Explore Bélouve, the enchanted rainforest

The Bélouve forest is a primary forest (in part) located right in the heart of the island. Geographically, the Bélouve forest is in fact a former mountain cirque that was filled in by a flow from the Piton des Neiges. The well-preserved forest is part of Réunion's National Park.

Bélouve is renowned for its incredible biodiversity, with an exceptionally rich and astonishing flora and fauna. This is why it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But the Bélouve forest is also famous for its tamarind trees, whose wood is highly prized in cabinet-making and supplies local craftsmen with quality timber.

The forest is home to a number of walking and hiking trails maintained and signposted by theOffice National des Forêts (ONF), including the famous Trou de Fer. One thing's for sure, you'll be captivated by the calm and magical atmosphere that reigns in the Bélouve forest!

Access to the Bélouve forest is simple. By car, take the Bébour-Bélouve forest road via La Plaine des Palmistes to the Bélouve gîte, where there is a car park. The hiking trails all start from the gîte.

If you're more sporty, you can also get there on foot from Salazie. It takes around 2 hours to get to the Bélouve gîte from Hell-Bourg. It's not an easy hike, as you have to climb the rampart of the cirque!

Finally, you should know that the Bélouve forest is also a stop-off point for a number of long hikes. For example, you can get there from the Piton des Neiges (about 5 hours from the Piton des Neiges gîte).

Exploring the Bélouve forest is an almost supernatural experience, with its humid atmosphere and exuberant vegetation! You don't have to be a great sportsman to venture out on the hiking trails- there's something for everyone. The Bélouve plateau can be explored by everyone, even families. Although the forest is still primary, it has been developed to make it easier to explore.

The starting point for the trails is the Bélouve gîte. If you're sleeping over the night before, we advise you to leave as early as possible to enjoy a magnificent sunrise over the Piton des Neiges. Before heading off into the forest, you can also admire the Salazie cirque below.

As you enter the forest, you can choose your signposted trail. The difficulty will depend mainly on the length of the walk and the gradient. Whatever your choice, remember to dress warmly and put on good walking shoes. As the forest is very wet, the paths can sometimes be very muddy, but the most impassable parts have been prepared with footbridges and wooden steps.

The various trails through the Bélouve forest, with the Trou de Fer as their goal, are some of the most beautiful walks on Réunion Island. Some are easy to do with the family, while others are recommended for the more athletic. Starting from the gîte, you walk through this dense tropical forest, dominated by tamarinds and cryptomerias. It will take you between 1? and 4 hours' walk, depending on the trail, to reach the Trou de Fer.

The Trou de Fer is like a gigantic funnel, almost completely enclosed, with waterfalls cascading down its sides. The sensation is indescribable when you leave the cover of the dense forest and discover this vertiginous chasm created long ago by the Piton des Neiges. What a reward!

You can admire the magnificent waterfalls here, but you should be aware that they are inaccessible up close. At 725 metres, the falls are ranked among the highest in the world. These powerful falls are also a favourite with top-level canyoneers.

If you want to explore the Bélouve forest and discover its secrets, and above all admire the Trou de Fer, you'll need to set off early, as thick fog often descends in the late morning.