Saint-Gilles is a village located along the west coast of the island of Réunion, in the commune of Saint-Paul. It is the site of the island's most popular seaside resort which boasts a 20 kn stretch of lagoon and beautiful golden sand.
Boucan Canot and Roches Noires are popular surfing spots. The beach of Hermitage is protected by a coral reef and is part of the protected area of the marine park of Réunion. South of Saint-Gilles you’ll find the black sand beach of Etang Sale which is Reunion’s longest beach. An excursion to the Maido peak is an opportunity to admire the western heights’ characteristic vegetation along the picturesque road and, of course, the Cirque of Mafate from the Maido look-out point.
Things to See & Do
* Casino of Saint-Gilles
* Sea Aquarium
* Waterfalls of Saint Gilles river
* The Garden of Eden – a botanical garden
* Swimming, snorkeling and deep-sea fishing
General Information
Cruise Season – Jan - Dec
Currency – French Franc
Language – French
Population – 839,500 (Reunion)
Land Area – 2,512 km (Reunion)
Electricity – 2 round pins European style or with a round pin below
Time – GMT plus four hours
International Country Telephone Code – + 230
Travel Links – It's not possible to fly direct to Reunion from the UK, Canada, the USA or Australia. Travellers will need to connect in Europe, usually Paris, or in Singapore for those flying from Australia. Air France are the main carrier flying into Reunion's Roland Garros airport.
An alternative is to fly to Mauritius and catch one of the short flights between the two islands with Air Mauritius; British Airways fly direct to Mauritius from London, and Emirates fly direct from Dubai.
It's possible to travel from Mauritius to Reunion by the ferry 'Mauritius Pride'; the overnight journey takes around 12 hours.