The guidebook's top 10 must-sees and my own local take: where I agree, what I'd add, the printed guide's three blind spots, five experiences you won't find anywhere else, and a detailed FAQ.
Lonely Planet is still one of the world's go-to guides for planning a trip. Its Reunion Island picks are solid and give first-time visitors a good framework. But like any printed guide, it has its limits: it can't keep up in real time, it favours the best-known spots, and it's sometimes overly cautious on sensitive topics.
This page takes a critical look at the guide: Lonely Planet's top 10 with my own take on each spot, three blind spots worth knowing about (shark risk, cyclone season, crowds), five experiences you'll only find here, and a detailed FAQ. For Lonely Planet's own selection, see their dedicated article: Lonely Planet publishes several regularly updated articles on the best things to do in Reunion Island.
For each entry in the top 10: what the guide says in a few words, and whether I agree or would add a caveat.
| # | Place | Lonely Planet | My take |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Piton de la Fournaise | An accessible volcano, a spectacular landscape | Agreed. Go early (8-11am) before the cloud rolls in, and don't plan your trip around catching an eruption. |
| 02 | Mafate cirque | The only cirque with no road, on foot only | A must-see, but tougher than people think. Allow 2-3 days minimum, and you need to be an experienced hiker. |
| 03 | L'Hermitage lagoon | A turquoise coastline, snorkelling, beaches | Agreed, but crowded in high season. Go early in the morning or outside the school holidays. |
| 04 | Cilaos cirque | A thermal cirque, wine, embroidery | Agreed. The road of 400 bends is worth the trip on its own. Allow 2-3 days there. |
| 05 | Salazie and Hell-Bourg | One of France's Most Beautiful Villages, Creole houses | Agreed, but often wet (it's the rainiest cirque). Check the forecast before you go. |
| 06 | Langevin waterfall (Grand Galet) | A multitude of water strands | Agreed, and quick to reach from Saint-Joseph. Swimming is allowed, but the pool can get crowded. |
| 07 | The lava road at Grand Brûlé | Lava flows dated 1998-2007 | Agreed. A geological experience unlike anywhere else in France: an out-and-back drive with little walking. |
| 08 | Saint-Pierre and its Saturday market | A historic centre, a seafront | Agreed for the market. As a base, though, the west coast is more practical for the beach. |
| 09 | Anse des Cascades in Sainte-Rose | A waterfall on the shoreline, palm trees | A favourite on the east coast, and not touristy. Combine it with Bourg-Murat and the volcano. |
| 10 | Saint-Denis's Creole architecture | The capital, bourgeois houses, the Barachois | Underrated by visitors who come for the outdoors. It deserves a proper half-day on foot in the historic centre. |
Three sensitive topics the guide touches on, but without the practical detail you need once you're there.
Few general guidebooks go into it in detail. Since 2011, several fatal attacks have led to a strict classification of beaches: lifeguarded zones (Boucan-Canot, Roches Noires), the Marine Reserve zone (L'Hermitage) protected by the coral reef, and other beaches where swimming is not advised. Lonely Planet mentions it, but without the practical detail you need on the ground.
Trails are often closed by order of the prefecture (the local state authority), the weather is unpredictable, flights are delayed or cancelled, and National Park trails can stay closed for weeks after a cyclone. Travelling in this season is possible, but you need flexibility, a plan B for everything and a close eye on Météo France and the prefecture. A printed guidebook can't keep up with that in real time.
Maïdo in high season (July-August, school holidays): crowds, a full car park and fog by 11am. L'Hermitage beach at the weekend: a battle for parking spaces and a patch of sand. The guide sells the picture-perfect deserted beach, but in 2026 you need to arrive early (before 8am) or come outside the school holidays to find it.
Beyond the famous must-sees, five genuinely unique experiences worth fitting into any stay of more than a week.
At Grand Brûlé, lava flows from 1998, 2002, 2004 and 2007 lie one after another. You're touching solidified lava that's younger than you are. Unique in Europe and extremely rare worldwide.
Mafate is the only cirque (a vast volcanic amphitheatre) in France with no road. You can only reach its villages on foot or by helicopter. 800 people live there, in a world apart.
L'Hermitage and La Saline: a coral reef, clear turquoise water and endemic marine life (parrotfish, leopard rays). A French overseas department that looks like the Maldives.
At 3,070m, it's the highest peak in the Indian Ocean. Set off between 11pm and 1am, reach the summit by 5.30-6am and watch the sun rise over a sea of clouds. A tough, almost mystical experience.
From June to October, humpback whales swim up from the south to give birth in Reunion Island's warm waters. Take a 2-3 hour trip with an operator holding the Quiétude label (the local responsible whale-watching charter). You'll often see a mother and calf just metres away.