Places to Visit in Saint-Benoit, Reunion, French

Places to Visit in Saint-Benoit, Reunion, French

Saint-Benoit is one of the communes belonging to Reunion Island, a French overseas department, in the Indian Ocean. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Reunion Island, around 40 km southeast of the capital of Reunion, Saint-Denis, between 21°02′02″ S latitude and 55°42′46″ E longitude. Saint-Benoit is home to the largest lake on the island, Grand Étang. Also there is a waterfall, called Bras d’Annette waterfall, situated near the lake. Saint-Benoit houses a vanilla cooperative factory, many grand churches, shops and restaurants. Saint-Benoit covers a total area of 229.61 sq. km.

Accessing Saint-Benoit:

Saint-Benoit is served by the Roland Garros Airport, the most important airport of Saint-Benoit, situated around 40 km northwest of the heart of Saint-Benoit. Other than the French cities Paris and Marseille, the airport receives flights from Mauritius, Bangkok, Johannesburg, Chennai and many other European, Asian and African cities.

For airport travel, taxis are generally available at the airport and if one booked a private transfer prior to reaching the airport would be ideal for comfort and convenient airport travel.

To move within Saint-Benoit, rental cars and bike are the options.

Food and Shopping in Saint-Benoit:

Saint-Benoit holds a mix of numerous modern and traditional shops, where visitors can bag a wide selection of items like jewels, handicraft products, clothes, hair color products, leather bags and potteries.

Like shops, Saint-Benoit is also rich in restaurants, ranging from native French dishes to Indian to Chinese delicacies. Restaurants generally accept credit cards for visitors’ convenience. Here are some authentic food corners in Saint-Benoit:

Chez Mimi
Le Vieux Domaine
Le Paradisier
Les Letchis

What to do in Saint-Benoit?

Day tours
Hiking
Exploring river and waterfalls
Shopping

What to see in Saint-Benoit?

Grand Étang:

Grand Étang, situated in the western part of Saint-Benoit commune and eastern part of Reunion Island, is Reunion’s largest lake. The lake measures a surface elevation of 525 meters and it has only an inflow, no outflow. The beautiful waterfall, Bras d’Annette waterfall, amuses visitors near the lake.

Saint-Benoit Church:

Church in Saint-Benoit is an amazing religious structure, attracting a large number of tourists throughout the year for its striking exterior designs. It is worth a visit.

Plantation Melissa:

The Plantation Melissa is a site with a wide range of tropical flowers and fruit orchards from the different areas on the Reunion Island. It is a great place for people who are fond of nature.

Saint-Denis:

Saint-Denis is the capital of Reunion department, situated around 40 km northwest of Saint-Benoit. Being the capital, Saint-Denis offers lots of winsome attractions for visitors such as the Jardin de l’État (botanical garden), La Paguode Chinoise (Chinese Pagoda), Léon Dierx Museum and a peak called, La Roche Écrite. Saint-Den is worth a trip.

Other places of interest in Saint-Benoit include:

Temple Tamoul
Museum d’Histoire Naturelle de La Reunion
Parc du Colorado
Musee Leon Dierx
Les Bains De Minuit
Cathedral of Saint Denis
Les Recreateurs
La Roche Écrite
La Paguode Chinoise
Jardin de l’État
Léon Dierx Museum

When to visit Saint-Benoit?

Generally during the months between May and October is ideal to visit scenic Saint-Benoit in Reunion.

Where to stay in Saint-Benoit?

Standard hotels are limited in Saint-Benoit compared to other communes in Reunion, but visitors can adjust themselves for holiday rentals for accommodation. Also, visitors can drive towards the capital, Saint-Denis, for more comfort options. The major hotels in and around Saint-Benoit include: