The Must-See Trek: 3 Cirques and 2 Volcanoes at Your Own Pace

Begin your trek with your roadbook with this easy first stage that will take you to Bélouve and its lush forest (1.5 to 2 hours uphill to the Bélouve gîte: approximately 500 meters of elevation gain). Ideal for getting your legs warmed up!

From the Bélouve guesthouse, you'll enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of the Cirque de Salazie . For the more adventurous, you can hike to the Trou de Fer (an impressive waterfall!) from the Bélouve guesthouse and return to the guesthouse for the night. You'll follow a beautiful trail through lush tropical vegetation and scenery worthy of Jurassic Park!

Minimum altitude: 947 meters / Maximum altitude: 1532 meters

After breakfast and collecting your packed lunch from the Bélouve gîte (included in your travel package), set off on the GRR1 trail towards the Caverne Dufour refuge (Piton des Neiges gîte) . Along the way, you'll enjoy several viewpoints offering stunning vistas: the Cirque de Salazie, the Roche Écrite, the Cimendef, the Piton Fougères, and the summit of Piton des Neiges. You'll traverse a forest of native trees and continue along the Cap Anglais to reach the Caverne Dufour refuge (2479m) in a more rugged, rocky landscape shaped by ancient volcanic activity.

Minimum altitude: 1504 meters / Maximum altitude: 2481 meters

Tip: Weather permitting, we recommend climbing Piton des Neiges from the Caverne Dufour mountain hut early in the morning to admire the sunrise from the highest peak in the Indian Ocean (3,070 meters)! Leave the hut around 4:00 AM (depending on the season) with a headlamp . Allow 1.5 to 2 hours for the hike (600 meters of elevation gain) to reach the summit.

Average walking time: 3 to 3.5 hours round trip / Distance covered: 6.0 km

Elevation gain/loss: 570 meters / Minimum altitude: 2480 meters / Maximum altitude: 3050 meters

Breakfast is served upon your return to the gîte . Then head towards Cilaos and continue along the GR®R1 to the Plateau des Chênes, then follow the GRR1/GRR2 towards the pretty Creole mountain village of Cilaos perched on a plateau at 1200 meters altitude and surrounded by the highest peaks of the island… spectacular panoramas!

Average walking time: 3 to 3.5 hours / Distance covered: 8.1 km / Elevation gain: 131 meters / Elevation loss: 1395 meters / Minimum altitude: 1202 meters / Maximum altitude: 2488 meters

NB: Once you arrive at the place called "le Bloc" (intersection of the Piton des Neiges trail with the Bras Sec D241 departmental road), you can take the local bus to Cilaos Ville (bus terminus) which would save you 1 hour of walking depending on your fatigue (line 63 - bus ticket: €2.50 / person).

Collect your luggage at the hotel.

Enjoy this free day in Cilaos to relax and/or explore the magnificent trails of the Cirque de Cilaos. You can try canyoning (optional) in one of the best spots in the world (optional, must be booked in advance with the local agency – Fleur Jaune or Bras Rouge canyon: €75 or €70 per person – details here), or rent an electric mountain bike at a full or half day, or simply enjoy the charm of the village, or explore one of the many trails (Bras Sec trail, Bassin Bleu trail, the magnificent Chapel trail , Bonnet de Prêtre trail, Roche Merveilleuse):

The Chapel Trail: A beautiful hike that will lead you to the entrance of a canyon, carved by the river through a monolith over 100 meters wide and high. You'll enter its center to discover an incredible stone cathedral! Maximum altitude: 1219 m / Minimum altitude: 796 m

Suggested visits and activities in Cilaos: the Cilaos market (every Sunday morning), the embroidery house, the covered market, the panorama from Roche Merveilleuse (follow the GRR1), the famous Cilaos thermal baths , the archipelago of arts and crafts and water.

After a hearty breakfast, head towards the Plateau des Chênes crossroads and rejoin the GRR1 trail, taking the path towards Bassin Bleu. Enjoy the panoramic views of Îlet à Cordes and the Fleur-Jaune waterfall. Today, cross the famous Col du Taïbit pass and reach the Cirque de Mafate and its Îlet de Marla . The word "ilet" refers to a small plateau nestled in rugged terrain. Relatively inaccessible, the Îlet became a refuge for runaway slaves. The Cirque de Mafate is accessible only on foot (no roads lead there). It is a true natural paradise with breathtaking landscapes and over 400 km of hiking trails!

Minimum altitude: 1050 meters / Maximum altitude: 2064 meters

Note: For those less experienced walkers, it is possible to shorten your stage (to 4 hours of walking instead of 6.5 hours) by taking the bus from Cilaos-Ville to the "sentier Marla" stop at the intersection of the GRR1 trail with the Ilet à Cordes road (D242) (bus line 62 – ticket price: €2.50 per person)

During this 2nd ^day in the Cirque de Mafate, a true paradise for hikers, we recommend a very beautiful hike continuing on the GRR3 trail from Marla to the pretty natural site of Trois-Roches with its lovely waterfall on the banks of the river of pebbles (ideal place for a picnic) after 2.5 hours of walking.

Once you arrive at Trois-Roches, walk back for only 10 minutes to the sign at the Plaine aux Sables crossroads and take the Plaine aux Sables path which climbs a steep slope towards La Nouvelle before reaching the pretty plateau of Plaine des Sables, then turn left at the intersection, picking up the GRR1-GRR2 trail towards La Nouvelle where you will spend the night.

Note : depending on the weather conditions and your fatigue, you may opt for a shorter and more direct hike from Marla to La Nouvelle via Maison Laclos and the José Etheve footbridge (6 km walk and approximately 2.5 hours of walking).

In this short stage, which will conclude your 3-day, 2-night immersion in the Cirque de Mafate, you'll cross the beautiful tamarind plain towards the Col des Bœufs (the border between the Cirque de Mafate and the Cirque de Salazie). Once you reach the Col des Bœufs, walk for about 10 minutes down the forest path that will lead you to the Col des Bœufs parking area (a large paved parking lot) where our driver will be waiting for you . The end of your wonderful human and sporting adventure in the Cirque de Mafate!

Minimum altitude: 1485 meters / Maximum altitude: 1961 meters

At 12:00 PM: Our private driver will meet you at the Col des Bœufs parking lot , collect your luggage , and transfer you privately by car to the village of Bourg-Murat in Plaine des Cafres, in the southern heart of the island. In Bourg-Murat, where you will spend the night, we recommend a visit to the "Cité du Volcan" museum.

NB: once you arrive at your accommodation in Bourg-Murat, you will leave your luggage with our driver; luggage which you will have the pleasure of finding again at the end of your Trek on day 10, which will give you the next 2 days of walking independently with your hiking bag.

This day, continuing along the magnificent GRR2 trail , will reveal spectacular and incredibly diverse landscapes. You'll begin with plains and pastures before venturing into a cryptomeria forest, then arriving at the Nez de Bœuf viewpoint overlooking the Rivière des Remparts canyon. You'll skirt several ancient craters (volcanic peaks) where nature has largely reclaimed its territory before reaching Piton Textor . Finally, you'll complete your journey through a more mineral landscape (recent volcanic activity) as you cross the magnificent Plaine des Sables and its lunar-like scenery to the Piton de la Fournaise mountain hut (2250 m), where you'll spend the next two nights in the new, high-quality accommodation.

Maximum altitude: 2402 m / Minimum altitude: 1574 m

Note: This stage can be shortened with private transfers by driver to Piton Textor, depending on your fatigue level (3 hours of walking instead of 6 to 7 hours). Average cost of a taxi/private hire vehicle transfer: €45 to €70 for 2 to 8 people.

This day will be dedicated to climbing to the summit of the Dolomieu crater, the main summit of Piton de la Fournaise (2631 meters), one of the most active volcanoes in the world!

After your breakfast and after collecting your picnic at the Volcan gîte (included in your package), head towards the Pas de Bellecombe (15 minutes from the gîte) from where you will have an exceptional panorama of the Volcan enclosure; you will then descend into the interior of the enclosure (except in the event of a volcanic eruption where we will offer you an alternative path on the ridges of the enclosure) where you will pass near a first crater "le Formica Léo" with its tones of ochre and bright red colours, then continue your route towards the summit of the Dolomieu crater , the main crater of the Volcan, before returning by the same path to the gîte.

Maximum altitude: 2480 m / Minimum altitude: 2210 m

At 2:30 pm: your private driver will be met at the Volcan gîte (= end of your Trek), you will collect your luggage and transfer to St-Pierre / St-Leu or St-Gilles-les-Bains (additional charge of €10 / person for transfers on the West coast between St-Leu and Boucan Canot – quote on request for transfers outside these areas).