Réunion is a French overseas region and department in the Indian Ocean, 700 km east of Madagascar and 200 km south-west of Mauritius. This volcanic island of extraordinary drama packs an active volcano, three steep-walled cirques, a UNESCO World Heritage mountain core, dense rainforest, and a warm lagoon into 2,512 km². It is simultaneously French enough to accept euros and credit cards everywhere, and exotic enough to feel like another world entirely.
Top day trips
Handpicked excursions within easy reach.
Piton de la Fournaise Volcano Day
One of the most active shield volcanoes in the world, and one of the few where you can walk across the caldera floor itself rather than just view it from a distance. The point of the day is the hike across the Enclos Fouqué lava plain toward the Dolomieu crater, not a scenic drive.
Highlights: Pas de Bellecombe viewpoint - the first clear look down into the crater and caldera · Formica Leo - a small extinct cone near the start of the descent trail, walkable around its rim · Enclos Fouqué - the vast lava-floored caldera the trail crosses · Dolomieu crater - the main crater, reached after crossing old lava fields
Cirque de Cilaos Mountain Village Day
A mountain town sitting inside a collapsed volcanic caldera, reached by a single road of 37 numbered hairpin bends. Cilaos built its identity around thermal springs, terraced lentil fields on the surrounding slopes, and fine embroidery work made in the village.
Highlights: Notre-Dame des Neiges church - the town's central landmark on the main square · Établissement Thermal - the thermal baths built around Cilaos's mineral springs · Roche Merveilleuse - a viewpoint above the village looking back down into the cirque · Cilaos lentil fields - the terraced slopes where the town's namesake lentils are grown · the Cilaos vineyard - one of the few vineyards on Réunion, planted at altitude
Hell-Bourg & Cirque de Salazie Day
Hell-Bourg is a former thermal spa town listed among France's most beautiful villages, built up around 19th-century Creole houses. The drive there through Cirque de Salazie passes some of the island's most visible waterfalls, including Voile de la Mariée.
Highlights: Hell-Bourg's Creole houses - streets of restored 19th-century wooden villas · Anciens Thermes - the ruins of the old thermal baths that closed after mid-20th-century flood damage · Voile de la Mariée waterfall - visible from the road between Salazie and Hell-Bourg · Rivière du Mât valley - the valley the access road follows up into the cirque
Cirque de Mafate One-Day Hike (La Nouvelle)
Mafate is the only one of Réunion's three cirques with no road access at all — everything and everyone moves in on foot or by helicopter. A day trip to La Nouvelle means committing to several hours of walking with no vehicle option if you tire on the way back up.
Highlights: La Nouvelle - the most-visited Mafate hamlet, a cluster of houses with no road access · Col des Bœufs - the pass where the descending trail into Mafate begins · gîtes of La Nouvelle - the village's small guesthouses, the only place to eat or rest before the climb back
South Coast Lava & Wild Beaches (Saint-Philippe)
A stretch of coastline repeatedly reshaped by Piton de la Fournaise, where solidified lava flows meet the ocean in black rock fields. The half-rebuilt Notre-Dame-des-Laves church, threatened by lava more than once, is the clearest sign of how active this coast still is.
Highlights: Pointe de la Table - a black lava point formed where a 1986 eruption flow reached the sea · Notre-Dame-des-Laves - the church repeatedly threatened by advancing lava flows · Jardin des Parfums et des Épices - a botanical garden of spice and fragrance plants near Saint-Philippe · Puits des Anglais - a natural coastal rock pool used for swimming
Le Maïdo Sunrise + Saint-Paul Market Day
Maïdo is the viewpoint on the rim of Cirque de Mafate, best known for sunrise, when the cloud layer often still sits below the ridge and the view down into the cirque is clearest. Pairing it with the Saint-Paul waterfront market gives a contrast between the cool mountain morning and a lowland Creole market by the sea.
Highlights: Maïdo viewpoint - the rim-edge overlook straight down into Cirque de Mafate · Grand Bénare trailhead - the starting point for longer ridge walks from the viewpoint · Marché Forain de Saint-Paul - the waterfront market along Saint-Paul's seafront · grave of the pirate La Buse - in Saint-Paul's old seafront cemetery near the market
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Transport options for day trips.
Multi-day tours from Réunion
If you have longer than a day, these are organised multi-day trips that start here.
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Day trip tips
Make the most of your excursions.
Start early — most popular day-trip destinations get crowded by mid-morning.
Check return transport times before you leave — missing the last train or bus can be costly.
Carry water, snacks, and layers — weather and food options can be limited at smaller destinations.