Saint-Gilles-les-Bains

Saint-Gilles-les-Bains is the seaside resort of Réunion and the only stretch of the island with a proper coral lagoon, a reef-protected strip of white sand running south through L'Hermitage and La Saline. Swimming outside the reef has been prohibited since a series of shark attacks, so the lagoon itself carries all the bathing. The marina fills with catamarans running whale watching trips in the southern winter. Behind the beach the Étang-Salé road climbs to Trois Bassins, and the Saint-Gilles ravine holds three waterfall pools reached on a short walk. This is the one part of the island that feels like a holiday coast.