Park or nature areaUsable guide

Cirque de Mafate

Caldera in Réunion, France

Photo: David Monniaux, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

Cirque de Mafate is a cirque in Réunion National Park, the western of the three craters on the extinct volcano Piton des Neiges on the volcanic island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean . Due to the lack of an access road, the Cirque de Mafate is only accessible on foot and from the air and is highly attractive hiking terrain in a wild, rugged volcanic landscape with a tropical-exotic natural area. As part of the "inner zone" of the Réunion National Park, which was founded in 2007, the valley basin is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Where to eat, drink and stay

Eat1 place

Lodging

Maison de la Montagne
During peak travel times, reservations are required several weeks in advance, and the price for an overnight stay is around €15. 2 days before arrival, the reservation should be confirmed by telephone directly with the accommodation, at the same time desired meals must be pre-ordered. The sanitary facilities (showers, toilets) are simple but available. The showers are usually warm with the widespread solar systems on the hut roof. Analogous to the European environmental protection regulations, no rubbish brought by visitors from the valley should be left behind in the mountains or at the hut. A plastic bag is helpful for this purpose.
Address
5 rue Rontaunay, 97400 St Denis
Phone
+262 262 90 78 78

Getting there and around

Getting around

Hiking is your only way to get around Cirque de Mafate.

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Airports and nearby hotels

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Roland Garros Airport

Sainte-Marie · International · RUN

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Read before you go to Cirque de Mafate

Articles and travel topics about Cirque de Mafate and Réunion.

Nature & adventure

Hiking in Réunion

Hiking is a good way to see Réunion's rugged mountaintops, cirques and pitons and the French overseas department is never short of hiking trails one could attempt.

Wikivoyage

Travel tips

Driving in Réunion

Perhaps one of France's most picturesque and scenic overseas departments is best explored by driving. Many of Réunion's pitons, cirques and volcanoes are only accessible via driving and is also a great convenient way to…

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Itineraries

Hiking the Piton de la Fournaise

The piton de la Fournaise (which translates to Furnace Peak in English) provides some excellent hiking opportunities on Réunion's only active volcano.

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Itineraries

Africa itineraries

Itineraries in Africa

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Full travel guide

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SettlementsIn the basin there are about ten villages, the "Ilets", mostly with scattered settlement character and a total of about 800 inhabitants.

UnderstandThe crater basin got its name from the island's legendary slave Mafat, who fled to the basin in the middle of the 18th century, but was caught there by the equally legendary slave hunter Mussard.

Get in

Get aroundHiking is your only way to get around Cirque de Mafate.

SeeThe Maïdo (2,205 m) is a viewpoint on the western crater rim of the Cirque de Mafate and one of the best viewpoints over the Cirque.

DoThe crater basin is a well-developed hiking area and is crossed by about ten hiking routes, including two of the three long-distance hiking trails on the island (GR R1 and GR R2) with several variant routes.

BuyThe larger settlements have their own "village shop". In addition to drinking water and a selection of foodstuffs such as beverage cans and alcoholic beverages (beer, wine), you can also buy chocolate or other sweets.

EatIn the mountain huts there is simple Creole cuisine with rice, legume sauce and meat stew, all well seasoned, plus one or two exotic fruits from their own garden.

Sleep

Go next

Réunion National Park

Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Cirque de Mafate" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Summary from the Wikipedia article "Mafate", available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia
Photo: David Monniaux, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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