Itinerarios
L'Étang-Salé: black sand, forest and pond
La Réunion6 minpor Sejournia
L'Étang-Salé holds the coast between Saint-Louis and Saint-Pierre. The commune carries two landscapes found together nowhere else on the island: a volcanic sand beach and a state forest planted to hold the sand.
The commune has two parts: the town, set back, and L'Étang-Salé-les-Bains, on the coast. The catalogue's four places spread across them, from a villa for four to a house for ten.
The black sand beach
The sand comes from basalt, and its colour darkens the water rather than dirtying it. The beach faces the swell with no reef to break it: swimming depends on the day's conditions, read from the shore.
Black sand heats fast. At midday it becomes hard to walk on barefoot, and locals come late in the afternoon.
The state forest
The state forest of L'Étang-Salé was planted to fix the sand and slow erosion. It covers several hundred hectares of filao and casuarina, crossed by straight paths. You walk in shade there, which matters at this latitude.
The étang du Gol
The étang du Gol borders the commune to the north, towards Saint-Louis. It is a wetland used by water birds, with an old bridge over the outlet. The site walks well and is reached by car from the coastal road.
| What you do | Worth knowing | |
|---|---|---|
| Black sand beach | Swimming, walking, sunset | Direct swell, sand burns at midday |
| State forest | Shaded walking, mountain biking | Straight paths, little shade at the edge |
| Étang du Gol | Birdwatching | Wetland, access from the coastal road |
Three places in the commune, and what they ask of you.
Black sand beach
- What you do
- Swimming, walking, sunset
- Worth knowing
- Direct swell, sand burns at midday
State forest
- What you do
- Shaded walking, mountain biking
- Worth knowing
- Straight paths, little shade at the edge
Étang du Gol
- What you do
- Birdwatching
- Worth knowing
- Wetland, access from the coastal road
Black sand does not forgive a midday nap. It sets the timetable for the day.
- Come to the beach late in the afternoon, for the sand and the light.
- Read the sea from the shore before going in.
- Cross the forest on foot in the morning, while the shade still helps.
- Push on to the étang du Gol late in the day, along the coastal road.
Lo que dicen los visitantes
2 comentarios
Violaine
The black sand burns your feet at noon. We went at five in the afternoon and it was perfect.
Gérard
The forest is more interesting than it looks: you can walk in shade for kilometres.
Para leer después
42 alojamientos en La Reunión
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