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Réunion
Mafate has no road in; the cirque is reached on foot or by helicopter.
Three collapsed amphitheatres, the cirques of Mafate, Cilaos and Salazie, sit in the middle of the island, and one of them was never connected. Mafate has several hundred residents in scattered hamlets, supplied by helicopter, with the only way in on foot. The interior went onto the UNESCO list in 2010 and covers about 40 per cent of the island.
Above it, Piton des Neiges reaches 3,070 metres, the highest point in the Indian Ocean, and next door Piton de la Fournaise erupts in most years — the access road closes and viewing points open. All of this is a French department, using the euro and inside the European Union, roughly 700 kilometres east of Madagascar.
Quick facts
Currency
EUR
Euro
Language
French
Power
—
Driving
Right
US-style
Airport
RUN
ZSE
Emergency
—
Police · Fire
When to go
Monthly breakdown
Storm risk: HighJan
Rain
Feb
Rain
Mar
Rain
Apr
—
May
Best
Jun
Best
Jul
Best
Aug
Best
Sep
Best
Oct
Best
Nov
Best
Dec
Rain
Major events
Sakifo Musik Festival
Three days in Saint-Pierre mixing maloya and sega with acts from across the Indian Ocean and Africa. The largest music event on the island.
Grand Raid
The Diagonale des Fous, roughly 165 kilometres across the island through the cirques with more than 9,000 metres of climbing. One of the hardest ultras anywhere.
Dipavali
Saint-Andre holds the largest Tamil celebration on the island, reflecting the descendants of indentured workers who make up much of the east coast population.
Hidden gems
Cascade du Grand Galet
Also called Langevin, a wide curtain of falls in the island's south fed by springs rather than runoff, so it keeps flowing outside the rains. The road up the Langevin valley is the drive.
Cirque de Mafate
A collapsed caldera with roughly 800 residents and no road at all. Everything arrives on foot or by helicopter, and reaching the ilets means a serious day of hiking.
Pas de Bellecombe
The rim viewpoint over Piton de la Fournaise, one of the world's most active volcanoes. From here a staircase drops onto the crater floor when the access is open.
Local food
Cari
The base of almost every meal: turmeric, ginger, garlic and onion cooked down with chicken, fish or duck, served with rice, grains and a rougail.
Rougail saucisse
Smoked sausage simmered in tomato, ginger and chilli; the dish most households cook when nobody has decided what to cook.
Bouchons
Steamed pork dumplings sold three or four in a paper bag with hot mustard, brought by Chinese settlers in the 19th century.
Safety tips
Water-Safety
Swimming and surfing outside the lagoon are banned or strongly restricted after a series of fatal shark attacks. The protected lagoon areas at Ermitage and Saint-Leu are the safe swimming.
Nature
The cirques and the volcano make their own weather, and cloud typically closes in by late morning. Start hikes at first light and turn back on time rather than on distance.
Health
Mosquito-borne dengue has circulated in sustained outbreaks in recent years. Repellent during the day is the standard local precaution.
Sustainability
Eco rating
Reef: ProtectedNational park covers about 40% of the island, UNESCO since 2010
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