The lava tunnels in Réunion

For thousands of years, the active volcano of Piton de la Fournaise poured out his lava and drew the east coast ofReunion Island, but that's only the visible part of this basalt titan's work.

He also shaped hundreds of kilometers of underground passages between the commune of Sainte-Rose and Saint-Philippe. Discover caving through an environment for the least original, that of Reunion lava tunnels.

The most popular tunnel, the 2004 casting in Reunion Island

Located in Sainte-Rose with its 6.5 km long and 350 meters of vertical drop, the 2004 flow is the favorite tunnel for visitors to the intense island. Accessible to children from 6 years old with courses of different levels, it can be enjoyed with family or friends. You can observe lava stalactites and stalagmites or even superb skylights.

Walk and caving at the Gendarme Cave

A short walk of about 45 minutes through the forest and vanilla plantations will take you to the entrance of the Gendarme Cave in Saint-Philippe. Once there, enter the lava tunnel with oxidized ground of a red-orange hue. This 2-hour immersion requires a few brief crossings on all fours, as well as a narrow passage.

The equipment to plan to visit the lava tunnels in Reunion Island

Wear long pants, a short-sleeved T-shirt, and good shoes with grippy soles. In a small backpack, waterproof and light like the Gonex Pack a bottle of water, a rain jacket and a change of clothes. You will be warm in the galleries and appreciate being able to change once outside. Also remember to take a small compact camera with a large aperture for this we recommend the Sony RX100 the category leader for low-light compact cameras to immortalize the best moments of the visit with natural light and without flash. Caving equipment is provided by hiking guides .

Discover all the activities available on Reunion Island