Réunion Safe
Safe on land in the ordinary French way, and the things to respect are the sea and the mountains. Since 2013 a prefectoral order has banned swimming, surfing and bodyboarding in the open sea around almost the whole island because of bull and tiger shark attacks, several fatal: swim inside the reef lagoons of the west and south coast, or at the few supervised beaches with shark nets such as Boucan Canot and Roches Noires, and nowhere else. On the volcano the Enclos is closed by the prefecture during eruptions and when one is expected, and cloud comes up on the summits by late morning. The cyclone season runs roughly December to April.
Comfortable: Saint-Gilles-les-Bains · L'Hermitage-les-Bains · Saint-Leu · Saint-Pierre · Cilaos
- The open sea outside the lagoons and the netted beaches, where swimming, surfing and bodyboarding are banned by prefectoral order because of sharks
- Piton de la Fournaise — closed during eruptions and alerts, and in cloud by late morning; check the prefecture's status before driving up
- Mountain walks started late, when cloud and rain come in on the summits and paths in the cirques turn to mud
- River beds and ravines in heavy rain, which flood in minutes
- The cyclone season, when the prefecture can order everyone indoors
- Cars left at trailheads with things visible inside
