VIVA LA RÉUNION!

The interior of Réunion Island is a mega wonderland of high-altitude volcanic peaks, colourful Creole villages and forests dripping with orchids and ferns. Here’s what you need to know about the Grande Randonnée Route 1 – one of the island’s best trekking trails.

- FIONA MCINTOSH

The constant switchbacks and hairraising drops into the gorge below the narrow road are making me queasy. We’d been warned that with some 400 twists and turns, Réunion’s most spectacular drive – up from the coast to the hilltop settlement of Cilaos – is not for the faint of heart. Or stomach. I’m very glad I’m not behind the wheel.

Photographer Shaen Adey and I are on our way to hike the Grande Randonnée Route 1 (GR R1), a circular trail that loops around the highest peak on the Indian Ocean island of Réunion – the 3 070 m Piton des Neiges. Also known as the Tour de Piton des Neiges, or Tour des Cirques, the multi-day trail takes hikers through the three valleys of Cilaos, Mafate and Salazie that form the heart of the island – an area of exceptional natural beauty and recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Réunion is an overseas administrative district, or department, of France and although it’s only 226 km south-west of Mauritius, it’s not your typical laid-back Indian Ocean island. Sure, it has sun-drenched beaches, exotic flora, protected lagoons and an array of water sports to match its more famous neighbour, but with an active volcano, remote mountainous interior, deep canyons and some seriously adrenalin-pumping activities on offer, it’s also a true adventure playground.

The plethora of walking trails makes Réunion a hikers’ paradise. In 2019, the 57 km GR R1 was voted by the French as their most beautiful trail – no mean feat when you consider that mainland France is home to some of the most famous and scenic multiday hiking trails in the world, like the Tour du Mont Blanc, the Grande Traversée des Pyrénées, and Corsica’s GR20 – often described as Europe’s toughest trek.