Things to do in Cilaos
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Cilaos
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Winter hiking season: drier trails, clear summit mornings, cold nights. Best window overall.
Wet summer and cyclone season December to April: RN5, trail and canyon closures after rain.
Lentil Festival and Grand Raid month: busiest beds and tables of the year in Cilaos.
What's on
- Fete de la Lentille October
The lentil harvest festival in Cilaos, with tastings, stalls and lentil and sausage plates.
- Grand Raid - Diagonale des Fous October
The island ultra trail crosses the cirques through Cilaos, filling beds and roads in race week.
Best things to do in Cilaos
Maison de la Broderie
The home of Jours de Cilaos embroidery, with artisans working at frames and pieces to buy direct.
Thermes de Cilaos
The island only thermal station, with hydromassage baths, hammam and massage at the Irenee Accot site.
Le Chai de Cilaos
The cirque winery, with scheduled cellar visits and tastings of wines grown at altitude in the cirque.
Mare a Joncs
The small town lake with a flat shore path, lawns and pedal boats, and ramparts reflected at dawn.
Eglise Notre-Dame-des-Neiges
The white listed church built 1937 to 1942, with a carillon, set against Piton des Neiges.
Marche Couvert de Cilaos
The morning covered market for Cilaos lentils, vanilla, spices, honey and work from the ilet gardens.
Ilet a Cordes
A flat bench of lentil fields and vines under the rampart, the most peaceful ilet drive from town.
Palmiste Rouge
The green southern ilet village on the road in, with Creole houses, gardens and a slower pace than town.
Where to stay in Cilaos
Cilaos centre
first stay, trailheads, dinners on foot
Walk to the market, the lake, the thermal baths and every restaurant, and start hikes early.
Piton des Neiges, refuge
summit at sunrise
Sleep high at the Caverne Dufour refuge so the summit cone is a short headtorch climb at dawn.
Think twice about
- RN5 descent after dark or in heavy rain
400 bends, single width tunnels and rockfall closures. Drive it in daylight and obey prefecture closures.
- Bras Rouge river and canyons after rain
Water rises fast from upstream rain even under a clear town sky. Operators and closures decide, not visitors.
Best restaurants in Cilaos
L'Atelier des Saveurs
A semi gastronomic table linked to Le Vieux Cep, the one fine dining dinner in Cilaos.
Chez Noe
A Creole house restaurant in the centre, known for caris served in a pretty case creole.
La Marmite du Cap
A family mid range table mixing French, Chinese and Creole cooking that groups can agree on.
L'Instant Plaisirs
A relaxed French and European mid range table, vegetarian friendly, good for a slower dinner.
Restaurant La Christophine
A small good value restaurant for fresh, healthy leaning Creole and French plates at lunch.
Restaurant Chez Maillot
A no frills local Creole address for a lentil plate, a cari to go and a hiker lunch.
Outdoor things to do in Cilaos
RN5 Route des 400 Virages
The only road into the cirque, about 400 bends in 30 km with single width tunnels and viewpoints.
La Roche Merveilleuse
A short botanical loop to a belvedere over the whole cirque, the town and Piton des Neiges.
Piton des Neiges
The island highest summit at 3071 metres, climbed via the Caverne Dufour refuge for sunrise.
Canyon de Fleurs Jaunes
The signature guided canyon descent, with slides, pools and a big abseil facing Piton des Neiges.
Cascade de Bras Rouge
The town waterfall walk down to the Bras Rouge river, its cascade and basins, a good half day.
La Chapelle
A river hike with wet crossings to a 100 metre rock monolith and a waterfall inside a cave.
Col du Taibit
The high GR pass from Cilaos toward Marla in Mafate, with views into both cirques from the saddle.
Best hotels in Cilaos
Tsilaosa Hotel and Spa
A four star hotel and spa in the centre, the most polished rooms and the ceiling of Cilaos.
Le Vieux Cep
A family three star in a Creole garden with a heated pool, sauna and the town best food link.
Hotel des Neiges
A family three star of 29 rooms by the lake, with family rooms and a pool facing the view.
Hotel Le Cilaos
A larger hotel with a pool in a fine setting, simple rather than smart, best on a good rate.
Otroiza
An aparthotel residence in the centre, with kitchen space for groups self catering around hikes.
Le Petit Randonneur
A simple central hiker base, priced for walkers who are out at dawn and asleep by nine.
Refuge de la Caverne Dufour
A 72 place summit refuge below Piton des Neiges, with dorms, a set dinner and helicopter supply.
Is Cilaos expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €65 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €130 a person |
| Splurge | €260 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Thermes de Cilaos: a few days ahead
- Le Chai de Cilaos: a few days ahead
- Piton des Neiges: weeks ahead
- Canyon de Fleurs Jaunes: a few days ahead
- Tsilaosa Hotel and Spa: weeks ahead
- Le Vieux Cep: a few days ahead
- Refuge de la Caverne Dufour: weeks ahead
- L'Atelier des Saveurs: a few days ahead
- Caverne Dufour refuge bed and dinner weeks ahead in dry season. Canyoning, Tsilaosa and Lentil Festival beds ahead too.
Is Cilaos safe?
- Emergency 112. Leave nothing visible in a hire car. Carry water for the summit and treat altitude symptoms as a reason to descend.
Cilaos travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Driving up and back in one day from the coast. Leaving bags visible in a car at Le Bloc or Roche Merveilleuse.
Getting around Cilaos: public transport and more
- Walk the town. Drive the RN5 and ilet roads in daylight. Car Jaune buses climb from Saint-Louis on a limited pattern.
Who Cilaos suits
| Solo travellers | Great |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Cilaos your trip
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