Marc
The Grand Marché before noon is worth the detour: the vanilla stalls are still full.
Practical tips
Saint-Denis on Réunion: start at the Barachois
La Réunion6 minby Camille Revest
Saint-Denis is the oldest commune on Réunion and the arrival point for almost every flight. What makes the trip worthwhile sits in a tight stretch between the sea and the botanical garden.
Saint-Denis sits on the north coast, facing the Indian Ocean. It is the oldest town on the island, and the centre walks well: the sea on one side, the Jardin de l'État on the other, a few streets in between.
The useful route covers little ground. Go down to the Barachois, back up towards the garden, return through the shopping streets. The hills, the beaches and the cirques need a car.
The Barachois, the seafront
The Barachois is the seafront along the water in the town centre. Cast-iron cannons face the sea from the basalt wall, lined up as they were set. It is the exact point where the town meets the ocean.
The walk is flat and unbroken. It links the commercial port to the fish restaurants of the seafront, passing the old customs warehouses.
The Grand Marché and the Petit Marché
The two markets stand a few streets apart in the centre. The Grand Marché sells spices, vanilla, seasonal fruit and household goods. The Petit Marché leans towards clothing and printed cloth.
- Vanilla, pepper and cinnamon sold by weight, worth comparing from stall to stall
- Woven baskets and printed cloth, bargained over
- The Grand Marché is a morning visit, while the stalls are still full
- Cash worth carrying: the machines cluster around the centre
The Jardin de l'État and the museums
The Jardin de l'État fills a former acclimatisation garden, behind the town. It holds tropical species and houses the Natural History Museum. Getting there from the centre means a steady climb.
The musée de Villèle sits elsewhere. It occupies a former estate at Saint-Gilles-les-Hauts, in the hills to the south, and covers slavery and colonisation. Getting there needs a car, and so does the way back.
| What you see | Access | When | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Barachois | Seafront, cannons, port | Flat, unobstructed | Morning or late afternoon | An hour |
| Grand and Petit Marché | Spices, vanilla, cloth | Centre, pedestrian streets | Morning | Two hours |
| Jardin de l'État | Botanical garden, museum | Steady slope | Afternoon | Two hours |
| Musée de Villèle | Slavery, colonisation | Car needed | A full day | Half a day there |
Four points in Saint-Denis, compared on what they ask of you.
The Barachois
- What you see
- Seafront, cannons, port
- Access
- Flat, unobstructed
- When
- Morning or late afternoon
- Time
- An hour
Grand and Petit Marché
- What you see
- Spices, vanilla, cloth
- Access
- Centre, pedestrian streets
- When
- Morning
- Time
- Two hours
Jardin de l'État
- What you see
- Botanical garden, museum
- Access
- Steady slope
- When
- Afternoon
- Time
- Two hours
Musée de Villèle
- What you see
- Slavery, colonisation
- Access
- Car needed
- When
- A full day
- Time
- Half a day there
The capital crosses quickly. You understand it walking back up from the port to the garden.
- Start at the Barachois on arrival, to place the town against the sea.
- Head up to the Grand Marché before noon, while the stalls are full.
- Take the cross streets, where the Creole façades are better kept.
- End at the Jardin de l'État, late in the afternoon, as the heat drops.
What visitors say
2 comments
Fatou
It is easy to walk down from the Jardin de l'État to the Barachois through the cross streets.
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