Country:
City:
Access:
From St-Louis: head towards Cilaos via the N5. Once you enter Cilaos, stay on the same road until the next roundabout, then take the 4th exit towards a car park and park there.
From Bras-Sec and Îlet à Cordes: head towards Cilaos and drive past the church. At the roundabout just after the church, take the second exit towards the car park and park there.
(S/E) From the car park, there is a magnificent view. Directly in front of you, you can see the Rhinocéros, the Pain de Sucre, the Grand Bénare, Pluto (also known as the Nez de Boeuf and the Tête de Chien), the Col du Taïbit and the Grand Bénard. It’s a great way to start the hike with some stunning views. You can even see the D241, which is very close by! From the car park, you can also see the Piton des Neiges and the Tête de Lion to the right, as well as the Piton de l’Entre-Deux, the Bonnet de Prêtre and the Calumets when you turn round.
After taking in the view, set off along the Sentier des Porteurs, which starts in the corner to the right of the car park. The path is very wide and descends gently but steadily towards the D241. The descent is very pleasant, features around ten hairpin bends and offers a few clear views of the western part of the Cirque de Cilaos.
It is possible to cut across some of the hairpin bends by taking the shortcuts. The path also passes numerous springs and small waterfalls where you can cool off and top up your water supplies. The D241 comes into view quickly, as can be seen through the vegetation. A building with a red roof appears from time to time: these are the old thermal baths. Before it ends, the path passes very close to a fairly large wayside shrine and a recently built kiosk.
(1) After about 10 minutes’ descent, you reach the D241 after a short flight of steps. Follow the same route in the opposite direction to return to the car park (S/E).
Visorando Member
Difficult 
Very difficult 
Moderate 
