Tourist Places to Visit in Saint-Leu, Reunion, French

Tourist Places to Visit in Saint-Leu, Reunion, French

Saint-Leu is a commune and tourist favor destination in Reunion Island, a French overseas department. It is located between 21°09′59″ S latitude and 55°17′13″ E longitude, on the western part of the island and spans over an area of 118.37 sq. km. Saint-Leu is a vibrant destination, holding a mix of manmade and natural tourist attractions like surfing and paragliding sites, a botanical garden, a marine turtle station and a museum.

Saint-Leu was the site of global competitions like ASP World Tour (surfing) and the Paragliding World Cup. Saint-Leu is situated around 50 km southwest of Saint-Denis, the capital of Reunion. Saint-Leu is also home to many historic structures, including churches.

Getting Saint-Leu:

The Pierrefonds Airport is the closest airport to Saint-Leu, situated around 27 km southwest of Saint-Leu. This airport is served by Air Austral and Air Mauritius with direct flights from Saint-Denis in Reunion and Mauritius.

The islands’ main airport, Roland Garros Airport is located around 58 km northeast of Saint-Leu. This airport covers more number of destinations than Pierrefonds Airport, including Paris, Bangkok, Chennai, Marseille and Johannesburg.

By bus, Saint-Leu has a good connectivity to all the major towns on the island. Taxis and rental cars are the other options for intercity travel and local travel.

Food and Shopping in Saint-Leu:

Being a top tourist destination, Saint-Leu houses numerous upgraded shopping options. The major restaurant options in Saint-Leu include:

Il Etait une Fois
Restaurant Blue Margouillat
Restaurant Iloha Seaview
Au Bout La-Bas

Things to do in Saint-Leu:

La Reunion Cote Montagne Private Day Tours
Paragliding
Surfing

What to see in Saint-Leu?

Conservatoire botanique national de Mascarin:

Situated at Colimaçons in Saint-Leu, the Conservatoire botanique national de Mascarin is spread over an area of 12.5 hectares, allowed for visitors from Tuesday–Sunday. This national conservatory and botanical garden is home to around 4,000 different plant species, including palm trees, orchids and bamboos.

Town hall of Saint-Leu:

The building of the town hall of Saint-Leu reflects the striking features of the French architectural style. The structure itself is eye-catching and its most parts are made up of stone rocks. The exterior of the structure will be a great treat for visitors’ eyes.

Museum Stella Matutina:

The Museum Stella Matutina is an agricultural and industrial museum, describing the history of the sugar cane fields on the island. It is located at Allée des Flamboyants in Piton Saint-Leu and was opened in the year 2011.

Kélonia:

Opened on 16 August 2006, Kélonia is an observatory and public aquarium, focused on the protection and study of marine turtles on the island. It conducts guided tours and different educational programs occasionally.

Beaches of Saint-Leu:

Beaches of Saint-Leu are a paradise for water-sport lovers, especially for surfers. Saint-Leu witnessed many global surfing competitions, including ASP World Tour and World Qualifying Series.

List of other places of interest in and around Saint-Leu includes:

Black Air Parapente
Abyss Plonge
Centre Equestre du Cap
Casino of St Gilles
Aquarium de la Reunion
Beaches of St Gilles
Port of Saint-Gilles
Roches Noires Beach
Beach of Boucan Canot
Waterfall at Bassin Aigrettes
The Garden of Eden
Beach of Hermitage

Best time to visit Saint-Leu:

Saint-Leu is a perfect spot for surfing and paragliding, so visitors can consider any month between May and October to enjoy memorable outdoor activities in Saint-Leu.

Where to stay in Saint-Leu?

There are numerous tourist favor hotels in Saint-Leu, spread up all around the commune with a wide range of amenities like high speed internet, business center, valet laundry, safety deposit box, fitness centre and gift shop. Some upgraded hotels in Saint-Leu are as follows: