There is so much to do and see on Reunion Island that you’re likely to find yourself running around from sunrise until after sunset every day of your holiday. From swimming in the crystal clear lagoon to jumping down beautiful waterfalls and hiking to remote villages, you’re never going to be bored! But with an island this diverse, it can be hard to wrap your head around the insane landscape around you. So a helicopter flip with Corail Helicopters over Reunion Island’s volcano is a must-do! It’s a chance to see the wildness and ever-changing island from a birds-eye view, and to have your breath taken away by the natural beauty of the Piton de la Fournaise volcano.
Flying over Reunion Island’s volcano with Corail Helicopters
I have had the opportunity to fly over the island from a paraglide, a microlight and an airplane, but nothing gives you the freedom to fly as close to the island’s cascading waterfalls, plummeting cliff edges and bubbling volcano as a helicopter. We were lucky enough to be visiting during one of the Piton de la Fournaise volcano’s eruptions, and couldn’t miss the opportunity to see the spectacle from the sky.
Seeing the orange lava bubbling up from the very core of the earth is something very special. The 25 minute tour takes you on a loop from the Saint Pierre airport to the very peak of the furnace, to see the molten lava shooting into the air and flowing in orange and red rivers into the ocean.
One of the safest active volcanoes in the world
The Piton de la Fournaise is one of the most active – and safest – volcanoes in the world, erupting periodically and expanding the island ever so slightly every time it does. In fact, the island itself was formed by a volcanic eruption. Surrounded by high cliffs and located on the east of the island, the erupting volcano is no danger to the island’s inhabitants, as it flows steadily down the uninhabited side of the island into the ocean. Occasionally, the lava flow can reach inhabited parts on the east of the island, but with its slow and steady pace, the inhabitants have time to evacuate.
It’s worth stopping in the village of Sainte-Rose during a day-trip drive around the island, to see the “miracle church”. During an eruption in 1977, the village was evacuated before the lava flow reached the local church. After the lava flow crossed the highway, it flowed right up to the church and into the front door, but miraculously stopped right there, flowing around the church, but not destroying it.
Book your flight
The volcano flight is 25 minutes long and costs 180 Euro. You can book online at www.corail-helicopteres.com.
