After two days of exploring the coastal area, it was time to head inland.

The Western part of Reunion was basically one giant volcano (now call Piton des neiges, or "Snow Peak"), but the caldera of that volcano collapsed long ago, leaving three sub-calderas known as Les Cirques (Salazie, Mafate, and Cilaos). Two of these, Cirque de Salazie and Cirque de Cilaos, can be driven into via twisty roads, so we decided to head up into the Cirque de Salazie to the town of Hell-Bourg to check it out.

As you can see, the volcanic nature of Reunion makes for some impressively-steep valleys and mountains. Here we are halfway up the valley to Salazie, looking inward:



The entire left-hand side of the valley is basically nothing but waterfalls (Cascade du Voile de la Mariée):



After a long and twisty drive up the canyons, you arrive at the center of Cirque de Salazie, with a stunning view of the small mountain in the center of the caldera, Piton d'Enchaing:



At the center of the Cirque de Salazie is Hell-Bourg, one of the most charming and scenic little French towns I've encountered.

Pictures do not do this place justice: