St-Denis Tourist Places to Visit in St-Denis, Reunion, French
Saint-Denis or St-Denis, is the capital of the French overseas territory, Reunion. It is in the extreme north of Reunion Island, covering an area of 142.79 sq. km. The commune of Saint-Denis is the largest in the French overseas departments in terms of population. Saint-Denis is the site of many imposing historic buildings, of which most have turned as administrative offices. Saint-Denis also hosts the most important airport of Reunion as well as many museums and seafront parks. Saint-Denis is geographically positioned between 20°52′44″ S latitude and 55°26′53″ E longitude.
History of Saint-Denis:
According to the documented history, Étienne Régnault was founder of Saint-Denis, in 1669 and in 1738, Saint-Denis was promoted as the capital of Reunion.
How to get Saint-Denis?
Saint-Denis hosts the Roland Garros Airport, is the gateway to Reunion. The airport is situated around 7 km east of the centre of Saint-Denis and is served by Air France, Air Austral, Interair South Africa and many other prominent airlines with flights from Marseille, Johannesburg, Paris, Mauritius, Bangkok, Chennai in India and many other prime cities in the globe.
Buses are mainly used for local travel in Saint-Denis and other options include rental cars and motorbikes.
Culture, Food and Shopping in Saint-Denis:
Léon Dierx Museum is an art gallery and museum in Saint-Denis, which encourages talented local youths and also exhibits a nice collection of artworks of locals and foreign artists.
Saint-Denis houses many modernized shopping centres and some of them are as follows:
- La Foir’Fouille
- Grand Recre
- Conforama
- Centre Commercial de Carrefour
Restaurants in St Denis offer a wide range of blend of Indian, French and Chinese menus. Here are some recommended restaurants in St Denis:
- Restaurant Bistrote Portes des Lilas
- Le Bangkok
- La Bar a Cas
- Pizza Une
What to do in Saint-Denis?
- Playing tennis
- Watching movies
- Beach exploration
What to see in Saint-Denis?
Léon Dierx Museum:
The Léon Dierx Museum is a well known art gallery and museum in Saint-Denis, housing a wide range of artworks like paintings, photographs and sculptures of many local and international artists.
Jardin de l’État:
The Jardin de l’État is a public garden in Saint-Denis, founded between 1767 and 1773. This historic botanical garden is very pleasant and cool and also it also houses a natural history museum that was inaugurated in 1855.
La Reunion:
The La Reunion is an attractive arch welcoming visitors to Saint-Denis. The arch features the typical Hindu architectural style.
La Paguode Chinoise:
La Paguode Chinoise is a Chinese religious site, featuring very cool and calm environment. This charming pagoda is allowed to take pictures.
La Roche Écrite:
Overlooking the Saint-Denis city, the La Roche Écrite is a peak, situated around 15 km away from the heart of Saint-Denis. It is a great view point.
Other places of interest in Saint-Denis include:
- Parc du Colorado
- Musee Leon Dierx
- Les Bains De Minuit
- Temple Tamoul
- Museum d’Histoire Naturelle de La Reunion
- Les Recreateurs
- Cathedral of Saint Denis
When to visit Saint-Denis?
Like the rest of Reunion, from May to October is the best time to visit Saint-Denis when the weather remains dry and supportive for outdoor activities.
Where to stay in Saint-Denis?
To make tour memorable of all types of tourists, Saint-Denis houses all sorts of modernized accommodation centres like hotels, vacation rentals, BB and inns, of which most offer advance booking facility through online for visitors’ convenience. Here are some such nice hotels in Saint-Denis in Reunion:
- Hotel Austral
- BEST WESTERN Le Saint Denis
- Residence Les Jardins de Bourbon
- Hotel Bellepierre
- Mercure Creolia Saint-Denis La Reunion
- Le Juliette Dodu
- Auberge du Val Fleuri
- Les Loges du Park
- La Marianne
- Hotel du Centre
- Le Fleur de Mai
- Hotel Phoenix
- Hotel Select Ocean Indien
- Hotel Lancastel
- Residence Les Manguiers