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A highly protected National Park core
The cirque sits within the core of Reunion Island's National Park, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010. No road development is compatible with that status, either ecologically or legally.
A story from the island
The postman of Mafate: 253,000 km on foot, the incredible story of Ivrin Pausé
For forty years, the same man delivered the mail through the only cirque in France with no road at all. His rounds added up to six times around the Earth. Here's the story of Ivrin Pausé, the postman of Mafate, and the legacy he left on the trails of the island.
40 yearsof service253,000 kmcovered≈30tof mail1928-2019aged 91
Why everyone knows him
A figure who became a legend of the cirque
If you walk the trails of the Mafate cirque today, you might still cross paths with a La Poste postman, backpack on, climbing up to Grand Place or heading back down towards Sans-Souci. Before him, it was Ivrin Pausé who held the post for four decades, in the years when Mafate had no daily helicopter, no mobile coverage, and no running water in every hamlet.
This was a man born in the cirque, who inherited the job from his father Henry, who saw almost every resident's children born, and who lived to see, before he retired, the arrival of supply helicopters, the opening of gîtes, and the explosion of hiking tourism. Forty years wearing the same uniform in the same road-free cirque is what turned Ivrin Pausé from a job into a legend. The local press documented his death in 2019 in several tributes reproduced by Outre-mer La 1ère ( source ).
Timeline
The life of Ivrin Pausé in eight dates
From his birth at Grand Place in 1928 to the bronze bust installed on the same hamlet in 2016, here are the milestones of a life entirely devoted to the Mafate cirque.
The Mafate cirque seen from the Hauts. No vehicle access, only trails. This is the landscape Ivrin crossed every working day, for 40 years.
- 2 January 1928
Born at Grand Place
Ivrin Pausé was born at the heart of the Mafate cirque, at Grand Place, in the hills of Saint-Paul. His father, Henry Pausé, a former rural police officer, had become the cirque's very first postman.
- 1951
He takes over from his father
At 23, Ivrin put on the cap of La Poste (the French postal service) for his first round. He took over from his father on a route with no road, no vehicle, no option but walking.
- 1960
The Grand Place grocery store opens
Between mail rounds, Ivrin opened his own grocery store at Grand Place. The shop quickly became a gathering point for the hamlet, as much as a business.
- 1991
Last round after forty years
Ivrin Pausé retired after four decades of rounds on foot. The final tally, calculated by his successors and the local press: around 253,000 km covered, the equivalent of six times around the Earth.
- 1993
Awarded the National Order of Merit
The French Republic officially recognised forty years of public service under extraordinary conditions. The honour was presented to Ivrin Pausé during his lifetime.
- 1999
Le Bougainvillier opens its doors
Ivrin and his family opened a stopover gîte at Grand Place named 'Le Bougainvillier'. Hikers coming down from the Maïdo found a meal and a bed there, and often a story told by the postman himself.
- 2016
A statue in his likeness at Grand Place
A bronze bust in Ivrin's likeness was erected in front of the grocery store, the first time a Mafate resident had been honoured this way in their home hamlet.
- 29 August 2019
Passes away at 91
Ivrin Pausé passed away at 91, to unanimous tributes from the people of the cirque, the Prefect of Reunion Island and La Poste, who honoured him as 'the face of Mafate for half a century'.
By the numbers
Forty years of rounds, in numbers
These figures were calculated and published by the local press at the time of Ivrin's death, by cross-referencing his daily round, his years of service and the average amount of mail carried per week. They give a sense of the real effort behind the picture-postcard image of Mafate's postman.
- Years of service1951-1991
- Total distance covered≈253,000 km
- Equivalent to6 times around the Earth
- Mail carried on foot≈30 tonnes
- Typical elevation gain / round1,000-1,500 m
- Hamlets servedGrand Place, Roche Plate, Aurère, Îlet à Bourse
- Known direct successorSébastien Mafouana
- Permanent tributeBust at Grand Place (2016)
Context
Why a postman on foot in Mafate?
Mafate is the only cirque in Reunion Island completely cut off from the road network. No road goes in, none comes out. That's what makes the postman's round unique in France, and it's also why La Poste keeps walking to this day.
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A landscape impossible to break through
The ramparts enclosing the cirque rise over 1,000 m in places, within just a few kilometres. A road project would require tunnels and engineering structures that no one has ever seriously put on the table.
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A public service maintained at all costs
Mail delivery remains a right in every inhabited hamlet. That obligation, combined with the lack of a road, is what makes the on-foot round necessary, then as now.
In the postman's footsteps
Visiting Mafate today
The cirque has changed since Ivrin's time, but walking remains the only way in (aside from helicopter). Three concrete ways to discover Mafate, including a direct stop at Grand Place to pay respects at the bust and spend a night with the Pausé household.
On siteStay with the postman's family, Îlet des Orangers
The gîte run by the line of Mafate postmen. Half-board from €45, wood-fire meals, on-foot access via Sans-Souci.
See the gîteTop pickMafate in 2 days: 5 routes
From the Col des Bœufs to the Col du Taïbit, 5 tested crossings from easiest to most demanding, with waymarked gîtes and camping spots.
See the routes
Top ratedFly over Mafate by helicopter
The only angle that does justice to the scale of the cirque, on the same route that resupplies the hamlets. Full tour at €305.
See helicopter ratesFrequently asked questions
The most common questions
How do Mafate's residents live today?
Mafate's residents live in the îlets, high-altitude hamlets served only by trail or helicopter. Heavy supplies come in via helicopter rotations run by the SDIS (fire and rescue service) and private operators, while mail and light parcels are still delivered on foot. Most families run gîtes, table d'hôte dinners or small grocery stores for hikers, supplemented by some livestock and market gardening. Primary school is available in the main hamlets (La Nouvelle, Marla, Aurère), but secondary-school pupils head down to the Cilaos cirque or Saint-Paul to continue their education.
Who is the postman of Mafate today?
Mail delivery is now handled by Sébastien Mafouana, nicknamed 'Bat'Ker', who covers the cirque's trails on behalf of La Poste. He carries on after three generations of the Pausé family and their successors, and remains one of the very few postal workers in France to complete his round entirely on foot.
Can you meet the Pausé family at Grand Place?
The grocery store and the gîte 'Le Bougainvillier' are still running at Grand Place and remain family-run. Ivrin's bust is freely visible at the entrance to the hamlet, right in front of the store. Many hikers make it a symbolic stop on the Maïdo-Mafate crossing.
How many kilometres did Ivrin Pausé cover in a day?
The local press and the family's account describe rounds of 30 to 40 km a day, with an average of 1,000 to 1,500 m of elevation gain depending on the hamlets served. That's the equivalent of a major trail-running route, repeated five days out of seven, for decades on end. His total distance, around 253,000 km, is equivalent to six times around the Earth.
Why is there no road into Mafate?
Mafate is a cirque fully protected within the core of Reunion Island's National Park, and its steep, sheer ramparts make building a road both ecologically unacceptable and technically unrealistic. No vehicle, not even an off-roader, travels inside it. The only official access points are the trails (Maïdo, Sans-Souci, Col des Bœufs, Aurère) and helicopter for supplies and medical evacuations.
Go further
Keep reading
- → The postman's gîte, Îlet des Orangers: a meal and a night's stay with the line of postmen.
- → The 2-day Mafate hike: 5 tested routes from the Col des Bœufs to the Col du Taïbit.
- → Rent a van in Reunion Island: a smart way to reach the trailheads (Maïdo, Sans-Souci, Col des Bœufs) without relying on a standard rental car.
- → All the latest articles in Reunion Island.