Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Around St-Leu
After all that exertion in St-Leu, there's no better way to wind down than by exploring the
villages that cling to the sloping hills high above the town. The zigzagging roads are scen-
ic to boot and the atmosphere wonderfully laid-back.
Sights
To the north of St-Leu, take the D12, known as Route des Colimaçons - a series of
intestine-like S-curves - then veer due south on the D3 to
La Chaloupe St-Leu
before
plunging back to the coast via
Piton St-Leu
, where the brightly painted
Hindu temple
is worth
a gander. If you really want to get away from it all, you could continue to drive uphill
from the village of
Les Colimaçons
until you reach the Route Forestière des Tamarins, which
threads for 36km across the slopes from Le Tévelave to Le Maïdo - sensational. Whatever
your itinerary, a good road map is essential as it's easy to get disorientated.
Conservatoire Botanique
National de Mascarin
( 0262 24 92 27;
www.cbnm.org
; 2 Rue du Père Georges, Les Colimaçons; adult/child €7/5; 9am-5pm Tue-
Sun)
On the Route des Colimaçons, on the slopes north of St-Leu, this attractive garden is
in the grounds of a 19th-century Creole mansion and contains an impressive collection of
native plant species, all neatly labelled, as well as many from around the Indian Ocean.
Spitting distance from the Conservatoire is the
Église du Sacré-Coeur
. This majestic church
was built in 1875, using lava stones.
GARDENS
Stella Matutina
( 0262 34 16 24;
www.stellamatutina.fr
;
10 Allée des Flamboyants)
About 4km south of St-Leu on the
D11 to Piton St-Leu and Les Avirons, this museum is dedicated primarily to the sugar in-
dustry, but also provides fascinating insights into the history of the island and has exhibits
on other products known and loved by the Réunionnais, such as vanilla, orchids, gerani-
ums and vetiver.
Note that the museum was closed at the time of writing because of major renovation
works. It should be open by the time you read this.
MUSEUM
Sleeping & Eating
