Reunion Travel Overview

At a glance

Capital: St. Denis

Official language: French

Continent: Africa

Holidays on Reunion Island

The natural paradise of Réunion is located in the Indian Ocean. The mixture of African, Asian and European influences creates a unique atmosphere that is also reflected in the kitchen and fashion. The island is just under 800 km east of Madagascar and, along with Mauritius and Rodrigues, 200 km away, is part of the Mascarene Islands, an archipelago that was discovered by Pedro Mascarenhas in 1511.

The Île de la Réunion is a French overseas department and thus belongs to France and the European Union.

Mountains and volcanoes

Topographically, Réunion is exceptionally varied due to the almost inaccessible volcanic craters of extinct volcanoes and an active volcano. A helicopter tour is recommended, where you get a great overview of the landscape.

Sport and active vacation

In terms of landscape, the island offers an incredible variety and excellent opportunities for a wide variety of sports. From surfing in the Indian Ocean to hiking, climbing, kayaking, mountain biking or diving, no wish remains unfulfilled.

Creole cuisine

The cuisine on the Spice Island has a strong Creole influence. The classic dish of Creole cuisine is called Carri. It consists of a special Creole sauce made from turmeric, which turns yellow strongly, and small fried pieces of meat. In addition to rice, legumes (lentils or beans), the so-called “grains”, are indispensable companions. It gets spicy with rougail, which is enjoyed either as a side dish or on its own.

Important facts

Capital: St. Denis

Official language: French

Currency

Geography

Continent: Africa

Geo coordinates: S -21 ° -6 ‘-54.5 “E 55 ° 32’ 11”

Highest mountain: Piton des Neiges (3,069 m)

Total area: 2,512 km²

Mainland: 2,502 km²

Coastline: 207 km

Politics

Dependency: France since 1638

Other political affiliation: European Union since 1957

Economy

GDP purchasing power parity: $ 5,030,000,000

Electricity consumption: 1,267 million KWh

Oil consumption: 19,600 million m³

Cultivation area: 15.66%

Bovine: 33,000 pieces

Pigs: 71,000 pieces

Fishing: 3,100 t

Demographic data

Residents: 787,600

Residents in cities: 646.100

Average age: 26.9 years

0-14 years: 29.8%

15-64 years: 64%

> 65 years: 6.2%

Population growth: 1.34%

Birth rate: 18.9 / 1,000 residents

Death rate: 5.49 / 1,000 residents

Ratio men / women: 0.98

Fertility: 2.45 children / woman

Infant mortality: 7.63 ‰

Life expectancy men: 70.78 years

Life expectancy women: 77.75 years

Country codes and abbreviations

ISO 3166 Alpha 2: RE

ISO 3166 Alpha 3: REU

ISO 3166 numeric: 638

Top Level Domain: re

UN / LOCODE: RE

Source: Abbreviationfinder

Communication

Telephone connections: 390,000

Cell Phones: 690,000

Transportation

Paved roads: 1,476 km

Cars: 217,000

Health

Number of doctors: 1,240

Education

Illiteracy: 11%

Religion

Main religious group: Christians

GETTING THERE

Arriving by plane

Air Austral (UU), the national airline of La Réunion, flies daily from Paris-Charles de Gaulle to La Réunion.
Air France (AF) offers flight services to Réunion. Air Madagascar (MD) and Corsairfly (SS) also fly to the island. Air Austral and Air Mauritius (MK) offer daily flights between Réunion and Mauritius.

Flight times

Frankfurt – Gillot: 14 hours; Paris – Gillot: 16 hours

Arrival by ship

The main port, Pointe-des-Galets, is mainly used by French lines for passenger and freight traffic.

ON THE GO

Traveling by plane

At Saint-Denis airport, you can charter planes for an island tour.

On the way by car / bus

More than 2,680 km of the relatively good roads are tarred, the same traffic rules apply as in France. The main road runs from north to south. You can easily cross the island by bus, taxi or rental car. The bus connections are excellent. There are city buses that mainly run in Saint-Denis and the yellow cars jaunes buses that connect the cities. Buses are comfortable and stop on request.
Rental cars are available at the airport, in Saint-Denis, Sainte-Clotilde, Saint-Gilles-les-Bains, Le Port Cedex and in Sainte-Marie. Documentation: International driver’s license recommended

On the way by ship

Four shipping companies operate the coastal traffic around the island. Boats can also be rented in numerous ports.