12 unusual things to do in Reunion Island

A genuine wild encounter, not a marine park: the animals decide whether or not to come and see you.

A quad gets you to viewpoints over Mafate you could never reach on foot in half a day, through primary forest normally closed to the public.

The only place on the island that mixes thrills (zipline, jumps) with gentle stretches on the same route. A perfect first taste of canyoning without the technical side.

A unique perspective: you are literally walking inside the mould of a lava flow, under rock that cooled only a few years ago. A humbling sense of scale.

One of the highest commercial bungee jumps in France, set in an exceptional basalt gorge. Pure adrenaline.

The lagoon is so clear you feel as if you are flying 50 cm above the coral. Unlike snorkelling, you don't need to be able to swim.

Saint-Leu ranks among the world's three best paragliding sites for the reliability of its thermals, and very few places let you spot whales from the air.

The only view that makes sense of the island's vertical landscape, and the only way to see Mafate's remote hamlets without a two-day hike.

Famous worldwide for its vertical scenery. A demanding day, but one you will never forget.

The east is the wettest, greenest part of Reunion Island, and a horse carries you through the boggy stretches without wearing you out.

The orange volcanic landscape of the Plaine des Sables is the closest thing to Mars on Earth, and riding it on a scooter adds a surreal gliding feeling.

Probably the warmest water for a first dive anywhere in France, with excellent visibility almost all year unless the sea is rough.