Saint-Benoît

Saint-Benoît is the main town on the windward east coast of Réunion and the gateway to the island's green, rain-fed highlands. Its landscape of sugar-cane fields, vanilla, forests, rivers and waterfalls gives the commune a lush, distinctly rural character.

The town grew after 1733, when settlers moved east from the island's early coastal settlements to open coffee plantations. Spices and vanilla later brought prosperity, and from the early 19th century sugar cane became the dominant crop. Landmarks such as the Baroque Église Sainte-Anne, the colonial-style town hall and the old railway and suspension-bridge remains reflect this plantation-era heritage.

In the town centre, the covered market and shops serve as everyday meeting points, while the coastal plain runs up into forested slopes. Well-known natural sites include the Grand Étang volcanic lake, the Takamaka valley viewpoints and waterfalls, Bassin Bleu and the Rivière des Marsouins, one of the island's best-known rafting rivers.

Saint-Benoît is also an agricultural and agro-industrial centre, with sugar and rum production alongside vanilla, lychees and tropical fruit. Local Creole dishes such as cari and rougail, market snacks and flavoured rhum arrangé make the town a worthwhile stop for food-focused visitors.

For leisure travellers, Saint-Benoît offers easy access to hiking, waterfalls and river activities, while business visitors come for agriculture and related industries. Its position on the east coast makes it a practical base for exploring the wetter, greener side of Réunion.