Forest of Tévelave

Le Tévelave, on the edge of the great forest

The Tévelave forest or Hauts de l'Ouest forest is part of the virgin forests of the Reunion Island. Located in the south-west of the island at an altitude of 900 meters in the town of Avirons, it is home to the most numerous and oldest tamarins of the Hauts in the Reunion region. Place of marooning in the 19th century, the slaves fled their condition by taking refuge in the Tévelave forest and in the surrounding caves.

Take the Gol and Tamarins trails and visit the undergrowth that will lead you to the point of view of the Makes in the direction of Maido. Enter the forest and admire the Hauts tamarinds, acacias endemic to Réunion.

Its gnarled branches and twisted trunks give the impression of entering a romantic universe. Fanjans, tree ferns and parrot antlers mingle with the vegetation and enter this fantastic atmosphere.

Nature lovers will be in heaven in this calm and green setting where shimmering butterflies hide and birds coming to drink the nectar from the clusters of yellow tamarind flowers. A tree in danger since 2018 because of an insect, the psyllid, arrived in Reunion since 2015, but which is multiplying by lack of rain in recent years.

After the effort, the comfort! Take advantage of the many picnic kiosks to regain your strength in the Tévelave forest, they can reveal in clear weather superb panoramas on the west and the south of the intense island.

For more than visits to Reunion consult our interactive map of Réunion.