Piton de la Fournaise is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. From the Pas de Bellecombe-Jacob, the panorama over the Plaine des Sables caldera will take your breath away. Each year it erupts several times, offering a unique natural spectacle.

By van, the advantage is considerable: sleep nearby and set off at dawn to reach the summit before the crowds. The road crosses the Plaine des Cafres then the Plaine des Sables — a landscape from another planet, red and mineral.

Nestled at 1,200 metres, the Cirque de Cilaos is probably the most accessible and photogenic of Réunion’s three cirques. Dizzying ramparts, silvery waterfalls, terraced crops and the Creole village with its thermal baths and vineyards — an essential stop.

The road leading there is one of the most winding in France — 400 bends from Saint-Louis — but every bend reveals a panorama more beautiful than the last. From Cilaos, attempt the trail to the Piton des Neiges (3,070 m), the highest point in the Indian Ocean.

Mafate is the only cirque in Réunion that can’t be reached by car. No road, no mobile network. Only trails, îlets clinging to the cliffs and a preserved Creole community. To enter Mafate, you put on your shoes and set off on foot.

From your van parked at Maïdo or Roche-Plate, the main entrances (Col des Bœufs, Rivière des Galets) are accessible on foot. Once inside, stay in the îlet lodges (La Nouvelle, Marla, Aurère…). A world apart, out of time.

Salazie is the most lush and humid cirque on the island. Tree ferns, wild banana plants and waterfalls tumbling 300 metres down the cliffs — everything is luxuriant. The Voile de la Mariée waterfall, visible from the road, is one of the most impressive on the island.

The village of Hell-Bourg, listed among the most beautiful villages in France, deserves a long stop: its Creole houses with flower-filled verandas are a feast for the eyes.

Maïdo (2,200 m) offers one of the most striking panoramas: a 2,000-metre plunge over the Cirque de Mafate. Sunset and sunrise from this viewpoint are unforgettable moments. Sleeping in your van at the Plaine des Tamarins (1,800 m) lets you be there at first light.

The Plaine des Tamarins is an endemic forest unique in the world. The air is cool, sometimes misty, and the nights are chilly — bring something to keep warm in your van!

The west coast is home to the island’s only white-sand beaches and protected lagoon. Saint-Gilles-les-Bains is the main seaside resort with its restaurants, surf shops and Creole bars. L’Ermitage beach, with its turquoise waters, is ideal for snorkelling.

Further south, Saint-Leu is the surf capital of Réunion. By van, drive the whole coast in a day, stopping at every beach that appeals to you.

The Wild South is Réunion’s hidden face — raw, volcanic, striking. Between Saint-Philippe and Saint-Pierre, the coastal road runs alongside lava flows that reached the sea during the latest eruptions, creating black, mineral landscapes of strange beauty.

The black-sand beaches of Grande Anse and Manapany, the natural rock pools, the Saint-Philippe blowhole — so many treasures accessible from your van.

The Plaine des Cafres, at 1,500 metres, is the crossroads of Réunion’s highlands. Cool, misty, green — an unexpected Réunion. Bourg-Murat is the ideal base to head to the volcano, visit the Cité du Volcan and stock up.

Further east, the Bélouve forest and the cliffs of the Rivière des Marsouins offer unique forest hikes. The Nez de Bœuf viewpoint, above Cilaos, is accessible from the Plaine des Cafres.