Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
HIKING AROUND CILAOS
There are fabulous hiking options in the vicinity of Cilaos, with well-marked trails suitable for all levels of fit-
ness. The tourist office produces a small leaflet that gives an overview of the walks in the Cirque. The most popu-
lar walks include the following:
»
Bras Rouge - about 2½ hours return. An easy walk to the top of a waterfall.
»
Col du Taïbit - about 4½ hours return, with 830m of altitude gain. An iconic climb to the pass that separates the
Cirque de Cilaos from the Cirque de Mafate. From the pass you can walk down to Marla in the Cirque de Mafate
in about 45 minutes. The starting point is signposted on the D242 (the road to Îlet-à-Cordes), 5km from Cilaos.
»
La Chapelle - this path connects Cilaos to Îlet-à-Cordes (about four hours return). You can skip the return walk
by taking the bus from Îlet-à-Cordes.
»
La Roche Merveilleuse - about two hours return. A gentle ramble to the lookout (
Click here
), with lofty views
over Cilaos. Also accessible by car.
»
Sentier Botanique - an easy 90-minute loop with a focus on local flora (most species are labelled). Perfectly
suitable for families. It starts at La Roche Merveilleuse.
»
Le Kervéguen - about five hours return. Offers spendid views of the Cirque. The starting point is signposted on
the D241 (the road to Bras-Sec), 5km from Cilaos.
Rock Climbing
Rock climbing is becoming increasingly popular in Cilaos. There is no shortage of awe-
some cliffs and gorges, particularly the stunning Fleurs Jaunes area, which is home to
dozens of mind-boggling ascents, graded 4 to 8 (easy to difficult). For novices, there are
also
falaise-écoles
(training cliffs that are specially equipped for beginners). Run Évasion
(
Click here
)
and Cilaos Aventure (
Click here
)
employ qualified instructors. Plan on €45
per person.
Cycling
The Cirque de Cilaos, with its dramatic topography and great scenic roads, is superb cyc-
ling terrain for experienced cyclists. Novices can ride to La Roche Merveilleuse (
Click
