St-Gilles les Hauts la Réunion

Saint-Gilles-les-Hauts is a hillside village within the commune of Saint-Paul, on the west coast of Réunion Island. Set at altitude, it enjoys a cooler, more humid climate than the nearby coastal resort of Saint-Gilles-les-Bains, with a landscape shaped by sugar cane fields and market gardens. The village serves as a gateway to the Maïdo viewpoint, which overlooks the Mafate caldera, and to several hiking trails running through the island's highlands. Nearby lies the Conservatoire Botanique National de Mascarin, dedicated to endemic flora and tropical plants. From the upper parts of the village, there are open views over the Saint-Gilles-les-Bains lagoon and the Indian Ocean beyond. The atmosphere is noticeably more rural and quiet than on the busy coastline, with traditional Creole houses and a community life centred on local farming. Thanks to its position between sea and mountains, the village makes a convenient base for exploring both the beaches of western Réunion and the volcanic, forested interior of the island.