Head to the Marvellous Rock for an eagle-eye panorama of Cilaos. It's accessible on foot or by road. From Cilaos, take the road to Bras-Sec. The turnoff to La Roche Merveilleuse is signposted on the left after about 2km. Bring a picnic – the setting is enchanting and there are a few kiosques (wooden shelters) to protect picnickers from any rain.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
13.95 MILES
You've reached the end of the world! The Plaine des Sables is a wide windswept plain, made of ashes. With its lunar landscape, it could form a perfect…
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5.08 MILES
It would be a sin to visit Les Makes and not take the forest road that leads to this viewpoint, another 10km further uphill. The view over the entire…
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Musée des Musiques et Instruments de l'Océan Indien
4.89 MILES
A great surprise! In October 2015, the innovative Musée des Musiques et Instruments de l'Océan Indien welcomed its first visitors, showcasing hundreds of…
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12.97 MILES
Réunion's most beloved museum is dedicated primarily to the sugar industry, but also provides fascinating insights into the history of the island,…
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Conseil Général de la Réunion – Direction de la Culture
16.88 MILES
You can't miss this villa – it's one of the most elegant of St-Denis' Creole buildings, with a superb varangue (veranda), finely crafted lambrequins …
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17.79 MILES
This sugar refinery is on the coast 3km north of St-André. During the cane harvest (July to early December) visitors are shown around the huge, high-tech…
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17.69 MILES
Boucan Canot's main beach has been listed as one of Réunion's best, and once you get a glimpse of the gentle curve of the bright white sand, lined with…
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17.19 MILES
Plage des Roches Noires, in the heart of town, is crowded and neatly striped with sunbeds and parasols, but, beneath all this, it remains an attractive…
Nearby Réunion attractions
0.54 MILES
The sculptor, painter and printmaker Philippe Turpin, who etches on copper and then rolls the prints off the inky plates, has a studio that is open to the…
0.56 MILES
At the north end of town, the Catholic church, with its eye-catching white façade and spire, is Cilaos' major landmark.
0.7 MILES
Entirely modernised in 2014, the Maison de la Broderie is home to an association of 30 or so local women dedicated to keeping Cilaos' embroidery tradition…
4. Espace Culturel Muséographique du Dimitile – Camp Marron
4.38 MILES
Just before the viewpoint of Le Dimitile, this modest yet well-organised museum does a good job of explaining marronage (the act of escaping plantation…
4.53 MILES
About 3.5km from Hell-Bourg, Bé Mahot is a cute hamlet that's well worth visiting. With its clunky, colourful Creole houses clinging on the hillside and…
4.65 MILES
Visitors can see the ruins of the old baths, which were in use until 1948. They are found in a ravine a 10-minute walk west of town (walk past Le Relais…
4.79 MILES
The landscape surrounding the hamlet of Îlet-à-Vidot, about 2km from Hell-Bourg, is little short of breathtaking. The iconic, flat-topped Piton d'Enchaing…