Mafate hike in 2 days: 5 routes from easy to challenging

Spread over two days, this walk is gentle enough for most people, and it already gives you a fantastic taste of Mafate's landscapes. The trail starts with 20 to 30 easy minutes along a track before properly entering the cirque.

Right at the start, a first viewpoint over the mountains opens the walk. Next comes a popular but perfectly safe descent, with plenty of steps. The trail then flattens out across a plain, where you sometimes pass small cows grazing among the tamarind trees.

At the fork between Marla (left) and La Nouvelle, head down to the hamlet, which gets more and more charming as the first houses come into view. For the return the next day, two options: retrace the same trail, or take the Charrette path, which opens up different views over the cirque.

The hike starts with a steep climb over roughly 2 km, either following the track's hairpins or cutting through the woods on steeper shortcuts.

Once at the top, it's 10 km of flat walking along the Orangers aqueduct. You walk along the hillside on a trail with exceptional panoramas over the entrance to Mafate, the mountains ahead, and the Rivière des Galets down to the left. Little shade along the way, so bring sun protection (hat, sunscreen, water).

At the end of the aqueduct, a small, low-flow waterfall and a tunnel mark the start of the climb up to the hamlet. The ascent alternates steps and passages through small gorges, short but tiring after the preceding kilometres. At the "Îlet des Orangers" sign, two paths: left to the main village, right to a smaller hamlet with a sweeping view down over Mafate. The return the next day follows the same trails, this time with the ocean as a backdrop.

Walking from Cilaos to Marla calls for a reasonable level of fitness. The climb up Col du Taïbit is steep and your calves will feel it, but the beauty of the panorama makes it more than worthwhile.

You get straight into it with a zigzagging climb of nearly 300 m of elevation gain up to Îlet des Salazes, where a local association has set up in the middle of nowhere. On site: herbal teas and treats at pay-what-you-like prices, curry available at weekends, and proper bivouac areas if you want to split the walk in two.

Beyond the hamlet, the walk continues towards Col du Taïbit. Just before the summit, a brief respite with a few hundred flat metres before the final 200 m climb. At the pass, spectacular views over both the Mafate and Cilaos cirques at once. A long 430 m descent follows down to Marla, where you settle in for the night before returning the next day along the same trails.

This hike takes in the most hamlets (5 in total) in the least time. Its variety of scenery is what sets it apart: walking along the riverbed (swimming possible), stretches through forest, and hillside walking with superb panoramas over the cirque.

The first section packs in most of the elevation gain. After a few flat kilometres, the climb towards Aurère begins mid-morning. This very flowery hamlet is ideal for a lunch stop, with a snack bar, a local bakery and grassy areas to rest. You can also sleep there: Tatie Jo's gîte is one of my favourite places to stay in the whole cirque.

For those pushing on to Îlet à Bourse, continue towards Îlet à Malheur (a lovely village with its church at its heart), then La Plaque, and finally Îlet à Bourse for a much gentler end to the day. Allow around 5 hours of walking on day one. The next day, it takes around 3 hours to reach Deux-Bras via Grand Place and Cayenne, with a final choice between the footbridge over the Rivière des Galets or walking along the riverbed if you fancy cooling off. Remember to book the return 4x4.

This hike takes in two of the finest trails in northern Mafate. Sentier Scout, almost entirely downhill, opens up a wide range of views over the cirque: forest walking, hairpins, then a ridge with the cirque opening up on both sides. Not particularly hard, but care is needed: plenty of switchbacks, roots and high steps that can catch out less experienced walkers.

At the end of Sentier Scout, La Plaque marks a junction towards different parts of Mafate. Follow signs for Îlet à Malheur then Aurère to end day one (around 3 hours 30 of walking).

The next day, return via Sentier Augustave (recently reopened after several months of works): a mix of cliffside walking (mind the exposure) and a stroll along a ravine floor with a few waterfalls to cool off in. One last short but demanding climb brings you back to the car.