Our first two days on the Island of La Réunion there was heavy rain due to a cyclone, we were not able to explore the Island. As well all our multi day hikes were canceled due to the fact that the roads to the highland where blocked. The first day we saw that the weather is a bit stable we drove from Saint-Denis to the volcanic area of Fournaise. We took the road route forestiere de volcan which was already an adventure.
Where to park: Pas de Bellecombe at the end of the Route Forestiére 5 du Volcan
Tips: the route to the parking space is getting rougher every minute, but it is possible to go to the end by driving slowly.
There are several stops that can be taken for short walks and lookouts before reaching the parking slot for the volcano hike.
What to do: Several day hikes possible
Sentier du dolomieu – 12 km – 5h (volcano hike)
Sentier du kapor – 7.5 km – 3h
Sentier du rivals 10 km – 4h 30min
Time: planning in the whole day for getting there and hike the area.
Cost: None
Personal opinion: Nice hikes over the lava possible. If you never saw lava fields before this is an amazing place. Sadly we missed the volcano eruption by one week.
