Hermitage Beach

From Saint-Paul, take the Route des Tamarins — you'll be parking within 10 minutes. Free public parking is available directly at the beach, though it fills up fast on weekends, so arrive early. Buses from Saint-Denis run every 30 minutes and take about an hour; from Saint-Gilles-les-Bains the ride is just 10 minutes, though that line only runs every 4 hours. There is no entry fee to access the beach.

The Réunion Marine Nature Reserve starts at the waterline, and snorkeling the protected reef is the main event — bring your own mask or rent locally. A short 0.9 km walk south leads to Jardin d'Eden, a botanical garden home to over 700 endemic and exotic plant species that's worth an hour of anyone's afternoon. If you want to go further afield, Kélonia — a sea turtle observatory and research centre — is about 10 km away and rates 4.6 out of 5 across more than a thousand reviews. The nearby Plage du lagon (Hermitage) activity site, rated 4.7 out of 5, sits just 0.7 km away for additional lagoon-side options.

There are restaurant options right at the beach and within easy walking distance. Restaurant Le Manta is 0.6 km away and holds a strong 4.5 out of 5 rating, making it a reliable post-swim choice. For something with serious local buzz, SAUVAGE at 2.6 km carries a 4.6 out of 5 from over 5,000 reviews — that kind of consensus is hard to argue with.

LUX Saint Gilles sits 1.2 km from the beach and scores 4.3 out of 5 across more than 2,000 reviews — a solid base for a longer stay on the west coast. Hotel le Recif is another option at 1.5 km, rated 4.2 out of 5. If you're willing to travel a little further, Blue Margouillat at 13.7 km earns the highest rating of the group at 4.7 out of 5.

Shoot early morning when the light is low and soft across the turquoise lagoon — the reef patterns are visible through the water and the white sand reflects beautifully without harsh shadows. The lagoon edge at the reef line, with the open Indian Ocean beyond, gives you natural depth and colour contrast that works at both sunrise and golden hour.

Stay well clear of 'la Passe' — the channel where the lagoon opens to the open ocean. Currents there are strong and swimming in that zone is dangerous; this is not a matter of confidence or experience, it's a genuine hazard. Drowning incidents have been reported within the lagoon itself in recent years, so even in the calmer inner waters, never swim alone and keep children within arm's reach. Before you visit, check with local authorities for any sanitary closures linked to algae blooms, which do occur periodically and can shut the beach to swimmers.