The Chapel at the start of the trail from Cilaos

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One of the most beautiful hikes around Cilaos, offering the chance to discover an exceptional site: the entrance to a canyon carved out by the river through a monolith over 100 metres wide and high, with three pools of clear, cool water.

Details

n°1884560
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.34 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 622 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 630 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,159 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 765 m
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Photos

The first view of La Chapelle before descending...
Bird
Once you arrive at the chapel
The Chapel

Description of the walk

In Cilaos, turn left onto Rue de la Chapelle, continue along Rue Leconte Delisle and park 400 metres further down, after the last houses.

(S/E) Continue along the small road until after a hairpin bend.

(1) Take the path on the left marked Sentier de la Chapelle. Follow this beautiful, well-marked path with numerous steps. Enjoy the beautiful vegetation with many filaos. Cross several easy fords, continuing down the Dijoux ravine until you reach a crossroads marked with a signpost.

(2) Turn right towards the chapel, while the other path continues towards Îlet à Cordes. Follow this path for a while before starting the descent towards the Bras Rouge ravine. Join this ravine.

(3) Wade across the river and follow it along the other bank, passing through the piles of large rocks. You will now reach the pools.

(4) Continue alternating between the left and right banks, following a narrow, steep path to reach thesecond pool. Continue on to reach thethird, which is very steep. Enjoy watching the birds take flight from the crevices in the monoliths. The site is beautiful and very deep.

(5) Begin your return journey along the same path to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,159 m - Parking at the end of a small housing estate
  2. 1 : km 0.42 - alt. 1,106 m - Signposting on the Sentier de la Chapelle trail
  3. 2 : km 2.06 - alt. 836 m - Crossroads of the Îlet à Cordes
  4. 3 : km 3.19 - alt. 766 m - Bras Rouge River, section of the - Bras de Cilaos (rivière) - La Réunion -
  5. 4 : km 3.59 - alt. 780 m - 1st basin - Bassin Roche
  6. S/E : km 7.34 - alt. 1,159 m - Parking at the end of a small housing estate

Notes

Do not attempt in rainy weather.
The paths around the pools are poorly marked and steep.

Worth a visit

(Between 2 and 3) You can already see the impressive monoliths and the river bed. There are also beautiful views of the Piton des Neiges and the other mountains in the surrounding area.
(Between 4 and 5) You can swim in the pools surrounded by small pebble beaches.
Cilaos is the starting point for:
- piton des Neiges,
- the Cirque de Mafate via the Col du Taïbit.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 21 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
davidelea38
davidelea38

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Another really lovely walk... incredible vegetation, "The Chapel" is superb... "a bit" crowded, but that's to be expected...

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musset.danielle@wanadoo.fr
musset.danielle@wanadoo.fr

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike, the end of the trail is tricky; you have to find a path through the rocks to reach the pools. But the reward is at the end of the last pool, which you have to swim across: a superb waterfall!

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Minus
Minus

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very interesting discovery on this trail.
A challenging hike.

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Crapahut34
Crapahut34

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Magnificent hike. Very varied and shaded. Done in September, so there wasn't much water flow. The last watercourse, before you see the waterfall, is very cool... a warning to the brave.
Set off early for a more peaceful experience.
Rather than risk slipping into the water while trying to balance (because sooner or later you will...), do this hike with an old pair of trainers and walk in the water...
On the way back, if the "boisson fraîche" hut is open, make the most of it, the fruit juices are excellent.

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J3rome
J3rome

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike, completed in July 2024.
We set off early (just before 8 a.m.), which allowed us to avoid the crowds... but at this time of year, the water in the pools is very cold and the sun hadn't yet reached the entrance to the chapel. Swimming in the very cold water to reach the waterfall is still worth it.
At this time of year, it was possible to cross the fords without getting wet by walking on the rocks.

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Kty974
Kty974

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Great hike, done for the second time.
The directions are clear.
Bring a pair of shoes for crossing,
Once you're down, it's quite a workout, but the arrival at the chapel is magical
If possible, wait until 11:00/11:30 a.m. when the sun hits the site. It's very beautiful 😍

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souille91
souille91

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A magnificent hike that is very well signposted! However, be careful when accessing the chapel, as there are no longer any signposts. You will need to cross the river several times and climb over rocks. It is entirely feasible, but remember to bring shoes for walking in water and a swimsuit

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LnToph
LnToph

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hike on 07/01/2023. Sunshine all day, the return trip is difficult because the hike is uphill. After the ford, the path is no longer marked, but with so many people around, you don't even need the tracks. Bring a swimsuit and shoes for the water: ideally, from the first ford onwards, keep your shoes on for both walking and wading (a pair of trainers will do, but sandals are not ideal), otherwise you will have to change at least 5-6 times before reaching the waterfall (which is a waste of time). The last two pools are swum, but the water coming out of the rock at the end of the cave is quite impressive! In total, it takes six hours, including more than an hour on site. Definitely worth doing all the way to the end!!!

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karkad
karkad

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Thank you very much for the GPS track of the last off-trail section, it was very useful and helped guide quite a few people too!
We had to swim the last two pools, but it was worth it! Beautiful site, although a bit challenging to get to! Thank you, Visorando!

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schmourtz57
schmourtz57

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

This hike is a bit challenging, so plan for a descent of over an hour and a half and the same amount of time for the climb back up. There are some very pleasant sections through the woods before you reach a waterfallthe last few metres involve climbing rocks on the left side of the waterway, then a short passage through the water at the end to admire this beautiful waterfall, where you can swim. Bring shoes for crossing two ravines.

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Laurent Lizé
Laurent Lizé

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

No change

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cazoocazoo
cazoocazoo

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Remember to bring water shoes. It's better than getting your shoes wet (you have to walk quite a bit to get back up) or hurting your toes on the pebbles when crossing the river four or five times.
There was quite a lot of water during my hike. I had to get completely wet to reach the waterfall at the back of the chapel (it's cool, even cold, in August)

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Affolpas
Affolpas

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike with lots of ups and downs. At the end, access to the waterfall is not easy due to the rocks, but it is definitely worth going all the way, even if it means swimming a few metres in water that is quite pleasant in December.
PS Starting from the cemetery car park makes the route much longer.

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sergiomont
sergiomont

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike that is not to be missed; a very beautiful site.

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Binouzette
Binouzette
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 22, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A magnificent hike that is not to be missed when passing through Cilaos.
My GPS indicates 8.8 km with an elevation gain of 600 metres. The route is well marked except at the end, where you have to guess your way and wind your way through the rocks. This section is a little difficult and you'll get your feet wet, but the view from the chapel is spectacular. You can walk through the chapel to a waterfall, which is more or less accessible depending on the water level. You'll get wet at least up to your knees!
An ideal spot for a picnic and a quick swim.
The descent and ascent are fairly easy, and the path is pleasant and mostly shaded.

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