Where to stay in Saint-Joseph: 6 guesthouses and villas in the wild south

Up the Jean-Petit road, 300 metres above the sea, Aurélie and Eric open their large Creole villa to a handful of couples. The air-conditioned rooms each have their own theme and look out over the Indian Ocean or the palm grove. In the garden, an infinity pool and a hot tub face the wild south coast.

Homemade breakfast is served on the veranda. Several evenings a week, the hosts cook Creole dinners with produce from the market and nearby growers, and reviewers love these shared meals, where guests swap tips about the island.

In Vincendo, the 19th-century stone buildings of an old sugar estate were a stable, then a distillery, before becoming a guesthouse. Rooms of 40 to 56 m² each have their own entrance and air conditioning, and one has a kitchenette. Outside there's a garden, a pool and a hot tub.

Breakfast is included and dinner is served at the hosts' table. Two things come up again and again in reviews: Marina, the host, and her Creole cooking. It has only 10 reviews on Agoda, but more than a hundred on Booking with a similar score.

A quirky house in La Cayenne, between Saint-Joseph town and Manapany-les-Bains, 400 metres from Sable Noir beach. Across 150 m², three double bedrooms, two bathrooms and a full kitchen sleep up to eight.

In the garden there's a heated private pool, a hot tub and a barbecue. Little ones are catered for too, with a paddling pool, a safety gate and a cot for an extra charge. Reviewers say everything has been thought of, and praise Béatrice, the owner.

Two self-contained units with different moods, in the Les Jacques neighbourhood. "Zen" is 50 m² with a sea view and sleeps up to five, while "Idylle", at 42 m², sleeps four. Each has its own hot tub and kitchen, and there's a pool as well.

The owners also offer massages and electric scooter hire. For a freshwater swim, the Langevin river and its string of pools are just a few minutes' drive away.

A privately let studio a kilometre from the town centre, with its own entrance, a terrace in the garden and a kitchenette. A washing machine and private parking make it easy for a stay of several nights. Les Jacques is a quiet residential area: the shops and the Friday market are a kilometre away, and the Langevin river a few minutes' drive.

Agoda guests give it 9.7/10 from 105 reviews, mentioning tasteful decor, spotless cleanliness and a thoughtful host. At our last check, a night cost €56.

A 130 m² house in the Langevin area, where the river comes down from the hills through a string of pools for swimming and picnics. Three bedrooms and two sofa beds sleep up to eight.

Full kitchen, barbecue, washing machine and a terrace: everything you need to fend for yourselves. Children are welcome, with a cot and high chair. The river pools are in the neighbourhood, and Grand Galet waterfall a few minutes' drive upstream.