PhotographeCilaos is the sunniest and driest of the 3 cirques on the island. Dominated by Piton des Neiges, which reaches 3,071 metres of altitude – known as the roof of the Indian Ocean, it was previously the chosen refuge of fleeing slaves called “noirs marrons”.
Take the RN1 from the city of Saint-Denis near Roland Garros international airport, and head south to the city of Saint-Paul on the Tamarinds road, then toward Saint-Louis. It takes about 90 minutes to get there by car from Saint-Louis.
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PhotographeTake the RN5, the only road – and a spectacle in itself – that leads to the heart of the cirque. With 400 bends, the road winds through a deep valley lined with ravines and vertical cliffs. It zigzags upwards tirelessly, bypassing and crossing tunnels, revealing awe-inspiring views from the heartland of nature to the village of Cilaos. Several inhabited sites are accessed from this road that cuts through the cirque to the foot of the Piton des Neiges including Palmiste rouge and Ilet à Cordes.
