Reunion Island

In One Thousand Square Miles, One Thousand Adventures

One reason to visit the island of Reunion is because there is no place like it on Earth. Another reason to visit is that we can almost guarantee that no one else in your circle of family and friends has ever heard of this island, let alone been here…and there’s a great satisfaction in discovering and sharing. A third reason is that getting to Reunion from East Africa and the Indian Ocean is an easy trip…a few hours’ plane ride and a fascinating counterpoint to the beauty of Seychelles, the wilds of the African savannah or the luxuries of Mauritius. Perhaps the best reason to come is that this is a place where Adventures come true, where dreams are lived and where “unforgettable” is every moment of every day. As we said, there’s no place on Earth like this Magical island of Reunion.

Created “just yesterday” in geological time, Reunion burst from the Earth’s volcanic crust 3 million years ago and today has one of the world’s most active volcanic mountains. The island’s diverse richness rivals any continent. Its many faces offer up arid desert dryness to tropical botanical profusion to mountains whose peaks and valleys rival scenes from the Andes. Waterfalls too numerous to count, gigantic volcanic craters called “cirques,” golden beaches…Reunion has been called “intense” and this description is absolutely accurate. This is not an environment of halfway measures.

For all the drama in the landscape, the Reunionese are good natured and easy going. A blend of French settlers and administrators, Malagasy natives, descendents of slaves from Madagascar and the eastern coasts of Africa, Indians, Muslims and Cantonese Chinese, this is a peaceful, safe and equitable society. Reunion is a department of France, French is the official language, and a variant of the usual Indian Ocean Creole is commonly used. English is widely spoken and understood, although few visitors come to this place from English-speaking countries (because the French can be very, very good at keeping secrets). So you, Adventurous Traveler, now have an opportunity to see something rare and special.

Reunion is a playground for the active adventurer. The sports and activities here can be rugged with, as the French would say, the barest “frisson” of thrilling risk or can suit an easier, less challenging mode.

The climate is tropical but temperature moderates with elevation…May to November tends more towards cooler, drier weather. Reunion is located just east of Madagascar in the southwestern Indian Ocean. The island is about the size of the U.S. state of Rhode Island.

So to you, our Adventurous friend, we say: this island could be your perfect getaway. Stretch the legs and the mind and the sense of wonder. All in one magical place.