it did not matter if you was at top or only way up. It took us around 2-3 hours to get to the top and by that time clouds started disappearing and we could see all the island. At the top it was so relaxing, no noise except for some mouse or bird or chopper in some distance. We were lucky - it was sunny, no wind and we took our time to enjoy the scenery. Not sure how it is in peak season, but while we were at the top, we were the only people. After good relaxation we started descending - it is much easier, but again - loose rocks and you must concentrate all the time. In Gîte Caverne Dufour we stopped for a short break (no promised breakfast, but you can buy drinks - just need to call the person) and then continued way down to Cilaos. If nobody passed us on the way up, then going down people with climbing sticks managed to overtake us - it was also in some places wet, so we were a bit careful not to fall. We took one longer break in the middle of the climb where we refilled water, and by 1pm we were at the car parking lot and as again - no buses going - by 2pm - in Cilaos. So overall 40km distance, 2km ascend and 2km descend (phone data) took us 12 hours - it is doable in one day, but the best part is to enjoy sunrise/sunset in mountains and do in relaxing way.

    For some reason (my guess low season) 3 buses from Cilaos were cancelled and then it started to look as we need to look for hotel in Cilaos one bus at around 17:30pm finally arrived and we were lucky to catch next bus in Saint-Louis because it also was late. After arriving at the hotel, we felt exhausted, but this was an amazing trip.

    Final notes - we did not have lot of warm closes, but we used thermos clothes for second accent, and I recommend to bring rain cover as weather is not predictable in mountains. As June is dry season - no rivers to seen.
    Written 17 June 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Katinka.Sndr
    Paderborn, Germany164 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Easy to reach waterfall. You can drive to the viewing platform or walk a little closer to the waterfall. There is a second waterfall further down, but it is more difficult to reach because the path is not properly developed. You can also swim in a pool if you want.
    Written 19 October 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Line_from_Dublin
    Dublin, Ireland80 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    I was born in Réunion Island but never visited the museum and my husband is a fan of everything related to drinks so we decided to go for a visit.
    We went for the guided tour which was brilliant, the guide always had a touch of fun by telling a joke from time to time. The visit is short and if you want to learn more, you can read the boards giving a bit of history mainly on rhum but also about Réunion as well.
    Not to mention the rhum tasting after the visit, you can taste 2 différents rhum and if the girlfriend/wife doesn't like rhum then you can have hers! :)
    Written 11 January 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Supernova
    Antwerp, Belgium8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This visit was unforgettable and far surpassed our expectations; this was money well spent and broadened my knowledge and understanding of tea cultivation.
    Written 15 September 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • R_TheReader
    Rio de Janeiro, RJ522 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Of course if you do not know anything about volcanos, visiting this before heading to the Piton de la Fournaise is a must.

    But even if you know a lot about volcanos and geology, the exposition provides a lot of information about the way two volcanos formed the Reunion Island and provide some cool insights about "Le Volcan".

    In short, don't skip it.
    Written 18 January 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • william_974
    REUNION778 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Ask about the weather beforehand.
    Rain can cause pebbles to fall on the road.

    We loved this excursion by car on the road to Cilaos. About 420 bends, the crossing of small villages and these majestic ramparts... This road is a bit difficult but it is quite typical.

    It's a magnificent, wonderful road with an exceptional spectacle that takes your eyes away.
    Written 5 September 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Katinka.Sndr
    Paderborn, Germany164 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A beautiful beach where you can't swim because of the strong surf. There is a small man-made pool, but even there, it is no longer allowed to swim - yet many locals do. There is plenty of parking, three bars and toilets. It's worth coming here just to look out at the sea.
    Written 19 October 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • william_974
    REUNION778 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    it is for Free  
    Check the weather forecast before planning your visit to the Makes window.
    This hike should preferably be done in the morning in order to best admire the scenery.

    Think about food and drinks.
    It can be reached by car or after a fairly easy walk.

    We passed through a superb forest of cryptomeria and then we looked this wonderful show on the circus of Cilaos and the ramparts.

    This is a must for a travel in the south of Reunion Island. 
    Written 4 September 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • rizzy80
    Bristol, UK659 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We drove along the coast road and continued until we found the places where the lava had spilled out down the mountainside it was an incredible sight. There are lots of stopping points for you to take pictures and the scenery varies as you drive along. We were lucky enough to stop where a lovely lady had set up a food stall as as we hadn’t had lunch she fed us the most delicious local food - chicken in a rougail sauce, rice, lentils and we finished off with what looked like a rock cake but was made of coconut and sugar amongst other things and tasted of fudge! What we left they fed to a friendly stray dog!
    Written 12 October 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Katinka.Sndr
    Paderborn, Germany164 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful hike of about four hours. The path consists largely of stairs and is in good condition. In between there is a spring with drinking water. At the top, you can look down into the Cirque de Cilaos. If there are not yet so many clouds, you can also look into the Cirque de Mafate - this was no longer possible for us at around 12 o'clock. We took the car down to the start of the hike - about 8 minutes outside Cilaos.
    Written 19 October 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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