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Reunion Island listed by Unesco

A great achievement for Reunion Island

Since 2010, La Réunion National Park features as one of the natural wonders listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO… And rightly so! This magnificent natural area was born thanks to the efforts and hard work of local, national and international organisations, to protect the natural diversity of the island’s Highlands. More specifically, the “Pitons, Cirques and Ramparts” of Reunion Island provide exceptional universal value for UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites.

The Pitons, Cirques and Ramparts

From the tropical heat of the Lowlands  to the fresh air of the Highlands and the lush green forests of the East to the ochre savannahs of the  West, Reunion Island has so many different contrasted landscapes on offer. A wide variety of animal and plant species, some of them endemic, flourish here, and some of them can’t be found anywhere else in the world! That is why it’s so important to protect this unique environment, and why the National Park was created: the project began in 1985 !

In 2000, it was decided to transform the area into a national park and a request was sent to the Ministry for the Environment, but it was only in 2007 that the park was officially created !

Reunion Island’s listing as UNESCO worldwide heritage: what an achievement

 

La Réunion National Park has been one of the natural areas listed as a Worldwide Heritage site by UNESCO since 2010, representing around 42% of the island’s total surface area. It actually concerns the very heart of the national park, the Piton d’Anchaing in the Cirque of Salazie, the Piton de Sucre, La Chapelle in the Cirque of Cilaos, the Grande Chaloupe in the north and the Mare Longue in the south. UNESCO recognises that the “Pitons, Cirques and Ramparts” of Reunion Island create a spectacular landscape and contribute to the conservation of the terrestrial biodiversity of the Mascarene Islands.

Did you know: And the story continues! The park’s charter is reviewed every ten years, meaning that new areas can be added to the protected zones.

The top 5 Unesco sites

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