1218-1218 Travel Guide

A coastal forest of about 1,000 hectares in L'Étang-Salé, planted artificially from 1870 to hold back the advancing coastal sand dunes. It is densely planted with casuarinas, eucalyptus and Indian tamarind, supplemented with endemic coastal species, and is a popular black-and-white-sand park for jogging, hiking, cycling, horse riding and birdwatching.

The remains of oyster-farming pools in the L'Étang-Salé area date from 1920, when Charles Robin attempted to farm and commercialise oysters here. The venture was later abandoned because of regional water temperatures, repeated theft and the islanders' limited interest in this so-called 'local seafood'; only the ruins now remain for visitors to contemplate.

The old railway station at L'Étang-Salé opened in 1881 and ceased operation in 1956. Beginning as a wooden structure before becoming a first-class stone station, it bears witness to Reunion's railway history and the development of the town of L'Étang-Salé; the old station now serves as the office of the L'Étang-Salé Tourist Office (Office de Tourisme).

The remains of a seaside lime kiln in L'Étang-Salé les Bains, where skilled craftsmen (chaufourniers) once burned coral limestone to produce lime used in construction and the sugar industry. It is a surviving coastal monument to Reunion's traditional craft industries.

The Catholic parish church of Saint Dominic in L'Étang-Salé is an important place of worship for the local community.

An animal park on the heights of Étang-Salé (Croc Parc) with two ponds that is home to a large number of crocodiles and many other animals, and is especially popular with children.