Dimitile

Dimitile, a high place ofhistory of slavery in Réunion

At the edge of Circus of Cilaos, the Dimitile culminates at an altitude of 1,850 meters on a plateau of volcanic basalt. Located in the town ofBetween two in the southwestern part of Reunion Island, it is currently classified as a Sensitive Natural Area, managed by the Capitaine Dimitile association.

In the 18th century, a slave named Dimitile rebelled and found asylum in the region of the island to which he gave his name. He then took the head of a group of resistant slaves, also called maroons. The story goes that in 1743 Dimitile and his companions snatch Jeanneton, a slave from Mozambique, from the hands of her owner Pierre Hibon.

Subsequently, she will decide to return to her master, thus leaving a trace of this narration.

You can also visit the brown camp, a cultural museographic space located a few kilometers from the planèze de Dimitile. Real feedback on the history of slavery and maroons, those slaves thirsty for freedom fleeing servitude. Since 2006, the “day of memories of the slave trade, slavery and their abolition” has been held every year on May 10, organized by the association.

Walk on the Boeuf trail which will take you straight to the summit of Dimitile. You will have the opportunity to see along the way commemorative stones engraved with the names of former slaves of this region of the Reunion Island. Arrived at the top, you can admire the superb panorama of the caldera of Cilaos and surrounding islets.

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