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Réunion

The west: hotels and places to stay

The lagoon, sunsets and the driest weather on the island. 86 places to stay — hotels: 36, guest houses: 31, apartments: 8, gîtes and chalets: 6, hostels: 2, motels: 1, campsites: 2.

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86 places to stay

Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

About the area: The west

Best for
First and last base of the trip, families with children, snorkelling
How many nights
3–4
Climate
The driest and sunniest coast: three to four times less rain than in the east.

The west coast from Saint-Paul to Saint-Leu is the tourist heart of Réunion. The island's only large lagoon is here: the coral reef shelters a strip of calm water at L'Hermitage, La Saline and Saint-Leu. It is the main place where you can swim and snorkel.

The main resorts are Saint-Gilles-les-Bains (harbour, restaurants, dive clubs, nightlife) and Saint-Leu (one of the best paragliding sites in the world, and the Kélonia turtle centre). Higher up, on the slopes, the Maïdo lookout stands above the Mafate cirque: people drive up for sunrise.

The downside of the west is the built-up coast and rush-hour jams on the highway. The upside: most trailheads are 1–1.5 hours away.

Highlights: The lagoon at L'Hermitage and La Saline · Paragliding at Saint-Leu · Sunrise at Maïdo · Saint-Paul market on Fridays and Saturdays · Kélonia, the sea turtle centre.

Things to see in the area

All sights on the island →
Kélonia Museum Kélonia The sea turtle research and care centre in Saint-LeuMaïdo lookout Viewpoint Maïdo lookout Sunrise over the Mafate cirque from 2,200 mL'Hermitage beach Beach L'Hermitage beach The island's main beach: a shallow lagoon, corals and the shade of casuarinasLa Saline-les-Bains Beach La Saline-les-Bains The continuation of the Hermitage lagoon — quieter, with cafés on the sandSaint-Leu lagoon Beach Saint-Leu lagoon A small lagoon by the town, with turtles and paragliders overheadL'Étang-Salé-les-Bains Beach L'Étang-Salé-les-Bains Black volcanic sand and a small lagoonBoucan Canot Beach Boucan Canot A fashionable beach with no reef: swim in the supervised zone onlyGrand Bénare from Maïdo Hike Grand Bénare from Maïdo The ridge above Mafate to the island's third-highest summit

All properties in the area: 86

Other areas

The south83 optionsThe east12 optionsThe north54 optionsCilaos cirque54 optionsSalazie cirque66 optionsMafate cirque103 optionsThe highlands and the volcano51 options

Accommodation data comes from OpenStreetMap: the list is incomplete and may lag behind reality. We do not sell stays and do not know prices: check availability, rates and reviews through the links to booking platforms.