GR R2 Réunion hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The GR R2, the Grande Traversée de La Réunion, crosses the island from north to south, from Saint-Denis on the north coast to Saint-Philippe in the wild south. It climbs from the sea to the Roche Écrite, crosses the roadless cirque of Mafate and the cirque of Cilaos, passes below the Piton des Neiges (3,070 m) and reaches the Piton de la Fournaise, one of the world's most active volcanoes, before going down through rainforest to the sea. The FFRandonnée gives about 134 km. Most of the route is in the core of the Parc national de La Réunion, and much of it is in the "Pitons, cirques and remparts" UNESCO World Heritage Site. You sleep in mountain gîtes and refuges, with dinner and breakfast cooked by the keepers.

The route

The trail starts at La Providence in Saint-Denis and climbs the Sentier Mercure to Le Brûlé, then a forest path to the Plaine des Chicots and the Roche Écrite refuge (1,860 m). Next morning most walkers go up to the Roche Écrite summit (2,276 m) for the view into Salazie and Mafate, then descend to Dos d'Âne. From there a steep path drops to Deux Bras on the Rivière des Galets, the gateway to Mafate. Four days link the îlets of Mafate: Aurère, Îlet à Malheur, Îlet à Bourse, Grand Place, Cayenne, the Canalisation des Orangers, La Brèche, Roche Plate and La Nouvelle, to Marla, the highest îlet (1,620 m). The Col du Taïbit (about 2,100 m) leads down to Cilaos. A big climb then takes you to the Caverne Dufour refuge (about 2,400 m), from where the summit of the Piton des Neiges is a dawn side trip. The GR R2 then follows the Coteau Kerveguen and long forest slopes down to Bourg-Murat on the Plaine des Cafres, climbs past the Oratoire Sainte-Thérèse to the Plaine des Sables, and reaches the volcano at the Foc-Foc junction, 1.6 km from the Gîte du Volcan. The last stage descends the south flank of the volcano through native forest, past the Gîte de Basse Vallée, to the coast at Basse Vallée in the commune of Saint-Philippe; many walkers split it and sleep at the gîte.

This guide follows the route mapped on OpenStreetMap, 144 km, and splits it into 11 stages of about 13.1 km. Older guides end at Mare Longue, but that old section of the GR R2 is closed. Expect about 8,000 to 9,000 m of climbing in total.

Highlights

• The Roche Écrite: the summit view over the Salazie and Mafate cirques, and the forest of the Tuit-tuit, a rare endemic bird
• Mafate: villages with no roads, reached only on foot or by helicopter, among towering ramparts
• The Piton des Neiges: sunrise from the highest summit of the Indian Ocean, a side trip from the Caverne Dufour refuge
• The Plaine des Sables and the Piton de la Fournaise: a red and black lunar plain and the rim of an active volcano
• The wild south: rainforest and the black-rock coast at Basse Vallée

When to walk the GR R2

The best time is the dry, cool season from May to October, the southern winter. Days are clear and mild, but nights at Marla, Caverne Dufour and the Gîte du Volcan can drop below freezing. April-May and October-November are pleasant and quieter. From November to April it is hot and wet, and it is cyclone season: heavy rain swells the rivers in Mafate and the authorities close trails during cyclone alerts. In every season clouds build up by late morning, so start early.

How many days do you need?

The 11 stages here are the usual plan, and most walkers take 10 to 14 days. Strong walkers join short days and finish in 9 or 10. Add a day if you want the Roche Écrite summit, the Piton des Neiges summit and the Dolomieu crater without rushing. Cilaos, Bourg-Murat and Pas de Bellecombe have road access, so you can also walk only part of the trail.

Difficulty

The GR R2 is hard. Paths are steep, rocky and often muddy, with long stone or wooden staircases, ladders and handrails on rampart sections, and river fords at Deux Bras and in Mafate. Many days have 900 to 1,400 m of climbing, and stage 1 from the sea climbs about 1,800 m. Waymarks are white and red. There is no glacier or rock climbing, but you need good fitness, good knees and a head for steep drops. Fog is common on the high plains; carry a map or GPS track.

Booking, permits and costs

No permit or fee is needed. You must book the gîtes ahead, especially in the dry season and at weekends. The main mountain refuges (Roche Écrite, Caverne Dufour/Piton des Neiges, Gîte du Volcan, Gîte de Basse Vallée, Grand Place Cayenne, Îlet à Bourse and Yolande Hoareau in Marla) belong to the AGGM network and are booked on book.reunion.fr; book dinner and breakfast at least 48 hours ahead. The private gîtes in Mafate are booked online through book.reunion.fr or the West tourist office, or by phone. In 2026 a dorm bed costs about 21 to 25 € a night; with dinner and breakfast expect about 50 to 60 €. Bring cash: many gîtes in Mafate take only cash or cheques. Bivouac is allowed in most of the national park core, but not in the Mare Longue forest or on the cliffs of the Piton des Neiges, and not next to the Caverne Dufour refuge.

Getting there and away

Roland Garros airport is next to Saint-Denis. The start at La Providence is a short taxi or bus ride from the centre. At the end, Basse Vallée is on the RN2 coastal road; regional buses run along it towards Saint-Pierre and back to Saint-Denis. Check the timetable before you set off.

Money, food and phone signal

The currency is the euro. Cash machines are only in the towns (Saint-Denis, Cilaos, Saint-Philippe); there are none in Mafate or at the refuges. Shops are few, so carry lunch and snacks. There is no water between Dos d'Âne and Aurère, or between Bourg-Murat and the Gîte du Volcan, and the high refuges are short of water: carry 2 to 3 litres. The AGGM refuges run on solar power and you cannot charge phones there, so bring a power bank. Mobile coverage reaches much of the route but can drop in deep ravines.

What to pack

Waterproof jacket, warm layers, hat and gloves, a sleeping bag (needed at Caverne Dufour), boots with good grip for mud and wet rock, poles, a headtorch, sun cream, water treatment, a first-aid kit and cash.

Safety

In an emergency call 15 (medical) or 112; for mountain rescue you can also call 17, the gendarmerie, whose mountain unit (PGHM) does the rescues by helicopter. Trails close after heavy rain, rockfalls and cyclones: check the ONF map of open trails before each stage. In October 2026 the closed paths included the Sentier du Bras des Merles from Deux Bras to Aurère, the lower Cap Noir path near Dos d'Âne and the old GR R2 through the Mare Longue forest. Never cross a river in flood. The Piton de la Fournaise erupted three times in early 2026; in an alert the prefecture closes the area, so check the volcano status before stages 10 and 11.