Month by Month
January
Hot and wet, cyclone season begins
Temperatures hover around 30°C with humidity pushing 80%. Afternoon downpours are frequent, and cyclones can shut down roads to Piton de la Fournaise for days. Coastal areas remain accessible, but hiking trails in the cirques turn muddy and dangerous.
February
Peak cyclone season, heavy rainfall
Cyclones peak this month, bringing winds that can ground helicopters and close the coastal road between Saint-Denis and Saint-Pierre. Rainfall exceeds 400mm in the highlands, making waterfalls spectacular but trails impassable. Hotels in beach towns drop prices by 30-40% as European visitors stay away.
March
Cyclone risk continues, still rainy
Cyclone warnings still interrupt travel plans, though less frequently than February. The cirques remain waterlogged, and landslides occasionally block Route Forestière du Volcan. Water temperatures hit their annual high at 27°C, making this the warmest month for swimming despite the rain risk.
April
Rainy season ending, cooling down
Rainfall decreases by half compared to March, and cyclone risk drops sharply after mid-month. Temperatures cool to a more comfortable 26°C, and hiking trails start drying out in Mafate and Cilaos. Fête du Vacoa brings crowds to Saint-Philippe, pushing up accommodation prices for one weekend.
May
Transitional weather, pleasant temperatures
The island shifts between seasons with warm days around 24°C and cooler nights in the highlands. Rain becomes sporadic rather than daily, and visibility improves for volcano views. This transition month sees fewer tourists than June but similar conditions, making it the quiet window before high season.
June
Dry winter starts, cool and clear
Winter settles in with clear skies and daytime temperatures around 22°C on the coast, dropping to 10°C in Cilaos overnight. Sakifo Music Festival packs Saint-Pierre for one June weekend, requiring advance bookings. Trade winds pick up, creating excellent conditions for paragliding above Saint-Leu.
July
Peak hiking season, coolest month
This is when Réunion earns its reputation as a hiking destination. Temperatures drop to 20°C on the coast and near freezing at the volcano summit before dawn. Every gîte in the cirques fills with French mainlanders on summer holiday, and you'll need to book trails like Piton des Neiges three months ahead.
August
Dry and cool, excellent visibility
Dry conditions continue with only 40mm of rain across the island. Visibility reaches its annual peak, making this the best month for photographing the volcanic landscapes. The chill at altitude intensifies—bring layers for overnight stays in Mafate, where temperatures can drop to 5°C.
September
Dry season continues, warming slightly
Temperatures climb back toward 23°C while the dry weather holds. Humpback whales still linger offshore through mid-month before migrating north. The cirques remain dry enough for comfortable hiking, but crowds thin as French school holidays end, opening up last-minute gîte availability.
October
Last dry month, pleasantly warm
The last reliably dry month before the wet season returns. Temperatures reach 25°C, and humidity starts climbing but remains tolerable. Grand Boucan and Miel Vert festivals draw locals to the highlands for music and honey tastings, creating a festive atmosphere in Plaine-des-Cafres.
November
Humidity rising, occasional showers
Afternoon showers return with increasing frequency, dumping 150mm across the island. Temperatures push back toward 27°C, and humidity makes coastal areas sticky. Hiking remains possible in the cirques, but trails get slippery after midday rain, and mist often obscures volcano views by afternoon.
December
Rainy season returns, hot and humid
The wet season establishes itself with daily afternoon thunderstorms and humidity above 75%. Leu Tempo Festival brings international reggae acts to Saint-Leu despite the weather. Temperatures climb to 29°C, and the first cyclone watches of the season appear in weather forecasts.
Hiking and Volcanoes
Book your trip for July through September when trails stay dry and gîtes fill three months in advance. The GR R2 loop takes five days to complete, circling through Mafate, Cilaos, and Salazie, but the Hell-Bourg to Cilaos section alone gives you two days of the best terrain without the full commitment. Route Forestière du Volcan to Piton de la Fournaise stays open year-round except during eruptions, when gendarmes close it within hours—check the volcano observatory website before driving up. Don't attempt the cirques between January and March when landslides regularly cut trails and evacuation by helicopter costs €3,000 per person.
Beaches and Swimming
The lagoon at L'Hermitage offers the only safe swimming on the island, protected by a reef that keeps out the bull sharks that patrol the open coast. Water temperatures stay above 24°C year-round, peaking at 27°C in March, but avoid February when cyclone swells make even the lagoon choppy and visibility drops below two metres. Saint-Leu's left-hand reef break works best from May to September when southerly swells arrive without the summer cyclone risk—locals get territorial, so don't paddle out in the middle of a session. Skip the black sand beaches on the east coast entirely; the currents have killed dozens of swimmers who ignored the red flags.
Whale Watching
Humpback whales migrate from Antarctica to breed in Réunion's waters between June and October, with peak sightings in August when mothers and calves linger in the channel between the island and Mauritius. Boats leave from Saint-Gilles and Saint-Leu charging €45 for three-hour trips—book morning departures when seas are calmest and whales surface more frequently. French regulations ban swimming with whales here, unlike in nearby Tonga, so if that's your goal, don't waste money on these excursions. September offers the best compromise between whale presence and smaller crowds after French holidaymakers return home.
Budget Travel
February and March see hotel rates drop by 40% as cyclone season empties the island, but you'll spend those savings on cancelled activities and indoor days eating expensive supermarket food. Gîtes de montagne in the cirques cost €18 per night with dinner and breakfast included—book the refuges run by the national park rather than private operators who charge double for the same rice and sausage. Take the yellow Ti'Car buses between towns for €2 instead of renting a car, but know that routes to trailheads like Cilaos run only twice daily, forcing you to adjust hiking plans. Don't buy bottled water; tap water across the island meets French standards and costs nothing.
Photography
August delivers the sharpest light and clearest skies for capturing the volcanic landscapes, with sunrise at Piton de la Fournaise hitting around 6:30am when mist clears from the caldera. Drive up the night before and sleep in your car at Pas de Bellecombe to catch first light without the 90-minute pre-dawn drive from the coast. The helicopter tour from Cambaie costs €250 for 45 minutes and flies over all three cirques plus the volcano—worth it for aerial shots you can't get anywhere else, but cloud cover above 2,000 metres between November and April will waste your money. Skip the golden hour at Trou de Fer waterfall; the canyon faces east and falls into shadow by 4pm year-round.
Festivals & Events
Fête du Vacoa
AprilThis festival in Saint-Philippe celebrates the pandanus plant with traditional Creole crafts, music, and local cuisine. A good opportunity to experience authentic island culture away from tourist crowds.
Sakifo Music Festival
JuneRéunion's largest music festival takes place in Saint-Pierre, featuring international and local artists across multiple genres. Book accommodation early as coastal towns fill up during this weekend event.
Grand Boucan
OctoberSaint-Leu hosts this three-day food festival celebrating Creole cuisine with cooking demonstrations, tastings, and traditional music. The event coincides with excellent weather for exploring the west coast.
Miel Vert
OctoberThis honey and green turmeric festival in Plaine-des-Palmistes showcases local produce from the island's highlands. Stalls sell honey, spices, and mountain-grown fruits in a pleasant cool-climate setting.
Leu Tempo Festival
DecemberA free four-day music and arts festival in Saint-Leu that draws crowds to the west coast just before the holiday season. Features outdoor concerts, street performances, and food vendors.
