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- Piton des Neiges summit — The island’s highest point (about 3,069 m). A long, steep hike rewarded with sunrise above the clouds, lunar volcanic landscapes and 360° views of the other cirques and the Indian Ocean. Plan for a very early start or an overnight at a refuge.
- Cirque de Mafate — A raw, roadless caldera accessible only on foot or by helicopter. Tiny, scattered hamlets, endless trails and dramatic cliff walls give it a genuinely remote, back-country feel — perfect for multi-day treks and true solitude.
- Cirque de Cilaos — A granite amphitheatre known for steep switchback roads, thermal springs and a lively town with guesthouses. Great base for shorter hikes, canyoning and those classic cliff-and-valley panoramas.
- Cirque de Salazie — The greenest of the three cirques, dripping with
- Piton des Neiges summit — The island’s highest point (about 3,069 m). A long, steep hike rewarded with sunrise above the clouds, lunar volcanic landscapes and 360° views of the other cirques and the Indian Ocean. Plan for a very early start or an overnight at a refuge.
- Cirque de Mafate — A raw, roadless caldera accessible only on foot or by helicopter. Tiny, scattered hamlets, endless trails and dramatic cliff walls give it a genuinely remote, back-country feel — perfect for multi-day treks and true solitude.
- Cirque de Cilaos — A granite amphitheatre known for steep switchback roads, thermal springs and a lively town with guesthouses. Great base for shorter hikes, canyoning and those classic cliff-and-valley panoramas.
- Cirque de Salazie — The greenest of the three cirques, dripping with waterfalls and tropical rainforest. Visit the Voile de la Mariée (Bride’s Veil) falls and wander through creole villages set in misty, fern-filled slopes.
- Trou de Fer — A dramatic, narrow canyon with thundering waterfalls that disappear into misty depths. The viewpoints and jungle trails around it feel primeval; the wake-up call of the spray and roar is unforgettable.
- Grand Bénare and the ridge hikes — Exposed ridgelines and sharp volcanic peaks offer some of the park’s best panoramic hiking. Routes like the Grand Bénare ridge take you above the cirques for sweeping views into Mafate and across the island.
- Endemic flora and wildlife — The park is a biodiversity hotspot: montane forests, unique high-altitude vegetation and plenty of endemic birds (think Réunion harrier and white-eye), orchids and shrubs you won’t see anywhere else. It’s a living museum of island evolution — and fragile, so stick to trails.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past decade, I’ve backpacked through 80+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.