The volcano, leaving at four

This is the one outing in this journal for which we set an alarm at half past three. It is worth it. The Piton de la Fournaise is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, and one of the few where you can walk, safely and without a guide, across the floor of the enclosure where the lava runs.

It is an hour and fifty minutes from the bungalow. That is not nothing, and it is by far the most distant thing we recommend — but it is also the only place on the island where you find yourself on a landscape that resembles nothing on earth.

Why you leave at four

Three reasons, and they add up. First the cloud: from nine or ten in the morning the cloud sea rises and drowns the enclosure. You can do the whole walk and see nothing. Then parking: the car park at the Pas de Bellecombe is limited and fills early in season. And finally the heat — there is not one metre of shade on the whole route.

Leaving the bungalow at four means reaching the belvedere around six, at first light. That is when the enclosure is clear and the low sun gives relief to the lava flows.

The road, which is already the show

You climb through La Plaine-des-Palmistes and then La Plaine-des-Cafres, before taking the Route Forestière du Volcan. The last part crosses the Plaine des Sables: an ochre expanse without vegetation, which the road enters by dropping down a cliff. Many people stop there and go no further — a pity, but you understand why.

The road is narrow, unlit, and used by cars going up fast. Drive carefully: at that hour there can be fog on the Plaines.

The walk, from belvedere to crater

The Pas de Bellecombe is the belvedere overlooking the Enclos Fouqué, at 2,311 metres. From there a staircase descends about a hundred and fifty metres to the floor of the enclosure. The route then crosses a lava field waymarked with dots of white paint: there is no path worn into the ground, you go from one mark to the next. Do not leave them — the lava is sharp and fog can come down in minutes.

You pass the foot of the Formica Leo, a small and perfectly conical scoria cone, then climb steadily to the rim of the Dolomieu crater. Allow about five hours there and back for the whole thing. It is long and even rather than steep, but the altitude and the absence of shade are paid for.

What can call the day off

Access to the enclosure is closed during eruptions and during alert phases. The decision belongs to the prefecture of Réunion and can come the day before. Always check the alert level before leaving — it is the one non-negotiable point of this day. The gate at the top of the staircase is physically locked when access is forbidden.

An eruption is not bad news in itself: when it is visible from authorised viewpoints, the sight at night is extraordinary. It is simply a different outing, with different rules.

What to bring

• Something warm. It can be 5 °C at first light at 2,300 m while it is 28 on the coast. A fleece and a windproof, even in the austral summer.
• Two litres of water per person. There is no water anywhere in the enclosure.
• Sun cream and a hat: at that altitude the radiation is fierce, including under cloud.
• Boots that cover the ankle. Lava wears out soles and turns ankles.
• A head torch if you set off before daylight.
• Food: there is nothing between Bourg-Murat and the belvedere.

If you do not want to walk for five hours

The Pas de Bellecombe belvedere is reached by car alone. So you can drive up, look over the enclosure from the rim, go down the staircase as far as the Formica Leo — an hour there and back — and head home. That is already a real outing, and it suits anyone travelling with children or not equipped for the full day.

Either way, plan to come down for lunch. The return to Saint-Benoît takes two hours, and you reach the bungalow with the afternoon ahead of you — just enough to do nothing, which after that particular day is exactly the programme. The next day, something gentler is in order: the pools at Bras-Panon are a quarter of an hour away.

When to come

The austral winter, May to October, gives the clearest mornings and therefore the best chance of seeing the enclosure. It is also the coldest period: frost is possible before first light at 2,300 metres. From December to March the cloud rises earlier and heavy rain regularly closes the forest road. Whatever the season, the only information that decides is the volcano's alert level: an eruption closes the enclosure overnight, in high summer as in midwinter.

Frequently asked questions

Written in Saint-Benoît, where we rent the bungalow, and updated on September 7, 2026. Access and swimming rules change: we always point to the authority in charge rather than speaking for it.