This is why Reunion is the intense island
Thanks to Google Street View, you can now browse the “intense island” for a 360 ° immersion. But during this time, travelers are living their journey away from virtual reality and hotel attendance rose to more than 1 million overnight stays in 2015, reports INSEE. Focus on the five experiences to try in Reunion to live your stay at 100 per hour.
1. Baptism of paragliding
Direction Saint-Leu, on the west coast, to discover the sensations of paragliding. Several agencies offer beginners to spend their baptism, in an idyllic setting, with a flight over the lagoon. The departure takes place at an altitude of 800 meters. For example, amateur athletes can start the adventure from the Colimaçons site and look at the sugar cane fields under their feet. Count at least 80 euros for the activity. The more trained can hope to fly over the interior of Reunion Island and easily see the Piton des Neiges and Cilaos.
2. Scuba diving session
Far from the cliché of shark attacks, Reunion Island is an underwater paradise for divers. There are two options. To the west, divers will survey the coral reefs between Saint-Paul and Saint-Leu and can observe corals, morays, lobsters and other angelfish. The East lends itself more to scuba diving than to snorkeling. The more experienced will have the opportunity to approach wrecks while dolphin lovers will see them off Saint-Gilles.
3. Visit the lava tunnels under the Piton de la Fournaise
If the “intense island” is discovered from the air, its bowels are also open to non-claustrophobic travelers. Since the volcanic eruptions of 2004, a speleological activity has developed to take the curious along frozen lava flows. A route punctuated by skylights, stalagmites and stalactites. An immersion which must imperatively be led by a professional guide. Children can take part in the adventure from the age of eight. Most of the courses are easy to access, but some require more effort, sometimes requiring you to lie down on your stomach to go from one point to another. The lava tunnels are located to the east of the island, at the foot of Piton de la Fournaise.
4. Initiation to rafting
Nothing like a stay in Reunion to learn rafting maneuvers. The conditions are optimal between December and May, that is to say during the rainy season. And the geography of the island lends itself perfectly to this aquatic activity. Numerous waterfalls, water points and rivers shape the landscape of Réunion, like the Marsouins river or the Mât river. Small inflatable boats adapted to Reunionese waters can be used by beginners to experience the sensations of rafting.
5. Taste the thrills of canyoning
Reunion Island is considered by some to be the Mecca of canyoning. This sporting activity consists of moving in streams, facing waterfalls, mixing caving and climbing. With its 70 canyons, its 131 kilometers of course, but also a cumulative drop of 28 meters, the former Bourbon Island offers all levels of practice.
Beginners can learn at Bassin Boeuf in Sainte Suzanne, at Rivière des Roches in Bras-Panon, or at Gobert in Cilaos. In general, canyoning will be more aquatic in the east, due to the rains. Cilaos and Mafate reserve more rocky and mineral expeditions. Travelers can even experience the thrill of a night session. Also, some guides agree to teach beginners from the age of eight.
