Sainte-Marie Tourist Places to Visit in Sainte-Marie, Reunion, French

Sainte-Marie Tourist Places to Visit in Sainte-Marie, Reunion, French

Sainte-Marie is one of the communes of the French overseas department, Reunion. It is situated on the extreme north of the island, adjoining the capital of Reunion, Saint-Denis. Sainte-Marie coordinates with 20°53′49″ S latitude and 55°32′57″ E longitude and covers an area of 87.21 sq. km. Sainte-Marie is the site of the most important airport of the island, Roland Garros Airport and it also headquarters the airline, Air Austral.

Sainte-Marie also houses a small fishing harbor and a brewery. Due to its position near the capital and its scenic sites, Sainte-Marie has transformed as one of the tourist favor destinations on Reunion. The Town Hall of Sainte-Marie is the major landmark of the commune.

How to reach Sainte-Marie?

As it is the home of the prime airport on the island, reaching Sainte-Marie would not be a difficult task for visitors. The airport, Roland Garros Airport, is situated around 2 km away from the midpoint of Sainte-Marie and handles flights to and from Antananarivo, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Chennai, Dzaoudzi, Johannesburg, Mauritius, Moroni, Nosy, Paris and Marseille.

The airport is well served by taxis and buses. There are regular buses plying between Sainte-Marie and other parts of Reunion.

Food and Shopping in Sainte-Marie:

Sainte-Marie houses a large shopping-center as well as many independent shops all around the commune. Restaurants are plenty in Sainte-Marie and some of them are as follows:

Hemisphere Sud
Chris Snack-Bar
Tommy’s Diner
Le P’tit Gillot

What to do in Sainte-Marie?

Fishing
Boat tour
Shopping
Walking

What to see in Sainte-Marie?

The Roland Garros International Airport:

The Roland Garros International Airport is the highlight of Sainte-Marie, situated only 2 km away from the heart of the commune. The airport is grand, well planned and features all modern facilities. The surrounding environment is also very attractive and eye-catching.

The fishing port and marina of Sainte-Marie:

The fishing port and marina is one of the important landmarks of Sainte-Marie. Other than fishing activity, the port is also famous as a great relaxation point and attracts a substantial number of photographers.

The Town Hall of Sainte-Marie:

The Town Hall of Sainte-Marie is one of the landmark structures as well as tourist attractions of Sainte-Marie. Apart from its building’s exterior designs, the town hall is also popular among visitors for its very calm surrounding environment.

Religious sites in Sainte-Marie:

Sainte-Marie houses many famed religious sites belonging to the different comminutes in the commune like local French, Chinese and Tamilians. Some engaging sites are the Chapel of La Salette Church, Black Madonna, Tamil Mapérine Temple and Mosque Duparc.

List of other places of interest in Sainte-Marie and Saint-Denis includes:

The old windmill Wood Court
Cemetery Downtown
Caves De Desbassyns
The Jesuit cemetery
La Paguode Chinoise
La Roche Écrite
Jardin de l’État
Léon Dierx Museum
Parc du Colorado
Musee Leon Dierx
Museum d’Histoire Naturelle de La Reunion
Cathedral of Saint Denis
Les Bains De Minuit
Temple Tamoul

When to travel Sainte-Marie?

Sainte-Marie is a year round destination, though, the tour of Sainte-Marie can be experienced best between May and October.

Accommodation options in Sainte-Marie:

Sainte-Marie houses a limited number of accommodation options, on this point, visitors can drive towards nearby Saint-Denis, where plenty of modernized hotels with world class facilities are located. Some nice hotels in Sainte-Marie and Saint-Denis are as follows: