Saint-Denis, Réunion

Saint-Denis

Réunion · North · 15 m

Description

Saint-Denis is the capital of Réunion and the arrival point for almost every visitor, a French administrative city on the northern coast with the mountains rising steeply behind it within a few streets of the sea. Rue de Paris is lined with creole mansions of the nineteenth century, wooden villas with lambrequin fretwork and shaded verandas, several of them open as museums. A mosque, a Tamil temple and a cathedral stand close together. The Barachois seafront has no beach, only a black basalt wall, cannons and a promenade where the city gathers at dusk. Most visitors collect a hire car and leave within a day.

Length of stay

Recommended length of stay: 1 to 3 days (optimal 2 days)

Travel season

Best time to visit: May – November

  • Jan
  • Feb
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • Jun
  • Jul
  • Aug
  • Sep
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec

Highlights

  1. Creole mansions of the Rue de Paris
  2. Barachois seafront and its cannons
  3. Jardin de l'État and the natural history museum
  4. Grande Mosquée Noor-e-Islam
  5. Tamil temple of Le Chaudron
  6. Léon Dierx art museum
  7. Cathedral and the Saint-Jacques quarter
  8. Market halls and creole street food
  9. La Montagne viewpoint over the city
  10. Roche Écrite hike above the town(Day trip)
  11. Sainte-Marie and the coastal road east

Getting there

Airports:
RUN

Map view

More travel destinations in Réunion

Réunion country pageRéunion in the Explorer