The lookout
The whole cirque below.
Yoann Boyer yoannboyer — CC0 · Alexandre Péribé — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rémih — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rémih — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rémih — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Cirque de Mafate is a volcanic caldera formed by the collapse of the Piton des Neiges on Réunion, and no road reaches it, so it can only be entered on foot or by helicopter. Le Maïdo, a 2,205 m summit about 17 km in a straight line east of Saint-Gilles-les-Bains, overlooks it from the west. The cirque was settled in the 19th century by runaway slaves and later by poor labourers, and today it has one village, La Nouvelle, and several hamlets such as Marla and Roche-Plate. Residents live on solar power, heavy supplies arrive by helicopter, and many host hikers overnight in simple gîtes. A forest road lined with native acacias, known locally as mountain tamarinds, climbs from Saint-Paul to the top of Le Maïdo, ending at an easy lookout where the whole cirque spreads below and the island's great peaks rise around it. It is the island's second most visited natural site, and trails drop from it into the cirque. The visit is free. Go up early in the morning, as cloud usually rises out of the cirque before noon and hides the view, and bring warm layers, since the air is cold at the top.
The whole cirque below.
On foot only.
Mountain woodland.
Route forestière du Maïdo, Saint-Paul, Réunion
No, it is reached only on foot or by helicopter.
Early morning, before the cloud rises.