The Ultimate Guide to Reunion Island

Reunion Island doesn't fit into one postcard. One hour you're standing at the edge of an active volcanic crater, the next you're in a rainforest dripping with moss, and by afternoon you're floating in a turquoise lagoon. It's a small island that behaves like several different countries stitched together, and it takes a bit of local knowledge to make sense of it all.

01Weather: Expect the Unexpected

Réunion has two real seasons. Winter runs from May to the end of September, cooler and drier. The rest of the year is summer, hotter and more humid, with the cyclone season falling between December and February, so it's worth keeping an eye on forecasts if you're travelling then.

But here's the local secret: a single weather forecast for "the island" barely means anything, because Réunion has more than 100 microclimates. It can be pouring rain in Salazie and blazing sun twenty minutes away on the coast.

A small kiosk surrounded by forest in Salazie, Reunion Island — A small kiosk in Salazie, where sun on one slope and mist on the next sum up Réunion's weather in a single frame.

Don't plan your whole day around one forecast. Plan to adapt.

"A single weather forecast for the island barely means anything."

02Things to Know Before You Go

Language

French is the official language, and most locals also speak Réunion Creole at home. English is spoken in some tourist spots, but not everywhere, which is exactly why having someone who speaks both makes a trip so much easier.

Getting Around

A rental car is strongly recommended. Public transport exists but it's limited, so most people on the island drive, which does mean traffic can build up around rush hour, especially near the main towns. Try to avoid those hours if you can, and just know that a bit of traffic is simply part of daily life here for Réunionnais, not a sign anything's wrong with your day. Outside those windows, the roads are part of the experience: switchback routes through the cirques, coastal drives, forest tracks. If you'd rather not drive yourself, that's where a driver-guide comes in handy.

Hiking

This is one of the best hiking destinations in the world, and it's not an exaggeration. From gentle family trails to multi-day treks through Mafate, a cirque with no road access at all, there's something for every fitness level, and for anyone chasing waterfalls, sunrise summits, or volcano crater walks.

Hiker overlooking the Mafate cirque valley from the Col du Taïbit, near Cilaos, Reunion Island — On the Mafate trail via the Col du Taïbit, from Cilaos. This is what most days on the trails look like here.

Food

Réunion Creole cuisine is built around spice, but "spicy" doesn't mean "one note." Between cari, rougail, samoussas and bouchons, there's a huge range, with plenty of milder options too. Don't leave without trying a rougail saucisse.

Currency

Réunion is part of France, so it uses the Euro, and card payments are widely accepted.

Hindu fire-walking ceremony in Reunion Island — A fire-walking ceremony, a Hindu practice widespread on the island at the start of the year. Moments like this are simply part of island life, not a show.

03A Living Culture

Réunion's culture is a genuine blend of French, Malagasy, Indian, Chinese and African influences, and it shows up everywhere in daily life. It's not unusual to hear the call to prayer ring out at the same time as church bells, or to come across a Hindu procession or fire-walking ceremony moving through the street or along the beach. Wandering through the Creole market on a Saturday morning says more about the island than any guidebook could. The most important thing is simply to stay respectful of the different practices and traditions you'll come across, since they're part of what makes the island what it is.