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.
Réunion has a tropical island climate with two distinct seasons: a hot, wet season (austral summer, November–April) and a cooler, dry season (austral winter, May–October). The island's dramatic topography creates huge variations within short distances — the west coast can be sunny at 28°C while the cirques receive torrential rain and the volcano plateau is shrouded in cloud. The wettest place on Earth (Cilaos receives up to 1,144 mm in a single storm event) is on this island. Cyclones can affect the island November–April; Météo-France Réunion at meteofrance.re provides real-time alerts. The trade winds (alizés) blow predominantly from the south-east, making the west coast consistently drier and sunnier.
Best time to visit
Best: Year-round
Avoid: None
Month-by-month weather
Typical conditions throughout the year.
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The seasons
What to expect in each part of the year.
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Dry Season (Hiver Austral) (The best time to visit. Trade winds bring consistent sunshine to the west coast. Mountain temperatures drop to 10–18°C in cirques and on volcano plateau. Ideal for all hiking, volcano visits, and beach holidays. Water visibility for diving at its best. Humpback whales present July–October.), Wet Season (Été Austral) (Hot (28–33°C coast), humid, with heavy rainfall especially in the interior. Cyclone risk December–March. Many hiking trails may flood or close. Waterfalls are spectacular. Some roads to Cilaos and Salazie can flood. The lagoon beaches remain swimmable on calm days.)
Crowds & peak times
When to expect tourists and when to avoid them.
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- Period
- July–August
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- Very high
- Notes
- French school summer holidays. West coast beach hotels fully booked. Volcano and cirque trails crowded.
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- December–January
- Level
- High
- Notes
- French Christmas and New Year holidays. Busy beaches and restaurants.
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- October–November
- Level
- Medium–Low
- Notes
- Post-summer, pre-holiday shoulder season. Good value and fewer crowds.
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- May–June
- Level
- Medium
- Notes
- Beginning of dry season. Ideal conditions with moderate visitor numbers.
Major events & festivals
Time your visit around what matters.
One of the world's most famous ultramarathons — 163 km crossing the island from Saint-Pierre to Saint-Denis over 3 days. 5,000+ runners from 80 countries. Book hotels 6+ months ahead if visiting during race week.
Annual festival celebrating Cilaos saffron harvest. Local crafts, cari tastings, and traditional music in Cilaos village.
Vanilla harvest festival with farm tours, tastings, and market.
Public holiday with military parade in Saint-Denis and fireworks. Many restaurants closed.
Tamil Hindu community celebrates Diwali with temple illuminations and fire-walking ceremonies. Most spectacular in Saint-Pierre and Saint-André.