The real treat in Reunion is not the coast or the beach…it is in the interior mountains! With 42% of Reunion’s territory classed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it made sense for us to do a few hikes.
There are 3 Cirques here: Cilaos, Salazie, and Mafate. Formed from the collapse of ancient shield volcanoes 3 million years ago and 3,071m in altitude, these cirques created a worthy refuge for coffee plantation runaway slaves, aka Maroons, in the 18th century. Mafate is well known to be the more isolated cirque and can only be accessed by foot or today, by helicopter…. but is still home to approximately 800 inhabitants that live in tiny villages on plateaus or in hidden valleys called “îlets” who use the 200km of trails to go anywhere (remember, no roads)!
There are 3 Cirques here: Cilaos, Salazie, and Mafate. Formed from the collapse of ancient shield volcanoes 3 million years ago and 3,071m in altitude, these cirques created a worthy refuge for coffee plantation runaway slaves, aka Maroons, in the 18th century. Mafate is well known to be the more isolated cirque and can only be accessed by foot or today, by helicopter…. but is still home to approximately 800 inhabitants that live in tiny villages on plateaus or in hidden valleys called “îlets” who use the 200km of trails to go anywhere (remember, no roads)!
Below are not my photos of Cirque de Mafate and I got them from the internet…but to just give you an idea of what we are talking about….my photos will not do it justice!!!
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=416382692 
https://en.reunion.fr/discover/in-the-mountains/cirques
There is an active volcano, Piton de la Fournaise , which just erupted the day before we arrived in Reunion. The lava flow shut down roads and the trails was closed. It is located on the southern tip of the island and we just didn’t get a chance to go check it out….that’s ok, we did see a volcano in Vanuau back in 2018.
Bruce and Laura on SV Neptune’s Highway organized the hike with the Office of Tourism here in Le Port, Reunion. The Tourism office started a new tour, every Thursday (weather permitting I am assuming). We got lucky and weather co-operated….as you can imagine…the tall mountains capture the clouds and by the afternoon, the views disappear and rain is likely in the valleys. Let’s get going…..
NOTE: I will let the photos speak for themselves….mostly…I will interject if need be…enjoy!
The 4×4 Drive
The tour started at around 6:30 am with a 30 minutes 4×4 ride to the head of the trail…. We followed the river up so there were many river crossings.
The 4×4 pick up truck that transports hikers to and from the trail head here in Mafate.
By foot we go!!!
I tried my best to outline where our hike went…trust me..it is not all flat (LOL)! Gite le Pavillion is where we stopped and had lunch. Frm there we headed back down the mountains and followed the river back to the trail head. There were 9 river crossings n the way back…your shoes will get wet!
NOTE: These photos are in chronological order…
And it begins…. 
River crossing…. 
View from the river banks… 
It’s a wild place 
This flowering vine is actually an invasive species….threating to take away the UNESCO certification. Reunion has no way pf erraticating this plant without major impact to other species. It will be interesting to see how it will unfold….. 
…but it smells wonderful! 
Picton Maido is about 2200 meters tall. 
These flowers are used in teas or lotions for medicinal uses. It’s also placed in rum for a local drink called “rum arrange”. Each village or family has thier own recipes built from their local flavors. 
Well marked trails 
So there were these little “white-eyed” birds. Our guide told us there are 3 types: ones that live in the mountains, ones that live by the ocean, and one that lives in the grasslands. I believe these birds are endemic to Reunion and have been able to adapt to the human activity…42% of the island being a UNESCO site helps. 
First village 
Almost there…. 
This is a photo of a rock wall we passed….it looks to be a collection of all sorts of rocks, molded together by lava? I don;’t know..Maybe I’ll have to ask Brad from SV Fandango…. 
Funny story: Trevor was leading the group at one point while our guide graciously took turns with all of us talking and chatting. However, we came to a fork in the road and we all waited for our guide to arrive to direct us which way. But I didn’t see Trevor. Bruce and I joked that he was sitting at a bar at the top of the mountain drinking a beer….Trevor actually was drinking a beer…here! 
Gites are like little housing establishments these communities have offered hikers for years. They vary in services and accommodations but it was clear to us, the Gite we were stopping in for lunch was a very nice one….. 
…maybe it was the beer that gave it away?! 
The hiking crew…hungry and thirsty…. 
but soon our bellies were full of a fantastic creole meal of sausage, rice and beans, chicken, and cabbage salad….. 
…put on top of that was coffee, banana cake/bread, and of course the famous “rum arrange”…. 
…..oh we get seconds on the rum arrange?…yes please….going down the mountain will be interesting (LOL) 
Bruce getting close to nature: “Ummm…these leaves sure smell good”….. 
Laura sticking a pose…mime style : ) 
Headed down…. 
..and down…. 
…all in a fashionable and orderly way…. 
One of the many river crossings…. 
Down in the valley 
These guys tried to keep their shoes dry by hopping on some rocks…they eventually caved and walked through the water…but good on them for trying…. 
Bruce, Laura and Trevor at a beautiful stopping point. 
Our good sides showing (hahaha) 
Forgot to bring our headlamps…. 
Back at the parking lot…saying thank you and goodbye to our awesome guide…French style!
This tour was incredible and worth the 80 Euros. We believe tours are all about the guide you have and we had such an amazing fun and kind tour guide. Lunch was so good that it ruined creole food we had since then, and just being back in a different kind of nature was exactly what the soul needed. Mind you that I could not walk the next 3 days….I would still recommend this tour…and an ibuprofen : )
Hiking with Cap Noir with SV C. Couquin
We also did a short day hike with Louise and Claude on SV C. Coquin. Cap Noir trail takes you to a great viewpoint then up the mountain, then back town a ridge. It was a perfect 3-4 km hike. Just pack a lunch and go….
The trail head…. 
and we are off…. 
This trail took you along side the ridge of Cirque de mafate so theh views were literally every 10 minutes! 
The ladies…. 
shoots and ladders?! 
A few cables to assist…. 
At the top. You could see this rocky peak when we did our other hike as well. 
Bless his heart…Claude brought beers with his lunch…we didn’t…but he shared…Thank you Claude! 
On the way down the ridge, you could see the ocean…. 
And the river…. 
What a marvelous day!!!
When you are hiking in the Cirque de Mafate, it is hard to believe you are on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. With towering mountains walls and waterfalls… valleys and rivers….it reminded us of being in New Zealand’s southern island while hiking on the Routeburn Track…well not quite but close anyways. We barely scratched the surface of all the hiking and exploring here in Reunion…a shame really. If you visit here, don’t plan to sit at a beach….bring your hiking boots or shoes and wander in the woods (but not by yourself hahaha)…I promise it won’t disappoint!
Up Next: Chores…Reunion style! Madagascar visa, fuel, and final provisions.