The viewpoint
On the rim of the gorge.
Jean-Louis Sicot — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mart.wain — CC BY-SA 4.0 · BBCLCD — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Samuel Busson — CC BY-SA 3.0
The Trou de Fer, the «Iron Hole», is a deep gorge in north-eastern Réunion, about 5 km in a straight line north-east of the village of Hell-Bourg. It is up to about 300 m deep, and at least six waterfalls pour into it from its green cliffs. The gorge has two parts: a wide basin fed by the waterfalls, and a narrow slot canyon about 3 km long through which the river escapes to join the Rivière du Mât. The combined height of the falls dropping into it, about 725 m, is often cited as the tallest waterfall on French territory. No one reached the bottom until the end of the 20th century: a first expedition in 1989 failed in torrential rain, and a second succeeded in 1990. Most visitors see it from a viewpoint at the top, reached by a trail through the Bélouve forest that starts near the forest lodge, reached by a forest road from La Plaine-des-Palmistes; hikers can also climb up to the forest from Hell-Bourg, and many fly over it by helicopter. The viewpoint is free; helicopter flights are paid. The trail turns muddy after rain, and views are clearest early in the morning, before mist fills the gorge.
On the rim of the gorge.
Trail through the trees.
Pouring off the cliffs.
Bélouve Forest, Salazie, Réunion
From a viewpoint in the Bélouve forest, or by helicopter.
Early morning before the mist, in dry weather.