Dolomieu Crater
The widest summit crater.
Sylvain JORIS — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Pouyot — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Olaf2 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rémih — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Olaf2 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mart.wain — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gaëtan Hoarau — Public domain
Piton de la Fournaise, the «Peak of the Furnace», is a shield volcano on the eastern side of the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean, about 26 km in a straight line north-east of Saint-Pierre. It is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, which islanders simply call «le Volcan», and lies within Réunion National Park, a World Heritage Site. The top of the volcano is taken up by the Enclos Fouqué, a caldera about 8 km wide ringed by high cliffs. Inside it rises a lava shield about 400 m high, crowned by the wide Dolomieu Crater and the smaller Bory Crater, while near the trailhead sits a small crater called Formica Leo, named for its likeness to an antlion's sand trap. A mountain road climbs from the Plaine des Cafres across the Plaine des Sables, a bare, moon-like stretch of red and black volcanic sand, to the Pas de Bellecombe viewpoint on the caldera rim. From there a trail drops onto the caldera floor and crosses the lava to the rim of Dolomieu Crater, a round trip of about five hours. Entry is free, but access to the caldera closes during eruptions, so check the official alert level before you go. Start early, as cloud often covers the summit by afternoon, and bring warm layers and plenty of water.
The widest summit crater.
Red, moon-like plain.
Viewpoint on the rim.
Réunion National Park, Réunion
Access to the caldera closes during eruptions; check the official alert level.
Early in the morning, before cloud covers the summit.