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Voykit pocket guide · Réunion
Saint-Gilles
Saint-Gilles-les-Bains
Saint-Gilles is the west-coast beach base: swim in the lagoon zones only, keep the early morning for hikes inland, hire a car for anything beyond the coast strip, and check the sea and cyclone alerts before every plan.
Saint-Gilles-les-Bains is a resort strip on Réunion's west coast: a marina and promenade, the L'Hermitage lagoon to the south and Boucan Canot beach to the north. It is the dry, sunny side of the island and the usual base for the lagoon, but the cirques and the volcano are a winding drive away and cloud closes the peaks by late morning. Shark risk restricts swimming on most of the coast, so the lagoon and supervised zones are the places to swim. A hire car makes the island work; the four clusters here cover the coast for two or three days.
- Country
- Réunion
- Local name
- Saint-Gilles-les-Bains
- Best months
- Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov
- Time zone
- Indian/Reunion
- Stay
- 2 days: Lagoon morning, Saint-Gilles port, Saint-Paul market
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Keep €50 in small notes for market stalls, snack stands and parking; cards work at nearly all restaurants and shops.
- Daily spend
- Budget €40–70 excl. bed · Mid €70–140 excl. bed · High €140+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, SFR (SRR), Free and Zeop sell SIMs; EU plans often roam at home rates — check.
- Emergency
- European emergency 112 · Medical (SAMU) 15 · Police 17 · Fire and mountain rescue 18 · Sea rescue 196
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Standard French sockets.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Service included; round up for good service.; Guides: €5–10 per person optional.
- Water
- Tap water is generally drinkable on the coast; after heavy rain, advisories are issued — use bottled then.
- Toilets
- Western toilets; few public toilets on trails.
Get in
By air
- Roland Garros Airport (RUN)
- RUN to Saint-Gilles: a hire car or a pre-booked transfer, 50–80 minutes by road; the risk is a late flight and a rental desk that has closed.
Get around
Walk inside a cluster; hire car between clusters.
- Passes
- No pass. A hire car pays for itself if you go inland; taxis are costly and few after dark.
- Late at night
- No rail. Buses on the coast road run limited hours: field-verify before relying on one.
See and do
01L'Hermitage lagoonLagon de l'Hermitage
Swim and snorkel inside the reef lagoon in the morning, when the water is calm and the beach is quiet; stay inside the supervised zone.
02Saint-Paul marketMarché forain de Saint-Paul
The big seafront market: fruit, spices, flowers and Creole snacks; go early on a market morning and take a car.
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Eat
- Creole cari lunch near the port
- A plate of cari (slow-cooked spiced stew) with rice and rougail at a small restaurant near the marina: lunch, not a late dinner.
Sleep
- L'Hermitage
- Beside the lagoon and quieter at night; a car ride from the port restaurants.
- Saint-Gilles port
- Restaurants and the promenade on foot; a short car ride to the lagoon: pick a hotel with a 24-hour desk and parking for the hire car.
Language
French runs everything official; Réunion Creole is the language of home and street. English is rare, so learn a few French phrases and download a French offline translator.
- Creole: 'Koman i lé?' (how are you?), 'Mi lé bien' (I'm fine), 'Mersi' (thank you).
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Bonjour' on entering; handshake or cheek kisses among friends; avoid: Starting with a request
- Temples: Shoes off and modest dress; avoid: Leather in Tamil temples
- Trails: Greet other hikers; avoid: Picking plants in the national park
- Mixed society: Show interest in Creole culture; avoid: Treating the island as 'just France'
Red lines
- Say bonjour when entering a shop or small restaurant.
- Réunion is multi-faith: cover up and remove shoes at temples when asked.
- Do not leave valuables visible in a parked hire car.
Scams (Réunion page)
- Unlicensed guides and canyoning outfits: Use operators with French state qualifications (brevet d'État) — ask.
- Car break-ins at trailheads: Leave nothing visible in the car.
- Fake gîte bookings: Book through the official Réunion booking centre or known gîtes.
One and two days
1 day
The first day of the timed plan.
Day 1 — Lagoon morning, a 12:30 lunch table
- 08:00L'Hermitage lagoon
- port promenade (optional)
- 12:30Lunch table 12:30 (port)
- Hotel or AC café 13:00–16:00; the promenade at sunset.
2 days
The first two days of the timed plan.
Day 1 — Lagoon morning, a 12:30 lunch table
- 08:00L'Hermitage lagoon
- port promenade (optional)
- 12:30Lunch table 12:30 (port)
- Hotel or AC café 13:00–16:00; the promenade at sunset.
Day 2 — Saint-Paul market, then Boucan Canot and cari
- 07:30Saint-Paul market
- boucan canot beach (optional)
- Creole cari lunch near the port
- Evening: seafront promenade; take a car for anything beyond it.
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Île de La Réunion Tourisme (official): www.reunion.fr/
- France-Visas (official entry rules): france-visas.gouv.fr/
- Wikivoyage — Saint-Gilles-les-Bains: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Saint-Gilles-les-Bains
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/saint-gilles). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.