Plains

A few kilometers north of Saint-Pierre a narrow and twisting road leading right up to the charming region of Le Tampon. With plush green slopes and omnipresent vivid, fragrant flowers, Le Tampon is ideal to begin your hike up to the Piton de la Fournaise volcano through quaint villages of Bourg-Murat and le Nez-de-Boeuf. Most of these lands belonged to Count Gabriel le Coast de Kerveguen, a bankrupt French aristocrat settled on the island in hopes of restoring the family image. The Count grew rich with clove plantations and soon became the island’s most important landlord. In 1859 he brought from Europe demonetized German coins which he used to pay his Tamil workers. One “Kerveguen” was the equivalent of one French franc and the currency was in use on the island until 1880 when the French government forbid it. The Count was obliged to pay off his debts which completely ruined his family.

Discover more history during your luxury charter vacation aboard a yacht charted with Sunreef Yachts Charter.

La Plaine des Cafres is where you will feel like in Normandy or Brittany with cattle fields and gorse bushes while fogs and pine trees will take you right back to the Vosges. These vast fields and tamarind forests was where African slaves runaways hid from their landlords. Nowadays the fields are where horses are being bred. Also noteworthy is the picturesque town of Bourg-Murat from where depart excursions to the volcano.

Your luxury charter vacation with Sunreef Yachts Charter is leaves a wide array of activities to chose from.

Steep rocky slopes should only be accessed by experienced hikers. If you wish to spend some time in the wild, reserve two days for this excursion as you will have to spend the night at a shelter. With Cilaos as the departure point, hike up to the Découverte Lookout offering astounding views on the area. Make sure to climb up to the meteorological station located on the Piton des Neiges with its breathtaking and inspiring views.

The station is located 1100 meters above sea level and isolates the Piton de la Fournaise from the Piton des Neiges. The rustic region was once densely populated by palm trees and is beloved by inhabitants of the coastal region who build their weekend cottages inland. Locals still grow tea on their small plantations while winter is the season to grow guavas, acidic yet delicious small berries. Many pathways encourage long, enjoyable walks in this charming picture-perfect region. The Bélouve Forest expands on the horizon. The region’s rich flora are not only plush verdant conifers but also omnipresent innocent white arum lilies.

Be cautious as this impressive volcano with an altitude of more than 2 600 meters above sea level is still active with two proud twin craters towering over the region. On March 5, 1988, five years after its last return to activity, the volcano erupted unexpectedly and that is the reason why it is being strictly monitored in order to avoid any potential accidents. Past the village of Bourg-Murat you will arrive to the Bellevue pass where cattle and sheep tranquilly feed on lusciously green grasses. The Commerson crater in Nez-de-Boeuf is more than worthy a nice detour. Sandy fields of this region paint an ochre and grey landscape, a great contrast to verdant plains. Only an hour’s drive away is the Pas de Bellecombe, a picturesque mountain pass and lookout.

The east coast’s natural beauty will surely keep in you in awe in a way that you will desire nothing more but to make your luxury charter vacation with Sunreef Yachts Charter last eternally…