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97442 Saint-Philippe
Situated on an 800-year-old volcanic flow, this area is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the cirques and ramparts in the heart of the island.
Developed on a lava flow, the Mare-Longue forest is a unique primary tropical forest. This remnant of the lowland rainforest is a botanical treasure trove. It remains one of the few original natural forests in the world’s hot, humid regions.
After two centuries of intense deforestation, less than 7% of Réunion’s original rainforest remains, mainly in Saint Philippe. The Mare-Longue primary forest, which has miraculously survived, is Réunion’s richest rainforest. Root tangles in basalt rock, mosses, endemic species, orchids and ferns set the scene. This is what Reunion’s forests were like in days gone by!
Mare-Longue botanical trail
Length: 2 km loop, duration: 1h30. Family-friendly.
The Office National des Forêts has created one of the most beautiful botanical trails on Reunion Island, in what is the island’s first biological reserve. Numerous explanatory panels line the trail.