Grand Étang

A forest loop in Saint-Benoît leading to a natural lake nestled in the greenery — a family hike on the island's east coast.

The route

Grand Étang is a natural lake of volcanic origin nestled in the Hauts (highlands) of Saint-Benoît, at around 900 m above sea level. Surrounded by slopes covered in lush vegetation and by waterfalls fed by the abundant rainfall of the east, the site has a setting all its own, wild and far from the everyday. The loop around the lake follows the shore and crosses a humid forest typical of Réunion's east coast.