L'Heure du Voyage
🇷🇪 Itinerary · Réunion · 14 days

2-week Réunion itinerary 2026: cirques, volcano and lagoons

The tested loop: Salazie, Cilaos, a Mafate trek, Piton de la Fournaise volcano, the Wild South and the western lagoons. 14 days with detailed budget and stops.

🔄 Updated June 1, 2026

📅 See the program 🔄 See variants

In brief

Duration

14 days

Stops

7 zones

Average budget

€1,600-2,400

Total distance

~900 km

Profile

Hiking & nature

Season

May-Nov

Saint-Denis 1d · Salazie 2d · Cilaos 2d · Mafate (trek) 3d · Volcano 2d · Wild South 2d · West 2d

Itinerary map

The route at a glance

Réunion 2-week itinerary map: Saint-Denis, Salazie, Cilaos, Mafate, Piton de la Fournaise, Saint-Pierre, Saint-Gilles

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Detailed program

14 days, day by day

1

~€90/pers

Saint-Denis · Arrival & north coast

  • Morning Arrival at Roland Garros. Pick up the rental car (booked ahead, count €30-40/day).
  • Afternoon Saint-Denis centre: rue de Paris, Creole houses, the Petit Marché.
  • Evening First cari chicken and rougail sausage on the Barachois seafront.
🛌 🛌 Saint-Denis · e.g. Le Juliette Dodu (1 night)·🚗 Rental car essential·Réunion guide →
2

~€60

Cirque de Salazie · Hell-Bourg & waterfalls

  • 9am Drive to Salazie (1h). Stop at the Voile de la Mariée waterfall pouring down the cliff.
  • 12pm Lunch in Hell-Bourg, listed among the most beautiful villages, with colourful Creole houses.
  • Afternoon Trail toward Trou de Fer or the abandoned thermal springs.
🛌 🛌 Hell-Bourg · e.g. Le Relais des Cimes (2 nights)·🚗 Winding mountain roads
3

~€40

Salazie · Hiking & Creole culture

  • Morning Bélouve loop from the lodge (3h), tamarind forest and viewpoint over Salazie.
  • Afternoon Visit a chouchou farm (the local specialty) and the hot baths.
4

~€70

Cirque de Cilaos · The road of 400 bends

  • Morning Drive down to the coast then up the RN5, the road of 400 bends (1h30 from Saint-Louis).
  • Noon Arrival in Cilaos (1,200 m). Lunch of Cilaos lentils, a local AOP product.
  • Afternoon Cilaos thermal baths or a walk to Roche Merveilleuse.
🛌 🛌 Cilaos · e.g. Hôtel des Neiges (2 nights)·🚗 400 bends, take motion-sickness pills
5

~€50

Cilaos · Climbing Piton des Neiges (start)

  • Morning Climb to the Caverne Dufour refuge (5h, 1,400 m of ascent). Light pack, plenty of water.
  • Evening Night at the altitude refuge (booking essential months ahead).
🛌 🛌 Caverne Dufour refuge (1 night in dormitory)·🥾 On foot
6

~€30

Piton des Neiges (3,070 m) · Sunrise & Mafate

  • 4am Pre-dawn departure for the summit (1h15 climb). Sunrise over the three cirques and the ocean.
  • Morning Cross via the Col du Taïbit into the Mafate cirque (3h descent).
  • Afternoon Arrival in Marla, the first hamlet of Mafate, reachable only on foot.
🛌 🛌 Marla · Creole lodge (1 night, half board)·🥾 Trek, no car access
7

~€35

Mafate · Crossing from hamlet to hamlet

  • Morning Trail from Marla to La Nouvelle (4h), the largest hamlet in Mafate.
  • Afternoon Break in La Nouvelle, watching the helicopter resupply.
🛌 🛌 La Nouvelle · lodge (1 night)·🥾 Trek
8

~€40

Mafate · Exit via Le Maïdo

  • Morning Steep climb to the Maïdo viewpoint (3h, 1,000 m of ascent).
  • Noon Pick up the car (left at the Maïdo car park). Sweeping view over Mafate.
  • Afternoon Drive down to Saint-Gilles, first swim in the Ermitage lagoon.
🛌 🛌 Saint-Gilles · e.g. Le Récif (1 night)·🥾 Trek + 🚗 car
9

~€60

Toward the volcano · Plaine des Cafres

  • Morning Cross via the Plaine des Cafres and the RF5 toward Pas de Bellecombe (2h from the West).
  • Afternoon First glimpse of Piton de la Fournaise from the lookout. Lunar landscape of the Plaine des Sables.
🛌 🛌 Bourg-Murat · e.g. Hôtel Le Vieux Cep (2 nights)·🚗 Car
10

~€30

Piton de la Fournaise · Active volcano

  • 6am Early start from Pas de Bellecombe (before the clouds). Descend into the caldera then climb to the Dolomieu crater (5h round trip, 11 km).
  • Afternoon Return. Rest and visit the Cité du Volcan interactive museum.
🥾 Volcanic hike
11

~€55

Wild South · Lava flows & Grand Brûlé

  • Morning Descend the volcano road toward Saint-Joseph. The 2007 lava flows over the RN2.
  • Noon Lunch in Manapany, a natural pool sheltered from the ocean.
  • Afternoon Grand Galet waterfall (Langevin), one of the most photographed on the island.
🛌 🛌 Saint-Pierre · e.g. Le Battant des Lames (2 nights)·🚗 Car
12

~€50

Saint-Pierre · Market & Creole South

  • Morning Saint-Pierre's big market (Saturdays), spices, vanilla, tropical fruit.
  • Afternoon Grande Anse beach, one of the rare white-sand beaches of the South, swim in the protected pool.
13

~€70

West · Lagoon, dolphins & Saint-Leu

  • Morning Boat trip from Saint-Gilles: dolphins and, from June to October, humpback whales.
  • Afternoon Snorkeling in the Ermitage lagoon. Sunset at Saint-Leu.
🛌 🛌 Saint-Gilles · e.g. Le Récif (1 night)·🚗 Car + ⛵ boat
14

Flight

Saint-Gilles → France · Return

  • Morning Last swim in the lagoon, buy vanilla and arranged rum.
  • Afternoon Return the car at Roland Garros. Return flight to Paris (~11h).
🚗 + ✈️

How much

Itinerary budget (per person, flight included)

Backpacker

€1,600

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €750
  • 🏨 Lodges & guesthouses: €35/night
  • 🍛 Cari & food trucks: €12/day
  • 🚗 Shared car: €25/day
  • 🎫 Activities & Mafate lodges: €150
Recommended

Comfort

€2,100

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €850
  • 🏨 3★ hotels: €90/night
  • 🍽️ Creole tables: €25/day
  • 🚗 Own car: €38/day
  • 🎫 Whale trip + Cité du Volcan: €120

Premium

€3,800

per person

  • ✈️ Premium flight: €1,700
  • 🏨 Lodges & 4★: €180/night
  • 🍽️ Fine dining: €55/day
  • 🚁 Helicopter flight over the cirques: €280
  • 🎫 Private hiking guide: €200

Shorter, longer

Other possible durations

1 week

1 week

Salazie and Cilaos cirques + the volcano, without the long trek.

You're here

2 weeks

2 weeks

The full loop: cirques, Mafate and lagoons.

1 month

1 month

The island in depth: full Mafate, the GR R2 and a deeper Wild South.

How to get around

Itinerary logistics

On Réunion, a rental car is the only way to link everything. Count ~900 km over 14 days, but short, slow legs (mountain roads). Mafate can only be crossed on foot: the car waits at the Maïdo car park.

🚗

Rental car

€30-40/day · book well ahead · narrow mountain roads

🥾

Mafate trek (3 days)

No car access · marked trails · lodges to book

🚁

Helicopter (option)

€280/pers · flight over the cirques · Mafate resupply

⛵

Boat trip (West)

€40-60/pers · dolphins · whales from June to October

🛣️

Route des Tamarins

Western expressway · links Saint-Denis to Saint-Pierre fast

Adapt by season

Austral winter for the cirques, summer for the lagoons

The best window for this loop is May to November (austral winter): clear skies on the summits, dry trails, ideal for Piton des Neiges and Mafate. From December to March the lagoon side is warmer, but the cirques cloud over in the afternoon and cyclones remain possible. If you travel in austral summer, hike at dawn and keep the afternoons for the western lagoon.

Author tips

What I would redo (and change)

✅ Would redo

  • • In August 2025 I slept at the Caverne Dufour refuge before Piton des Neiges: 4am start, summit at 5:30, sunrise over all three cirques at once. The dormitory night is well worth the freezing wake-up.
  • • Book the Mafate lodges the moment you buy your flights: in Marla and La Nouvelle they sell out 2 months ahead in high season.
  • • The 6am start at Piton de la Fournaise: by 9am the clouds rise from the coast and hide the whole crater.
  • • Keeping a rental car for the whole trip rather than transfers: the freedom on the cirque roads changes everything.
  • • The cari served at the Saint-Pierre market food truck on Saturday, best meal of the trip for €12.

⚠️ Would change

  • • Do Mafate in 2 days instead of 3 if you hike well: Marla → Maïdo direct via the Col des Bœufs.
  • • Add a night in Saint-Leu for the surf and the Mascarin botanical garden.
  • • Avoid stacking Piton des Neiges and Piton de la Fournaise on two consecutive days: the legs tire out.
  • • Skip Cilaos if you're short on time and focus on Salazie + Mafate.

FAQ

Itinerary FAQ

Do you need to be an experienced hiker for this itinerary? +
Piton des Neiges and the Mafate crossing demand good fitness (1,400 m of ascent, 5 to 6h of walking per day). The rest of the itinerary (volcano, waterfalls, lagoons) stays accessible to all. Mafate can be swapped for gentler stages if needed.
What's the best time for this loop? +
May to November (austral winter): clear skies at altitude, dry trails. Austral summer (December-March) is warmer by the lagoon but rainy in the cirques in the afternoon, with cyclone risk.
Can you do Réunion without a car? +
Hard. The Car Jaune bus network links the main towns but serves the cirques and the volcano poorly. A rental car is strongly recommended for this route.
Do you need to book the Mafate lodges in advance? +
Yes, absolutely. The lodges in Marla, La Nouvelle and Roche Plate sell out weeks ahead in high season. Book as soon as your dates are set, through the island's central reservation service.
Can you access Piton de la Fournaise when it's erupting? +
No, access to the caldera is closed during eruptions. You can then watch the lava from authorised outside viewpoints. Check access status with the volcano observatory before you go.
What budget should I plan for two weeks? +
Count €1,600 in hiker mode (lodges, shared car), €2,100 in comfort (3★ hotels, own car), flight from mainland France included. The most variable cost is the rental car, to book early.

Marie Laurent ✓

·

Southeast Asia specialist · itinerary personally tested.

Last updated: June 1, 2026.

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