Nadia
Anse des Raisinsiers stays the safest with children: the water stays shallow a long way out.
Itineraries
Saint-Gilles-les-Bains: four beaches and a lagoon
La Réunion6 minby Camille Revest
Saint-Gilles-les-Bains belongs to the commune of Saint-Paul and forms its seaside quarter. The reef cuts the lagoon off from open water, which changes the swimming from one beach to the next.
Saint-Gilles-les-Bains is a commune in the Saint-Paul district, on the west coast. The town sits between the port and the beach, and the four beaches worth the trip run in sequence along a few kilometres of shore.
The reef separates the lagoon from open water. The water is calm on most of the beaches, which makes the place familiar to families. Where the reef breaks, the swell shows as breakers offshore.
Anse des Raisinsiers and the Grand'Anse
Anse des Raisinsiers opens the series to the west. White sand, water shallow over a long stretch, and low vegetation edging the beach without crowding it. It is the most sheltered of the four.
The Grand'Anse comes next, wider and more exposed. It earns its name: the sand stretches noticeably further, and so does the crowd.
- Anse des Raisinsiers: shallow bottom, suited to children
- Grand'Anse: more room, more wind, more people
- Shops and food on both beaches
- A bus stop at the roadside, no booking needed
L'Hermitage and the Roches Noires
L'Hermitage continues the lagoon eastwards, with the same white sand and the same shallow water. Les Aigrettes, the neighbouring hamlet, looks over the same water through narrower access points.
The Roches Noires close the series, behind the port. The name comes from the basalt that breaks the surface and darkens the shallows. Swimming there is more technical: the bottom is uneven and the rocks are slippery.
The port and the town
The marina closes the western end of the town. It is busiest in the morning, when the fishing boats come back in, and works as the landmark for reaching the beaches on foot.
| Bottom | Exposure | Suited to | Access | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anse des Raisinsiers | Sand, very shallow | Sheltered | Children, long swims | Road, roadside parking |
| Grand'Anse | White sand | Windy | Room to spread out, walking | Road, large car park |
| L'Hermitage | Sand, shallow | Calm | Families, late day | On foot from the town |
| Roches Noires | Uneven basalt | Behind the port | Walking, photographs | On foot from the port |
The four beaches, compared on what they ask of you.
Anse des Raisinsiers
- Bottom
- Sand, very shallow
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- Suited to
- Children, long swims
- Access
- Road, roadside parking
Grand'Anse
- Bottom
- White sand
- Exposure
- Windy
- Suited to
- Room to spread out, walking
- Access
- Road, large car park
L'Hermitage
- Bottom
- Sand, shallow
- Exposure
- Calm
- Suited to
- Families, late day
- Access
- On foot from the town
Roches Noires
- Bottom
- Uneven basalt
- Exposure
- Behind the port
- Suited to
- Walking, photographs
- Access
- On foot from the port
All four beaches fit into one day on foot. The car is only for getting back.
- Start at the Roches Noires on arrival, to see the basalt before swimming.
- Swim at Anse des Raisinsiers mid-morning, while the wind is still light.
- Eat at the port, then walk to the Grand'Anse.
- Finish at l'Hermitage, when the light drops over the lagoon.
What visitors say
2 comments
Thomas
The port in the morning, before the swimmers arrive, is worth the trip.
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