REUNION’S RUGGED INTERIOR – A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE
(Posted 01st August 2015)
The mountains of the interior of Reunion island, the gorges, valleys and steep cliffs made of naked rock, were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site exactly five years ago, on the 01st of August 2010.
Since then has a constant stream of adventure tourists flocked to the island, to hike the remote parts of the island, ride their mountain bikes over the extensive network of trails, abseil into the canyons and of course see the spectacular sights from the elevated position of a helicopter overflight. Some fourty percent of the island or about 100.000 hectares, have been made a national park which include the two tallest mountains on the island, the often firespitting Piton de la Fournaise and the Piton des Neiges. Also into this category fall the Piton Anchaing in Salazie and the Piton de Sucre besides several other named formations which give the interior of Reunion its character.
Flora and Fauna of the interior are equally part of the UNESCO site and a welcome sight from visitors from the cities of the French mainland or from other parts of the world.
Besides Reunion, one of only 34 global biodiversity hotspots, does the Gulf of Porto on the French island of Corsica and the French territory of New Caledonia claim the fame of being listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
More information about the island which is estimated to be three million years old, can be found by visiting www.reunion.fr
