Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Information
Hiking information is provided by the
Centrale d'Information et de Réservation Régionale - Île de la
Réunion Tourisme
( ; 0810 160 000;
www.reunion.fr
)
, and by associated tourist offices, including
those in Cilaos, Salazie, Hell-Bourg, Ste-Suzanne, St-Gilles-les-Bains, St-Pierre, St-Leu,
Plaine-des-Palmistes, Ste-Anne, St-Joseph and Bourg-Murat. All these offices organise
bookings for
gîtes d'étape et de randonnée
(walkers' lodges) and can give advice on which
paths are currently closed. They can also arrange hiking tours.
By far the most useful website for hikers is that of the Centrale de Réservation - Île de la
Réunion. It allows you to book your accommodation online.
The websites runrando.free.fr (in French) and
www.gites-refuges.com
are also useful.
For information on
état des sentiers
(closed trails), phone the voice service at
0262
37 38 39 (in French).
The
Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre
(FFRandonnée;
www.ffrandonnee.fr
)
is responsible for
the development and upkeep of the GR® walking tracks.
The definitive guide to the GR® R1, GR® R2 and GR® R3 is the TopoGuides GR®
Grande Rrandonnée
L'Île de la Réunion
(2012), published by the FFRandonnée. It uses
1:25,000 scale IGN maps and details the itineraries. The GR® R1 is described in six
étapes
(stages), the GR® R2 in 12 stages and the GR® R3 in five stages.
The FFRandonnée also publishes the Topo-guide PR®
Sentiers forestiers de L'Île de la
Réunion
(2011), which covers 25 walks varying from one-hour jaunts to six-hour hikes.
Published locally by Orphie,
52 Balades et Randonnées Faciles
is designed with chil-
dren in mind and describes outings that can be covered in less than four hours. A broader
range of walks is covered by
62 Randonnées Réunionnaises
(also by Orphie).
EMERGENCIES
In a real emergency out on the trail, lifting both arms to form a 'V' is a signal to helicopter pilots who fly over the
island that you need help. If you have a mobile phone, call the emergency services on
112.
