Now we head back to the coast. Near St-Andre we take a quick look at one of the island's largest Tamil temples, Le Colosse. Unfortunately only from outside, as the temple itself is not open to visitors.
At St-Suzanne we make a detour to Reunion's Niagara Falls, about 2 km from the coast, and take a short snack break. On the way out of town you can also visit an old lighthouse.

On the way to the island capital Saint Denis, we stop at the pilgrimage church Notre Dame de la Salette in Ste Marie. Again and again we notice hanging bird nests in the trees.

In St-Denis we park right at the pedestrian zone Rue du Maréchal-Leclerc and stroll along. Past the grand mosque, the main post office — where stamp collectors should definitely pop in for the often beautiful stamps. Luckily the shops are still on their lunch break, so we make our way quickly to the market hall and browse the souvenir shops. Particularly eye-catching are the tin toys made from old cans.

We continue to the old town hall, past the Ste-Marie cathedral and down to the 2nd prefecture. A larger reception is taking place here. Several state limousines slow down the traffic before speeding off.

We continue our drive to La-Saline / Hermitage-les-Bains and reach our lovely Hotel Nautile*** in the late afternoon, returning our rental car. From today we enjoy beach life, snorkelling and diving.

A wonderful view from the balcony over the Indian Ocean whets our appetite for the days ahead.