Étang-Salé

Where the name comes from

The municipality's land was once home to a small natural saltwater pond, separated from the sea by dunes — hence the name (“salt pond”). L'Étang-Salé's black volcanic sand beach is now one of the best known on the island.

History

L'Étang-Salé takes its name from a brackish pond, now dried up, that lay close to the coast. The municipality developed on the west coast, sheltered from the trade winds, in a semi-arid area protected by the bulk of the volcano. Sugar cane and livestock farming formed the economic base of the first settlers, who arrived in the 17th–18th centuries.

L'Étang-Salé is famous for its black volcanic sand beach, one of the few black sand beaches on the island. The Plage des Filaos, lined with a casuarina forest, is one of the busiest beach spots in the south-west of the island, loved for its wild beauty and laid-back atmosphere. A shallow natural pool and an easily accessible sea make it a very popular place for family swimming.

The municipality enjoys the semi-arid microclimate of the leeward coast, with less than 600 mm of rain a year — ideal conditions for sunshine and outdoor activities. The Route des Tamarins (2009) has greatly improved access from Saint-Denis and Saint-Pierre, boosting the municipality's appeal for residents and tourists alike.

Landscapes

L'Étang-Salé is a semi-arid coastal municipality known for its unique black volcanic sand beach, lined by a forest of filaos (casuarinas). Inland, the land is made up of flat farmland and a few grazing areas. The coast is low-lying and directly exposed to the ocean.

Local culture

L'Étang-Salé is a popular seaside municipality where the black sand beach is the heart of social life. Locals from the south-west gather there at weekends to picnic, surf or swim. The municipality is also known for its small-scale fishermen, who keep up a maritime tradition on an often rough coastline.

Why it matters

Black beach, basalt Gouffre (blowhole) and coastal forest of L'Étang-Salé: a volcanic coastline unique in the west.