Not to miss

Saint-Denis

Saint-Denis, Réunion's capital, is a pleasant and lively town unjustly overlooked by travellers; most use it only as a jumping-off point. Yet the city's architectural wealth, its Government Park and its many good restaurants provide an excellent introduction to Réunion's distinctive qualities.

With its brasseries, bistros and cafe culture, St-Denis is a perfect reproduction of metropolitan France, down to the endless banlieues (suburbs) which surround the historic town centre. However, this good living comes at a hefty premium, and visitors may be surprised at how quickly money goes!

Even visitors with a healthy supply of cash may feel a bit alien unless they have local friends to introduce them around the café set. St-Denis is known to some as the Paris of the Indian Ocean but unlike Paris, you won't find loads of down-at-heel student travellers struggling to survive on a slim budget. In their place are legions of hopeful workers from Madagascar, Mauritius, the African mainland and the EU - some legal and some not - searching for lucrative employment.

Cilaos and the Cirque de Cilaos

The town of Cilaos developed as a spa resort at the end of the 19th century. The name is thought to be derived from a Malagasy word meaning a place from which one never returns. Most of the village's inhabitants are descended from French emigrants who settled in the 1700s.

The area is known for its lentils, local embroidery and sweet red and white wines. Cilaos is situated in the the Cirque de Cilaos, one of three on the island. It resembles a volcanic crater but is actually the product of the same erosional forces that sharpened the peak of Switzerland's Matterhorn.

Over the years, the original baths and walls became heavily stained and the station was closed in mid-1987 and turned into a museum. A new complex, Établissement Thermal Irénée Accot, using the same source, was opened just up the hill. It will be magic for relaxing after a long hike. There are several from town. Cascade de Bras Rouge is a day walk that begins from town and descends to the old thermal station and then traverses the slopes above the Bras des Étangs. After a couple of hours, you'll arrive at the waterfall Cascade de Bras Rouge.

Musée de Villèle

This museum is set in the former home of the wealthy and very powerful Madame Panon-Desbassyns, a coffee and sugar baroness who, among other things, owned 300 slaves. The house, which is only accessible on a guided tour, was built in 1787 and is full of elegant period furniture. After the tour, wander the outbuildings and the 10-hectare (25-acre) park.

Legend has it that she was a cruel woman and that her tormented screams can still be heard from the hellish fires whenever Piton de la Fournaise is erupting. Exhibits include a clock presented to the Desbassyns by Napoleon; a set of china featuring Paul et Virginie, the love story by Bernardin de St-Pierre; and, last but not least, a portrait of Madame Panon-Desbassyns in a red turban looking surprisingly impish.

Domaine du Grand Hazier

Garden fans will especially enjoy a visit to this classic, 18th-century sugar planter's residence. It's an official French historical monument boasting a massive garden planted with a variety of tropical flowers and fruit trees.

Le Maïdo

Far above St-Gilles-les-Bains on the rim of the Cirque de Mafate, Le Maïdo is one of the most impressive viewpoints in Réunion. The lookout is perched atop the mountain peak at 2205m (7232ft) and offers stunning views down into the cirque and back to the coast. Arrive early in the day if you want to see anything other than cloud.

The name Le Maïdo comes from a Malagasy word meaning 'burnt land', and is most likely a reference to the burnt appearance of the scrub forest at this altitude. The peak is the starting point for the tough walk along the cirque rim to the summit of Le Grand Bénare (2896m/9501ft), another impressive lookout (allow at least six hours for the return trip). Hikers can also descend from Le Maïdo into the Cirque de Mafate via the Sentier de Roche Plate, which meets the GR R2 variant that connects the villages of Roche Plate and Îlet des Orangers (allow three hours to reach Roche Plate). Ambitious walkers can head in the direction of Îlet des Orangers and down to the hamlet of Sans Souci near Le Port for a very long day's walk (at least eight hours).