{"id":11883,"date":"2026-02-23T13:32:20","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T12:32:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/?p=11883"},"modified":"2026-04-19T09:36:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T08:36:48","slug":"reunion-island-piton-de-la-fournaise-hike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/en\/la-reunion-randonnee-au-piton-de-la-fournaise\/","title":{"rendered":"La R\u00e9union : Hiking at Piton de la Fournaise"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br><strong>It's called the Volcano here. With all the deference that a vassal owes to his master. Shaken by regular eruptions, Piton de la Fournaise is the highlight of any hike on the island. An intense experience for lovers of volcanology and lunar landscapes.<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-white ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/en\/la-reunion-randonnee-au-piton-de-la-fournaise\/#La_route_du_Volcan\" >The Volcano route<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/en\/la-reunion-randonnee-au-piton-de-la-fournaise\/#Le_cratere_Commerson\" >The Commerson crater<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/en\/la-reunion-randonnee-au-piton-de-la-fournaise\/#La_Plaine_des_Sables_et_le_Pas_de_Bellecombe\" >Plaine des Sables and Pas de Bellecombe<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/en\/la-reunion-randonnee-au-piton-de-la-fournaise\/#Du_Formica_Leo_au_cratere_Dolomieu\" >From Formica Leo to the Dolomieu crater<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/en\/la-reunion-randonnee-au-piton-de-la-fournaise\/#Lenclos_Fouque_par_le_sentier_Dolomieu\" >The Fouqu\u00e9 enclosure via the Dolomieu trail<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/en\/la-reunion-randonnee-au-piton-de-la-fournaise\/#Alternatives_Kapor_et_Rivals\" >Alternatives: Kapor and Rivals<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/en\/la-reunion-randonnee-au-piton-de-la-fournaise\/#Marcher_sur_un_volcan_vivant\" >Walking on a live volcano<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/en\/la-reunion-randonnee-au-piton-de-la-fournaise\/#Visites_guidees\" >Guided tours<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_4068-1K-JPEG.jpg\" alt=\"Reunion Island. On the La Fournaise volcano path, a cairn marks the way and it is customary to leave a discreet trace. B. Postel.\" class=\"wp-image-11909\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_4068-1K-JPEG.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_4068-1K-JPEG-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_4068-1K-JPEG-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_4068-1K-JPEG-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_4068-1K-JPEG-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_4068-1K-JPEG-36x24.jpg 36w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Reunion Island. On the La Fournaise volcano trail, a cairn marks the way and it is customary to leave a discreet trace. <em>\u00a9<\/em><\/em> <em>B. Postel.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The whole island vibrates to the rhythm of the <a href=\"https:\/\/fournaise.info\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fournaise.info\/\">Piton de la Fournaise<\/a> (2632 m), one of the most active volcanoes in the world, with over 200 eruptions in the last 350 years. Located in the south-east of the island, it erupts regularly. The first historically documented eruption dates back to 1640, and more than 200 have been recorded since then. The frequency of eruptions has particularly accelerated since the 1980s, with some eruptions occurring several times a year (notably in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023). The last eruption was brief, in January 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"637\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fissure_Eruption_at_Piton_de_la_Fournaise_volcano_on_Reunion_Stephanie-Barde-Cabusson.jpg\" alt=\"Reunion Island. Piton de la Fournaise eruption in 2024. St\u00e9phanie Barde Cabusson.\" class=\"wp-image-11915\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fissure_Eruption_at_Piton_de_la_Fournaise_volcano_on_Reunion_Stephanie-Barde-Cabusson.jpg 960w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fissure_Eruption_at_Piton_de_la_Fournaise_volcano_on_Reunion_Stephanie-Barde-Cabusson-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fissure_Eruption_at_Piton_de_la_Fournaise_volcano_on_Reunion_Stephanie-Barde-Cabusson-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fissure_Eruption_at_Piton_de_la_Fournaise_volcano_on_Reunion_Stephanie-Barde-Cabusson-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fissure_Eruption_at_Piton_de_la_Fournaise_volcano_on_Reunion_Stephanie-Barde-Cabusson-600x398.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fissure_Eruption_at_Piton_de_la_Fournaise_volcano_on_Reunion_Stephanie-Barde-Cabusson-36x24.jpg 36w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Reunion Island. Piton de la Fournaise eruption in 2024. <em>\u00a9<\/em><\/em> <em>St\u00e9phanie Barde Cabusson.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Rest assured, it's not dangerous: it's an effusive volcano, not explosive. There are no fiery, deadly clouds here, just rivers of basalt flowing into its natural spillway, the Enclos Fouqu\u00e9, with its two interlocking summit craters, the smaller one, the <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Crat%C3%A8re_Bory\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Crat%C3%A8re_Bory\">Bory<\/a>, formed in the XVIII\u1d49 century, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Crat%C3%A8re_Dolomieu\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Crat%C3%A8re_Dolomieu\">Dolomieu<\/a>, the main active crater. It is from this crater that most of the flows regularly escape. As a general rule, the lava remains confined within the Enclos. But they do occasionally escape. The most significant event of the 20th century was the eruption of 1977, when the lava flows made their way out of the Dolomieu crater enclosure and into the ocean, causing extensive damage in the process. Part of the village of Piton-Sainte-Rose was destroyed. But miraculously, the church, now known as \u00abNotre-Dame des Laves\u00bb, was spared. Since 1979, the<a href=\"https:\/\/fournaise.info\/observatoire\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fournaise.info\/observatoire\/\">Piton de la Fournaise Volcanological Observatory, <\/a>located in Bourg-Murat, monitors the \u00abbeast\u00bb day and night. Thanks to a network of seismometers, GPS and thermal cameras, the scientists are able to detect swarms of micro-earthquakes. Warnings are issued quickly, and access to the Enclos is regulated to guarantee public safety. The volcano's awakening drew crowds of curious onlookers. \u00abVolcan l'a p\u00e9t\u00e9!\u00bb the people of R\u00e9union say with a mixture of excitement and respect. At night, the black slopes light up incandescent red; By day, the solidified lava flows form a checkerboard of twisted basalt. Even outside these phases, La Fournaise remains R\u00e9union's most visited site. To climb the flanks of this giant is to tread on a land in perpetual birth, a mineral landscape that continues to be written in fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-la-route-du-volcan\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"La_route_du_Volcan\"><\/span>The Volcano route<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"523\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Route-forestiere-du-volcan-au-Pas-des-Sables_Dunog.jpg\" alt=\"Reunion Island. Route du Volcan arriving at Pas des Sables. Dunog\/Commons.\" class=\"wp-image-11914\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Route-forestiere-du-volcan-au-Pas-des-Sables_Dunog.jpg 960w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Route-forestiere-du-volcan-au-Pas-des-Sables_Dunog-300x163.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Route-forestiere-du-volcan-au-Pas-des-Sables_Dunog-768x418.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Route-forestiere-du-volcan-au-Pas-des-Sables_Dunog-18x10.jpg 18w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Route-forestiere-du-volcan-au-Pas-des-Sables_Dunog-600x327.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Route-forestiere-du-volcan-au-Pas-des-Sables_Dunog-36x20.jpg 36w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Reunion Island. Route du Volcan when arriving at Pas des Sables.<em>\u00a9<\/em><\/em> <em>Dunog\/Commons.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>From Bourg-Murat, the Fournaise can be reached by car via the \u00abRoute du Volcan\u00bb. The 24km route starts out in lush green countryside and continues through a landscape of rocks and brandes (also known as branles: an endemic heath shrub that unfortunately burns like straw and is traditionally used to make the so-called \u00abvolcano broom\u00bb). Some 30 minutes later, we make our first stop to admire the <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Piton_des_Neiges\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Piton_des_Neiges\">Piton des Neiges<\/a> (3071 m, and very exceptionally snow-capped), a volcano that has been dormant for ten thousand years, but not extinct, contrary to what is generally said. Separated from each other by two plains, the Plaine des Palmistes and the Plaine des Cafres, the two giants, together with the cirques of Cilaos, Mafate and Salazie, attract the majority of hikers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-le-cratere-commerson\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Le_cratere_Commerson\"><\/span>The Commerson crater<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/une-des-faces-du-cratere-Commerson_universvoyage.com_4075-1K-JPEG.jpg\" alt=\"Reunion Island. One of the sides of the Commerson crater. B. Postel.\" class=\"wp-image-11913\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/une-des-faces-du-cratere-Commerson_universvoyage.com_4075-1K-JPEG.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/une-des-faces-du-cratere-Commerson_universvoyage.com_4075-1K-JPEG-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/une-des-faces-du-cratere-Commerson_universvoyage.com_4075-1K-JPEG-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/une-des-faces-du-cratere-Commerson_universvoyage.com_4075-1K-JPEG-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/une-des-faces-du-cratere-Commerson_universvoyage.com_4075-1K-JPEG-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/une-des-faces-du-cratere-Commerson_universvoyage.com_4075-1K-JPEG-36x24.jpg 36w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Reunion Island. One side of the Commerson crater. <em>\u00a9<\/em><\/em> <em>B. Postel.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Twenty kilometres from Bourg-Murat, 100 metres from the road, there is a 120-metre-deep chasm, named the Commerson Crater, after <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Philibert_Commerson\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Philibert_Commerson\">Philibert Commerson<\/a> (1727-1773), physician and naturalist to Louis XVI, who took part in the<a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Louis-Antoine_de_Bougainville#Le_voyage_autour_du_monde\">Bougainville's expedition&nbsp;<em>la Boudeuse<\/em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>l'\u00c9toile<\/em><\/a>&nbsp;from 1766 to 1769. In 1766, on Bourbon Island (Reunion Island), he discovered the volcano, which earned him the honour of having the crater named after him. His companion, <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jeanne_Barret\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jeanne_Barret\">Jeanne Baret<\/a> (1740-1807), a remarkable botanist, also took part in this expedition, as an \u00abassistant and valet\u00bb, disguised as a man because the maritime regulations of the XVIII\u1d49 century forbade women on board. She was thus the first woman to circumnavigate the globe. Deception would be exposed in Polynesia two years later: upon encountering \u201cJean Baret,\u201d the Polynesians addressed her as <em>vahine <\/em>(woman in Polynesian).<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Cratere_Commerson_mwanasimba-_universvoyage.com_-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Reunion Island. Bottom of the Commerson crater. The chasm descends to a depth of around 120 metres. mwanasimba\/Commons.\" class=\"wp-image-11917\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Cratere_Commerson_mwanasimba-_universvoyage.com_-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Cratere_Commerson_mwanasimba-_universvoyage.com_-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Cratere_Commerson_mwanasimba-_universvoyage.com_-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Cratere_Commerson_mwanasimba-_universvoyage.com_-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Cratere_Commerson_mwanasimba-_universvoyage.com_-16x12.jpg 16w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Cratere_Commerson_mwanasimba-_universvoyage.com_-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Cratere_Commerson_mwanasimba-_universvoyage.com_-32x24.jpg 32w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Cratere_Commerson_mwanasimba-_universvoyage.com_.jpg 1632w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Reunion Island. Bottom of the Commerson crater. The chasm descends to a depth of around 120 metres. <em>\u00a9<\/em><\/em> <em>mwanasimba\/Commons.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>There is an easily accessible lookout point overlooking this impressive deep pit, whose mouth is known as the \u00abTrou Fanfaron\u00bb. This viewpoint offers a breathtaking view of the steep walls from which emerge the strata of successive basalt stacks. In order to vary the viewpoints of the Commerson Crater, you can walk around it without straying from the signposted path. The best time to explore the site is in the late morning, when the sun's rays at their zenith penetrate to the bottom of the deep crevasse. <br><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/B-Postel_universvoyage.com_4079-1K-JPEG.jpg\" alt=\"Reunion Island. From the Commerson crater, you can admire the Rivi\u00e8re des Remparts wall and the Piton des Neiges massif in the distance. In the foreground, clumps of green brandy, R\u00e9union heather. B. Postel.\" class=\"wp-image-11905\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/B-Postel_universvoyage.com_4079-1K-JPEG.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/B-Postel_universvoyage.com_4079-1K-JPEG-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/B-Postel_universvoyage.com_4079-1K-JPEG-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/B-Postel_universvoyage.com_4079-1K-JPEG-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/B-Postel_universvoyage.com_4079-1K-JPEG-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/B-Postel_universvoyage.com_4079-1K-JPEG-36x24.jpg 36w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u00a0<em>Reunion Island. From the Commerson crater, you can admire the Rivi\u00e8re des Remparts wall and the Piton des Neiges massif in the distance. In the foreground, clumps of green brandy, R\u00e9union heather. <em>\u00a9<\/em><\/em> <em>B. Postel.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The alternative way of getting to the Volcano on foot is to follow the <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sentier_Jos%C3%A9mont\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sentier_Jos%C3%A9mont\">Jos\u00e9mont Lauret path<\/a>, a historic trail used by <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jean-Baptiste_Bory_de_Saint-Vincent\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jean-Baptiste_Bory_de_Saint-Vincent\">Bory de Saint Vincen<\/a>t (1778-1846) (whose name was given to a caldera at the summit of La Fournaise), and where a guide, Jos\u00e9mont Lauret, died in 1887 from cold and fatigue. A stele commemorates him. In this exceptional altiplano landscape, you'll come across vegetation that burns under the sun and withstands the cold. White ambavils with paradoxically yellow flowers, and bushes of Phylica nitida, with narrow leaves and white flowers, offer their abundant blooms to walkers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-la-plaine-des-sables-et-le-pas-de-bellecombe\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"La_Plaine_des_Sables_et_le_Pas_de_Bellecombe\"><\/span>Plaine des Sables and Pas de Bellecombe<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/B-Postel_Pas-des-sables_IMG_4108-1K-JPEG-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11894\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/B-Postel_Pas-des-sables_IMG_4108-1K-JPEG-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/B-Postel_Pas-des-sables_IMG_4108-1K-JPEG-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/B-Postel_Pas-des-sables_IMG_4108-1K-JPEG-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/B-Postel_Pas-des-sables_IMG_4108-1K-JPEG-1-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/B-Postel_Pas-des-sables_IMG_4108-1K-JPEG-1-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/B-Postel_Pas-des-sables_IMG_4108-1K-JPEG-1-36x24.jpg 36w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Reunion Island. View of the road that crosses the Plaine des Sables, a vast flat expanse covered in volcanic slag and cooled rock. \u00a9<\/em> <em>B. Postel.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/F-Ferry_Plaine-des-sables_IMG_0528-1K-JPEG.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11896\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/F-Ferry_Plaine-des-sables_IMG_0528-1K-JPEG.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/F-Ferry_Plaine-des-sables_IMG_0528-1K-JPEG-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/F-Ferry_Plaine-des-sables_IMG_0528-1K-JPEG-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/F-Ferry_Plaine-des-sables_IMG_0528-1K-JPEG-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/F-Ferry_Plaine-des-sables_IMG_0528-1K-JPEG-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/F-Ferry_Plaine-des-sables_IMG_0528-1K-JPEG-36x24.jpg 36w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/PLAINE_DES_SABLES_IRT_STUDIO_LUMIERE-1K-JPEG.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11897\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/PLAINE_DES_SABLES_IRT_STUDIO_LUMIERE-1K-JPEG.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/PLAINE_DES_SABLES_IRT_STUDIO_LUMIERE-1K-JPEG-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/PLAINE_DES_SABLES_IRT_STUDIO_LUMIERE-1K-JPEG-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/PLAINE_DES_SABLES_IRT_STUDIO_LUMIERE-1K-JPEG-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/PLAINE_DES_SABLES_IRT_STUDIO_LUMIERE-1K-JPEG-600x399.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/PLAINE_DES_SABLES_IRT_STUDIO_LUMIERE-1K-JPEG-36x24.jpg 36w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>A few laps further upstream, we reach the Plaine des Sables. A grandiose mineral landscape, covered in orange-brown slag. This is without doubt the most spectacular and fascinating panorama on the island, covering the former caldera of the volcano. A rather bumpy ribbon road descends into the first enclosure and then runs across this vast desert expanse dotted with sparse clumps of sweet vernal grass. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"892\" height=\"860\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Myosotis_de_Bourbon.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11895 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Myosotis_de_Bourbon.jpg 892w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Myosotis_de_Bourbon-300x289.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Myosotis_de_Bourbon-768x740.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Myosotis_de_Bourbon-12x12.jpg 12w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Myosotis_de_Bourbon-600x578.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Myosotis_de_Bourbon-25x24.jpg 25w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 892px) 100vw, 892px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>Depending on the season, you can admire the most precious flower of the area, whose blooms vary from pale blue to immaculate white, the rare Bourbon forget-me-not (Cynoglossum <em>borbonicum<\/em>). Rare and threatened, this flower is the subject of botanical monitoring in conservation programmes on R\u00e9union. <em>\u00a9<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/User:Dunog\">Dunog<\/a>Commons.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>A few more twists and turns and we reach the Pas de Bellecombe and its car park, where we have to leave our car. This is the only access route to the summit of the volcano, and is named after one of the island's governors, <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Guillaume_L%C3%A9onard_de_Bellecombe\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Guillaume_L%C3%A9onard_de_Bellecombe\">Guillaume L\u00e9onard de Bellecombe<\/a> (1728-1792), who offered a reward to the first explorer who succeeds in discovering a passage leading to the Volcano. A Creole slave, Jacob, discovered the access in 1768. But the site has kept the governor's name, while its true discoverer has been forgotten.<br>From the Pas de Bellecombe, we continue our journey on foot. The view of the volcano emerging from its basalt bed is exceptional. The heath shrubs then give way once and for all to a red, barren soil, marking the beginning of a magnificent desert zone. The only way to get down into the caldera, if you\u2019re not a \u201cgalet-warmer\u201d (a loafer), is to take the 526 steps to the Enclos Fouqu\u00e9. On the cliff faces, the frail red bells of the Petit bois des remparts catch your eye. Don't pick it. This plant, also known as \u00abmother-in-law's tea\u00bb, is highly poisonous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-du-formica-leo-au-cratere-dolomieu\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Du_Formica_Leo_au_cratere_Dolomieu\"><\/span>From Formica Leo to the Dolomieu crater<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/F-Ferry_-cratere-Formica-Leo_IMG_0538-1K-JPEG.jpg\" alt=\"Reunion Island. The Formica L\u00e9o cone is a low volcanic cone (10-12 m), 125 m long and 90 m wide, located in the Enclos Fouqu\u00e9 caldera. F. Ferry. universvoyage.com.\" class=\"wp-image-11890\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/F-Ferry_-cratere-Formica-Leo_IMG_0538-1K-JPEG.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/F-Ferry_-cratere-Formica-Leo_IMG_0538-1K-JPEG-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/F-Ferry_-cratere-Formica-Leo_IMG_0538-1K-JPEG-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/F-Ferry_-cratere-Formica-Leo_IMG_0538-1K-JPEG-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/F-Ferry_-cratere-Formica-Leo_IMG_0538-1K-JPEG-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/F-Ferry_-cratere-Formica-Leo_IMG_0538-1K-JPEG-36x24.jpg 36w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>La R\u00e9union.<\/em> <em>The Formica L\u00e9o cone is a low volcanic cone (10-12 m), 125 m long and 90 m wide, located in the Enclos Fouqu\u00e9 caldera. <em>\u00a9<\/em><\/em> <em>F. Ferry. universvoyage.com.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>100 m below, in the Enclos Fouqu\u00e9 caldera, the <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Formica_Leo\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Formica_Leo\">Formica Leo<\/a>, a young crater, the result of a strombolian eruption in 1753, forms an ochre-coloured knob in a setting of grey sand. Smooth lava has encased this lapilli piton in a a sheath of basalt, from which the fragile summit emerges. Made up of reddish slag that gives it its characteristic rusty hue (although this varies with the amount of sunlight), it bears a striking resemblance to the conical pits dug by the larva of the anteater, hence the name Formica Leo. A veritable photographic icon of the island, the small adventitious cone is undergoing considerable erosion, and it's possible that one day it will simply be off-limits!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Bord-de-la-caldeira-de-LEnclos-Fouque-_universvoyage.com-1K-JPEG.jpg\" alt=\"Reunion Island. La Fournaise. Edge of the Enclos Fouqu\u00e9 caldera. Patrick Leu.\" class=\"wp-image-11911\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Bord-de-la-caldeira-de-LEnclos-Fouque-_universvoyage.com-1K-JPEG.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Bord-de-la-caldeira-de-LEnclos-Fouque-_universvoyage.com-1K-JPEG-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Bord-de-la-caldeira-de-LEnclos-Fouque-_universvoyage.com-1K-JPEG-9x12.jpg 9w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Bord-de-la-caldeira-de-LEnclos-Fouque-_universvoyage.com-1K-JPEG-450x600.jpg 450w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Bord-de-la-caldeira-de-LEnclos-Fouque-_universvoyage.com-1K-JPEG-18x24.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Reunion Island. La Fournaise. Edge of the Enclos Fouqu\u00e9 caldera \u00a9 Patrick Leu.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>There are currently three signposted trails through the Enclos du Volcan. The routes have been designed to avoid fragile areas of the ground, and to ensure the safety of walkers. Here, leaving the path is not a harmless act: under the black crust can hide lava tunnels or unstable areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-l-enclos-fouque-par-le-sentier-dolomieu\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Lenclos_Fouque_par_le_sentier_Dolomieu\"><\/span>The Fouqu\u00e9 enclosure via the Dolomieu trail<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Cratere-Dolomieu-au-sommet_universvoyage.com-1K-JPEG.jpg\" alt=\"Reunion Island. View of the Dolomieu crater from the summit. Patrick Leu.\" class=\"wp-image-11912\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Cratere-Dolomieu-au-sommet_universvoyage.com-1K-JPEG.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Cratere-Dolomieu-au-sommet_universvoyage.com-1K-JPEG-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Cratere-Dolomieu-au-sommet_universvoyage.com-1K-JPEG-9x12.jpg 9w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Cratere-Dolomieu-au-sommet_universvoyage.com-1K-JPEG-450x600.jpg 450w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Cratere-Dolomieu-au-sommet_universvoyage.com-1K-JPEG-18x24.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Reunion Island. View of the Dolomieu crater from the summit. <em><em>\u00a9<\/em><\/em> Patrick Leu.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>If you're feeling more sporty, take the time to climb up to the Dolomieu crater viewpoint along the path of the same name (return journey 11.9 km, average time 5 hours). Progress is made over hardened lava, sometimes smooth like twisted rope, sometimes chaotic and sharp. The walk is demanding: the wind blows without hindrance, the sun strikes without shadow, and every step echoes on the stone.<br>As you climb, the landscape is transformed into a mineral theatre. No trees, almost no visible life: just rock, slag and ancient flows frozen in their movement. It's quite a physical journey over hardened lava to discover a unique panorama of the charred soils of Enclos Fouqu\u00e9, stretching as far as the eye can see, defying the blue horizon of the Indian Ocean that can be seen in the distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-alternatives-kapor-et-rivals\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Alternatives_Kapor_et_Rivals\"><\/span>Alternatives: Kapor and Rivals<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If access to the Dolomieu is closed or if you prefer a shorter hike, there are other routes that offer superb views.<br>The Kapor trail (return journey 7.5 km, approx. 3 hrs) takes in the crater that erupted in 1998. It bears witness to a historic eruption (the one in 1998, which lasted 6 months). Less long, but just as immersive, it allows you to get closer to a more recent scar of the volcano, where the rock is still dark and compact.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"475\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Reunion_PitonFournaise_CratereRivals_surroundings2.jpg\" alt=\"Reunion Island. Surroundings of the Rivals Crater (1937): adventitious cones on the flanks of Piton de la Fournaise.\" class=\"wp-image-11920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Reunion_PitonFournaise_CratereRivals_surroundings2.jpg 960w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Reunion_PitonFournaise_CratereRivals_surroundings2-300x148.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Reunion_PitonFournaise_CratereRivals_surroundings2-768x380.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Reunion_PitonFournaise_CratereRivals_surroundings2-18x9.jpg 18w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Reunion_PitonFournaise_CratereRivals_surroundings2-600x297.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Reunion_PitonFournaise_CratereRivals_surroundings2-36x18.jpg 36w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Reunion Island. Surroundings of the Rivals Crater (1937): adventitious cones on the flanks of Piton de la Fournaise. <em><em><em>\u00a9<\/em><\/em><\/em> B. Navez\/Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The Rivals trail (round trip 10 km, approx. 4hrs 30mins) is a modern alternative for exploring the Enclos. It leads to the crater of the same name, which erupted in 2006. On the way, you'll be rewarded with a magnificent view of the La Paix and Ch\u00e2teau Fort craters, which stand like crenellated towers atop the massif. They tell another side of the volcano: the side eruptions and the shapes sculpted by the wind and lava over time.<br>For the less sporty and families, there is another very easy path that runs partly along the outside of the Enclos. It allows you to zigzag along the side of the cliff, offering breathtaking panoramas without the sustained effort of crossing inside.<br>If you only have to do one hike in R\u00e9union, don't hesitate and climb up to the craters. You won't regret it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-marcher-sur-un-volcan-vivant\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Marcher_sur_un_volcan_vivant\"><\/span>Walking on a live volcano<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fournaise_vue-aerienne_F.-Ferry_universvoyage.com_0006-1K-JPEG.jpg\" alt=\"Reunion Island. The crater of La Fournaise volcano seen from a microlight. F. Ferry. \" class=\"wp-image-11906\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fournaise_vue-aerienne_F.-Ferry_universvoyage.com_0006-1K-JPEG.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fournaise_vue-aerienne_F.-Ferry_universvoyage.com_0006-1K-JPEG-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fournaise_vue-aerienne_F.-Ferry_universvoyage.com_0006-1K-JPEG-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fournaise_vue-aerienne_F.-Ferry_universvoyage.com_0006-1K-JPEG-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fournaise_vue-aerienne_F.-Ferry_universvoyage.com_0006-1K-JPEG-600x399.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fournaise_vue-aerienne_F.-Ferry_universvoyage.com_0006-1K-JPEG-36x24.jpg 36w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Reunion Island. The crater of La Fournaise volcano seen from a microlight aircraft. <em><em>\u00a9<\/em><\/em><\/em> <em>F. Ferry. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Hiking Piton de la Fournaise is not just about racking up the miles. It means entering a world that is almost exclusively mineral, where silence is only disturbed by the wind. It means feeling underfoot a land that, on a geological scale, is still in the process of being born.<br>From the small ochre cone of Formica Leo to the immense gash of Dolomieu, the walk tells a story of fire, collapse and rebirth.<br>Since the spectacular eruption in April 2007, it has been impossible to walk around the craters. The summit landscape of the Dolomieu crater has been profoundly transformed: the floor of the crater has collapsed by around 300 to 360 metres following the partial emptying of the underlying magma reservoirs, creating a deep depression known as a pit-crater.<br>This geological upheaval has made the crater rims and walls extremely unstable, with cracks, frequent landslides and the risk of falling boulders even long after the event. For this reason, a complete tour of the summit craters remains strictly forbidden: current regulations only allow access to a single stable observation point on the eastern rim of the Dolomieu, when safety conditions permit.<br>Despite these very real dangers, some careless hikers sometimes stray off the marked paths, exposing themselves to falls, collapses or areas of fragile crust. In the event of infringement of the prefectoral decrees regulating access, fines may be levied by the forces of law and order, as public safety is a priority on this volcanically active site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the weather changes very quickly in this area, it's best to start climbing early in the morning (around 7am). The area around the volcano becomes dull fairly quickly in the late morning, so it's best to get to the summit as early as possible to enjoy the view and return in good conditions. The information point will allow you to confirm your intentions in complete safety. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fournaise.info\" type=\"link\" id=\"www.fournaise.info\">www.fournaise.info<\/a><br>And to walk on the lava (the gratons), you need good shoes, as trainers are out of use in 2 or 3 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-visites-guidees\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Visites_guidees\"><\/span>Guided tours<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To discover the volcano in depth and get off the Enclos trails, it's best to enlist the services of an experienced guide. We recommend mountain guide Patrick Leu, who holds a Dipl\u00f4me d'Etat d'Alpinisme. He'll show you how this volcanic massif works in detail, its eruptive mechanisms, its mineral and botanical world, its geological history and the history of its eruptions.<br>Mail: allonbatapat@orange.fr<br>Tel: +262692879516<br><a href=\"http:\/\/www.allonbatapat-rando.re\" type=\"link\" id=\"www.allonbatapat-rando.re\">www.allonbatapat-rando.re<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Text :<\/strong> Brigitte Postel<br><strong>Photos :<\/strong> according to Indication<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It's called the Volcano here. With all the deference that a vassal owes to his master. Shaken by regular eruptions, Piton de la Fournaise is the highlight of any hike on the island. An intense experience for those who love...<\/p>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":11888,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[118,165],"tags":[26,14,40,50,59],"class_list":["post-11883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-afrique","category-la-reunion","tag-excursion","tag-ile","tag-nature","tag-randonnee","tag-volcan"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>La R\u00e9union : Randonn\u00e9e au Piton de la Fournaise - Univers Voyage<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Le Piton de la Fournaise est un must de toute randonn\u00e9e \u00e0 La R\u00e9union. 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