Saint-Pierre Street Market: Saturday Morning, 400 Stalls
The biggest market in the south of Reunion Island, every Saturday from dawn to 12.30pm: 400 stalls in the centre of Saint-Pierre, with a covered hall and outdoor lanes. Saint-Joseph Bourbon vanilla, cabri chillies, hot samosas and Creole basketware. Here are the opening hours, parking tips, the market's 4 sections and 5 hotels nearby.
400 stallsSaturday only5am-12.30pm opening hoursFree entry and parking
Quick facts
Saint-Pierre Market at a Glance
Opening day
Saturday only
Hours
Dawn to 12.30pm
Number of stalls
About 400 stalls
Location
Town centre and covered hall
Claim to fame
The biggest market in the south of the island
South-coast specialities
Saint-Joseph vanilla, cabri chillies, pineapple
Getting there
Car (free parking) or Car Jaune bus
Wheelchair access
Step-free covered hall
Saint-Pierre's street market is the biggest market in the south of Reunion Island and one of the island's two main markets, along with Saint-Paul's. It combines a covered hall in the centre with outdoor lanes across several streets, so it works whatever the weather. Nearly 400 stalls set up every Saturday morning, selling south-coast fruit, Saint-Joseph Bourbon vanilla, Creole takeaway food, basketware and crafts. This page covers the 4 sections, practical tips and 5 hotels in the town centre.
4 sections to explore
Fruit, Vanilla, Food and Crafts
The market is organised into four main sections, split between the covered hall and the outdoor lanes. Here's what each one offers, typical prices and the specialities not to miss.
Section 1
South-coast fruit and chillies
What you'll find: South-coast producers
Fruit stalls dominate the entrance to the market. South-coast specialities include José mangoes from October to March (€5-8/kg), Victoria pineapples from Saint-Pierre all year round, passion fruit, papayas, guavas in season and plantains. For chillies, the south coast is still the main growing area for piment cabri (a small, fiery local chilli), sold as a red-and-yellow mix from €2 a basket. You'll also find kaffir limes, fresh ginger and turmeric root. Several producers come straight from the hills of Saint-Joseph, Le Tampon or Petite-Île.
Worth remembering: The cabri chilli stalls, the south coast's signature product
Section 2
Bourbon vanilla and spices
What you'll find: Saint-Joseph vanilla plantations
The south coast produces most of Reunion Island's Bourbon vanilla, with plantations in Saint-Joseph and Saint-Philippe. Several producers sell direct at the market: fresh pods (€8-14 for 4 depending on quality), vanilla powder, homemade vanilla sugar and vanilla-infused rum. For spices: Saint-Pierre turmeric, fresh ginger, pink pepper and blends for caris (Creole curries) and rougails (spicy tomato-based stews). Good vanilla should be supple and fragrant, ideally with a few white crystals on the surface (a sign of quality).
Worth remembering: The south's biggest vanilla stalls: buy fresh pods
Section 3
Creole food to take away
What you'll find: Samosas, stuffed chillies, grilled chicken
The food lane runs alongside the market. Golden samosas (€0.80-1.50 each), chillies stuffed with minced meat and cheese (a local speciality, from €1.50 each), spit-roast chickens (€8-12), bouchons (steamed dumplings), bonbons piment (chilli fritters) and achards (pickled vegetables). Hot dishes to take away: cari poulet (chicken curry), rougail saucisse (spicy sausage stew) and daube in season. Caterers sell full meal boxes for €7-10, a cheap Saturday lunch that's popular with locals. Samosas and stuffed chillies are cooked to order.
Worth remembering: The samosa and stuffed-chilli stalls, the go-to Saturday lunch
Section 4
Crafts and local produce
What you'll find: Basketware, honey, jam, rum
The craft stalls are mostly in the covered hall: Creole basketware in vacoa (screwpine) and latanier palm, embroidered rabane bags, baskets and straw hats. Mountain honey (lychee, pink pepper, forest) from €8 a jar, and green papaya, mango and passion fruit jams. Homemade rhum arrangé (infused rum: ginger, vanilla, flambéed banana) from €12 a bottle. Jewellery made from red pea or jackfruit seeds, and hand-printed sarongs. The hall offers shelter from sun and rain, and it's calmer than the outdoor lanes.
Worth remembering: The souvenir and local-produce section, ideal for gifts to take home
Getting ready to visit
Six Practical Tips Before You Go
Opening hours, parking, what to bring, hall or outdoor lanes, safety and what else to see in the south: six things to check before driving into Saint-Pierre.
Opening hours and the best time to go
Saturday only, from dawn to 12.30pm. The first stallholders set up at 5am, and the market is busiest around 9-10am. To avoid the crowds, go before 8am for the freshest fruit, or after 11.30am for last-minute bargains. Between 9am and 11am the lanes are packed. By late morning several stalls start packing up, but prices on some fresh produce can drop.
Parking
There's free parking around the market, in the town-centre and seafront car parks, but it fills up fast from 8.30am on Saturdays. The side streets or the ferry-terminal car park, 5-10 minutes' walk away, are a better bet. Without a car, several Car Jaune (island coach network) lines run to Saint-Pierre from Saint-Denis, and Saint-Pierre is also a regional bus hub. The market is a 10-minute walk from the bus station.
Gear and preparation
A hat or cap and sun cream are essential, as the market is only partly covered. Bring a water bottle, especially in the southern summer when it heats up fast in the south. Take a sturdy shopping bag (or several if you plan to buy fresh fruit and crafts) and small notes (€5 and €10) for small purchases, as not every stall takes cards. A backpack is more practical than a handbag.
Covered hall or outdoor market
Saint-Pierre's market has two areas: the central covered hall (crafts, spices, basketware, honey) and the outdoor lanes (fruit, vegetables, takeaway food). The hall works even in a downpour and is calmer, which suits families with a pushchair. The outdoor lanes have the buzz and the best deals on fresh fruit. Ideally, start outside early in the morning and finish in the hall around 10-11am.
Safety and precautions
The market is generally safe, with a relaxed, local, family atmosphere. Pickpocketing has been reported at busy times, so wear your backpack on your front and keep your phone in a closed pocket. There's no permanent police post on site; the gendarmerie is 5 minutes away by car. Foreign visitors have nothing in particular to worry about, and people are friendly and welcoming. With young children, bring a compact pushchair, as the outdoor lanes get narrow at busy times.
Combining the market with other spots in the south
For a full day: the market in the morning (7-11am), a Creole lunch on a terrace in town, then Saint-Pierre or Terre Sainte beach in the afternoon. For the volcano: the market in the morning, then the volcano road towards Bourg-Murat in the afternoon (1h15 drive). For culture: the market, then Saint-Pierre's Karly Hindu temple, one of the oldest in Reunion Island. For the wild south: the market, then the road to Anse des Cascades and Grand'Anse.
Where to stay near the market
5 Hotels Near Saint-Pierre Market
From a €93 guesthouse to a €215 5-star gîte among the sugar cane: 5 places on Agoda, 5 to 15 minutes from the market on foot or by car, all rated 8/10 or above by 57 to 113 guests.
Saint-Pierre9.3/10 (57 reviews)
La Kaz Banian
Guesthouse · best rating in Saint-Pierre
A seafront guesthouse in Saint-Pierre, 300 metres from Terre Sainte beach. An outdoor pool, 4 air-conditioned rooms, a private entrance, a fully equipped kitchen, sea views. 10 minutes' walk from the street market. Rated 9.3/10 from 57 Agoda reviews, the best rating in Saint-Pierre.
A cosy guesthouse in Saint-Pierre offering spacious 2-bedroom apartments with an equipped kitchen and living room. An enclosed outdoor pool, a private jacuzzi and free parking. 5 minutes' drive from the street market. Rated 9.1/10 from 113 Agoda reviews, a popular mid-range choice.
A 3-star hotel with 54 rooms opened in 2015, right in the centre of Saint-Pierre, near the seafront and the lagoon. Modern rooms with a balcony and kitchenette, a pool, the Le Jardin restaurant-bar. 5 minutes' walk from the street market. Practical if you want to do everything on foot in the centre.
A 44-room Exsel group hotel in the heart of Saint-Pierre's authentic fishing and street-art district. Studios with a kitchenette, and co-working spaces. 15 minutes' walk from the street market. A good base for discovering the town's creative, working-class side.
5-star Gîtes de France · villas among the sugar cane
Well-kept villas with a 5-star Gîtes de France rating, set among the sugar-cane fields of Saint-Pierre, 10 minutes from the town centre. Air-conditioned rooms, an equipped kitchen and a private terrace. A premium option if you want peace and quiet close to the market. Rated 8.6/10 from 57 Agoda reviews.
The market gives you the ingredients; a cooking class shows you what to do with them. Several operators on the south coast run Creole cooking workshops: buy spices at the market in the morning, cook in a small group in the afternoon, then share the meal. Cari poulet, rougail saucisse, achards and homemade samosas. A half-day, from €65 per person, the perfect follow-up to the market.
Saint-Pierre, the Terre Sainte district and the south coast as far as Grand'Anse and Manapany are especially striking from the air. The full-island tour covers the south coast before heading to the volcano and the cirques. 4 operators run flights in Reunion Island, 6 packages from €190 per person departing from Pierrefonds, Saint-Pierre's airport.
Combining Saint-Pierre, Saint-Paul and Hell-Bourg by Campervan
Saint-Paul on Friday, Saint-Pierre on Saturday, Hell-Bourg on Sunday morning: three markets in three days is perfect by campervan, with no need to keep changing accommodation. Yescapa connects local owners with travellers, with everything from compact campers to fully converted vans.
Tasting Creole specialities, a cooking class, a rum distillery visit, the Karly Hindu temple, a volcano trip, the wild south and a helicopter tour: 7 activities to round off a morning at the market.
Saint-Pierre's street market is open on Saturdays only, from dawn (5-6am for the first stallholders) until 12.30pm. It isn't held on any other day of the week. To combine it with another market, go to Saint-Paul on Friday (the island's biggest market) and Saint-Pierre on Saturday, then Hell-Bourg on Sunday morning for a smaller market in the Salazie cirque.
How many stalls are there at Saint-Pierre's market?
About 400 stallholders set up at Saint-Pierre's market on Saturday mornings, making it the biggest market in the south of the island and one of the two largest in Reunion Island alongside Saint-Paul's. The stalls cover fruit and vegetables, vanilla and spices, Creole takeaway food, basketware and crafts, spread between a central covered hall and outdoor lanes across several town-centre streets.
Where can you park to visit Saint-Pierre's market?
There's free parking around the market, in the town-centre and seafront car parks, but it fills up fast from 8.30am on Saturdays. The side streets or the ferry-terminal car park, 5-10 minutes' walk away, are a better bet. Without a car, several Car Jaune bus lines run to Saint-Pierre, and the market is a 10-minute walk from the bus station.
Is there a covered hall at Saint-Pierre's market?
Yes, the market combines a central covered hall with outdoor lanes across several town-centre streets. The hall is home to crafts, spices, basketware and honey; it's calmer and still works in the rain. The outdoor lanes have the fruit, vegetables, takeaway food and most of the buzz. It's one of the main differences from Saint-Paul's market, which is entirely outdoors.
What can you buy at Saint-Pierre's market?
Seasonal exotic fruit (José mangoes, Victoria pineapple, passion fruit, lychees in November-January), south-coast cabri chillies, Saint-Joseph Bourbon vanilla, spices, takeaway food (samosas, stuffed chillies, roast chicken, caris, rougails), Creole basketware, mountain honey, tropical fruit jams and homemade infused rums. The local speciality: chillies stuffed with meat and cheese, for around €1.50 each.
What's the best time to visit the market?
Before 8am for the freshest fruit and the smallest crowds. Between 9am and 11am it's at its busiest and liveliest, with packed lanes. After 11.30am, prices on some fresh produce can drop and several stallholders start packing up. The market closes at 12.30pm and doesn't reopen in the afternoon. If you want lunch there, arrive around 9-10am.
What's the difference between the Saint-Paul and Saint-Pierre markets?
Saint-Paul runs all day Friday and Saturday morning, about 300 stalls, entirely outdoors on the seafront. Saint-Pierre runs Saturday morning only, about 400 stalls, combining a covered hall with outdoor lanes in the town centre. Saint-Paul draws more west coast holidaymakers from the beach resorts, while Saint-Pierre is more local and working-class. The two markets complement each other on a trip.
Can you taste specialities on site?
Yes, several caterers and food stalls sell their specialities to take away or eat on the benches and terraces in town: golden samosas (€0.80-1.50 each), chillies stuffed with meat and cheese (a local speciality) and spit-roast chickens (€8-12). Full cari or rougail meal boxes cost €7-10. A few stalls let you taste before you buy (vanilla, honey, infused rum).
Is the market suitable for families with children?
Yes, it has a family atmosphere, and stallholders are generally welcoming to children. The covered hall is easier to get around with a pushchair and offers shelter from the sun. The outdoor lanes get narrow at busy times, so a baby carrier is worth bringing for the youngest. Fresh fruit and traditional sweet stalls are a hit with kids. There are public toilets near the hall. Keep a close eye on children, as the market is busy.
Can you negotiate prices at the market?
On fruit, vegetables and takeaway food there's little room for haggling, as prices are already low. On basketware, sarongs and jewellery you can usually get 10-15% off, especially on bigger purchases or late in the morning. For vanilla, compare 2 or 3 stalls and always smell it before buying: it should be supple and fragrant, ideally with a few white crystals.
Where should you stay near Saint-Pierre's market?
The closest places to stay are in central Saint-Pierre (5-10 minutes' walk from the market) and in Terre Sainte (10-15 minutes' walk). Guesthouses and small hotels dominate, from €93 to €215 a night depending on the standard. To combine the Saturday market with the beach and south-coast activities, the town centre is the best place to stay. The 5 Agoda hotels recommended above cover every budget.
What other markets are worth visiting in Reunion Island?
Saint-Paul has the island's biggest street market, running all day Friday and Saturday morning. Saint-Leu has a smaller market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Hell-Bourg, in the Salazie cirque, holds a small, authentic Sunday-morning market with produce from the cirque (chayotes, known locally as chouchous, plus fruit and honey). Le Tampon runs a market on Thursdays and Fridays. For a combined stay, aim for a Friday in Saint-Paul, a Saturday in Saint-Pierre and a Sunday in Hell-Bourg.
