Nell’oceano Indiano, l’isola francese della Riunione è un mondo verticale: due grandi vulcani, tre immense caldere — i “circhi” di Mafate, Cilaos e Salazie — e pareti di roccia alte centinaia di metri, i “remparts”. Un paesaggio drammatico di vette, foreste e burroni, cuore selvaggio dell’isola.
At a glance
Réunion, a French island in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar, has at its heart one of the most dramatic volcanic landscapes on Earth. Its national park protects two massive volcanoes — the dormant Piton des Neiges and the highly active Piton de la Fournaise — three great natural amphitheatres or “cirques” (Mafate, Cilaos and Salazie), and the towering cliffs, or “remparts”, that wall them. With its peaks, forests, ravines and rich endemic life, it was inscribed by UNESCO in 2010.
Key facts
- UNESCO: World Heritage since 2010 (Pitons, cirques and remparts of Réunion Island)
- Two volcanoes: the dormant Piton des Neiges and active Piton de la Fournaise
- Three cirques: the calderas of Mafate, Cilaos and Salazie
- Remparts: sheer cliffs hundreds of metres high
- Endemic life: unique island plants and animals
- Mafate: a cirque reachable only on foot or by helicopter
History
Réunion rose from the sea as a volcano millions of years ago and is still growing: the Piton de la Fournaise is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, erupting frequently, while the older Piton des Neiges, now dormant, is the island’s highest peak. Erosion has carved its slopes into the three vast cirques, ringed by the great cliffs called remparts.
Uninhabited until settled by the French from the 17th century, the rugged interior became a refuge — for escaped slaves who formed communities in the cirques, and later for small farming hamlets like those of Mafate, still reachable only on foot. The national park protecting this landscape was inscribed by UNESCO in 2010 for its geology, scenery and biodiversity.
What you see
Roads climb into the cirques of Cilaos and Salazie, with their villages, waterfalls and peaks, while Mafate can be reached only by footpath or helicopter. Hiking trails lead to the summit of Piton des Neiges and across the lunar lava fields of Piton de la Fournaise, which can sometimes be seen erupting. Forests and endemic plants clothe the slopes.
The vision of sharp peaks, deep cirques and sheer remparts, often wreathed in cloud, is the splendour of Réunion’s interior.
Practical information
- Park: roads to Cilaos and Salazie; Mafate on foot; volcano trails
- Best time: the cooler, drier season (May–November)
- Time needed: several days for hiking
- Note: the Fournaise volcano area may close during eruptions
Getting there
Réunion is a French overseas department in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, with an international airport at Saint-Denis. The cirques and volcanoes are reached by road and trail. GPS: 21.10° S, 55.50° E.
Nearby
- Piton de la Fournaise — the active volcano in the island’s south-east
- Cilaos and Salazie — the road-accessible cirques and their villages
- Saint-Denis — the island capital on the north coast
Sources
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre — “Pitons, cirques and remparts of Réunion Island” (ref. 1317)
- Parc national de La Réunion — official body
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Réunion
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