Welcome to 55° south latitude and 21° east longitude. Just above the line of the Tropic of Capricorn, a patch of land emerges from the Indian Ocean. Your plane has taken off, you’ve flown through the night, and you’ve awoken on the other side of the world. But you’re still on French soil, with a time difference of only two hours in summer and three in winter.

Reunion’s coastline enjoys a summer climate all year round, and it’s rare to see the temperature drop below 25 degrees. Even though the sea breezes manage to take the edge off the baking sunshine, the tropical climate ensures a thriving natural environment.
Tropical plants are everywhere, with colourful creepers brightening up the island, even into the heart of Reunion’s towns. Some gardens can be visited (Maison Folio, Jardin d'Eden, Conservatoire des Mascarins...), where colourful chameleons put on their funny show in slow-motion. Marvel at the agility and noise of the margouillats, little domestic geckos that roam under the verandas.

The atmosphere and scenery have a colonial feel – history has truly left its mark. Much of Reunion’s lush green terrain is covered with sugar cane. During the harvest period from July to December, trucks transporting the cane (known as ‘cachalots’) trundle back and forth between the fields and the refineries, and rum distilleries run at full speed. And set amongst the sugar cane fields lie austere Creole estates which highlight the colonial heritage of times gone by.

Indian Ocean beaches

Boucan-canot, Roches noires, Hermitage, La Saline, Trou d'eau, Saint-Leu, Etang-Salé, Saint-Pierre, Manapany.... Under the shade of filao and vacao trees, these beaches vary from white sand to volcanic black and cover a total coastline of thirty kilometres from the west to the south of the island. Where the land meets the sea, the water temperature is around 26°. Some areas are shallower than others (in the lagoon for example), and all are teeming with life. Surgeonfish, ballistas, lionfish and masked bannerfish, to name but a few....

Whales and dolphins

When migrating, whales come very close to the Reunionese coast in order to give birth, close enough to see them from the shore. You can also take boat trips to see the dolphins all year round.