Laure
The marine cemetery is striking early in the morning, before the heat arrives.
Itineraries
Saint-Paul: the former capital and its market
La Réunion6 minby Camille Revest
Saint-Paul was Réunion's first administrative capital before handing the role to Saint-Denis. What remains of that period shows in the seafront, the marine cemetery and the houses of the town.
Saint-Paul is the second commune on Réunion by size, and the first to hold the title of capital. The town runs along the west coast, between the sea and the inland ridges.
The route has three parts: the seafront in the morning, the marine cemetery at midday, the pond late in the day. All three sit on the same coastal road.
The market on the seafront
The market runs along the promenade beside the beach on Friday and Saturday mornings. It is the largest on the west coast: stalls stretch the full length of the seafront, with covered sections in between.
Arrive early. The crowd is already heavy at opening, and the aisles tighten fast. Sources differ on the exact hours from one year to the next: check the dates before travelling.
- Island spices, vanilla and honey, pre-packaged or by weight
- Seasonal fruit and seafood at the top of the promenade
- Clothing and printed cloth, at the far end
- Cash to carry: some stalls do not take cards
The marine cemetery
South of the town, the marine cemetery occupies a terrace above the sea. It is listed as a historic monument. The white tombs and wrought-iron crosses read like a map of how the west coast was settled.
The site is open to visit. It faces the coast, and most of the path has no shade: the morning remains the better time.
The Saint-Paul pond
The Saint-Paul pond is a former lagoon, built up by deposits from the rivière des Galets. The national nature reserve protecting it was created in 2008, and the site became a wetland of international importance under Ramsar in July 2019.
The edge is reachable by car or on foot. Water birds gather there through the austral winter, from June to September, which makes the pond the natural follow-on to a morning at the market.
| What you do there | Access | Best time | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The market | Buying, eating there | Seafront, flat | Friday or Saturday morning | Two to three hours |
| Marine cemetery | Reading how the west was settled | South of the town, no shade | Morning | An hour |
| The Saint-Paul pond | Watching the birds | Coastal road | Late day, austral winter | An hour and a half |
Three parts of a day in Saint-Paul, compared.
The market
- What you do there
- Buying, eating there
- Access
- Seafront, flat
- Best time
- Friday or Saturday morning
- Time
- Two to three hours
Marine cemetery
- What you do there
- Reading how the west was settled
- Access
- South of the town, no shade
- Best time
- Morning
- Time
- An hour
The Saint-Paul pond
- What you do there
- Watching the birds
- Access
- Coastal road
- Best time
- Late day, austral winter
- Time
- An hour and a half
The market tells the hour: by noon, the fruit stalls have sold most of it.
- Get there before the market opens, to walk the aisles while they are still passable.
- Eat on the seafront while the stalls empty out.
- Walk down to the marine cemetery after eating, when the light softens.
- Finish at the pond late in the day, if the season allows it.
What visitors say
2 comments
Damien
Leave slack time around the market: the queue moves slowly on Saturday.
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