Saint-Pierre beach
Plage de Saint-Pierre is a long sandy beach near the center of the resort of the same name, one of the largest in the south of the island of Reunion and to the west of the port with the same name. Rich in underwater flora and fauna, the local waters attract many snorkelers, and the proximity to the center of the commune makes this beach the most accessible for tourists.
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Beach description
Saint-Pierre is a quite long and vast beach with light sand, situated in a picturesque lagoon with a coral reef and limited from one side by the city harbour, where the marina is located. Because of the most favorable location, it's often very crowded on this coast. As a rule, families with children and connoisseurs of underwater adventures spend their holidays here.
The range of entertainment for lovers of active water leisure here includes:
- fishing and sailing – for this purpose, powerboat rental is available at the pier on the edge of the beach;
- snorkeling, which is a particularly exciting pastime because of the rich variety of colorful fishes, that can be found in local waters, and branches of beautiful corals;
- wreck diving – when diving in the lagoon, you can admire a Belgian steamboat sunk in May 1897 with a preserved steam boiler and partially destroyed steering mechanism
Entering the water on this beach of Réunion is smooth, the bottom is sandy the first 0.5-1 m (at a distance of 2 m from the shore, the coral zone begins), and the shore itself is covered with clean white sand. The beach is partially surrounded by a coral reef, so you can safely relax here, even with children, not being afraid of the sharks for which brought sad reputation to the island.
Although this is nowhere near the Hermitage, you still should be careful – it's often windy and sometimes there can be large waves. At a considerable distance from the shore, there are risks of entering strong ocean currents.
When is the best time to go?
Since there are mountains on the island, the climate on it is cooler and drier than on the neighboring islands. Since Reunion is located in the southern hemisphere, the calendar winter coincides with the climatic summer, so the best time to visit the island is from September to November and from April to May.
Video: Beach Saint-Pierre
Infrastructure
There are many shops and restaurants in the vicinity of the beach – it's the effect of coast's proximity to the city center. In general, the infrastructure here is very well developed and includes:
- a lifeguard tower on the beach that functions all year round;
- toilets and showers on the coast;
- a playground for children;
- spacious parking lot for cars near the coast;
- numerous bars and cafes on the city's promenade
The resort itself has a diving club, where you can rent the necessary equipment and use the services of qualified dive instructors.
Vacationing on this beach of the island you can stay at the hotel Alize Plage, which is located right on the coast. More rental offers can be found near the yacht marina as well as in the resort town itself. For example, on the southern edge of the resort, you can get a room at a hotel La Villa Delisle & Spa, which has 41 rooms available for guests.
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- When swimming on the beach of Saint-Pierre, you should be careful (rubber slippers won't help), as there are many sea urchins in the lagoon.
- The greatest interest for divers is the water area 200-300 m away from the coast of the beach, located to the right (if you look from the shore towards the ocean) from the marina. There are various colorful oceanic fishes, including a lagoon triggerfish. Underwater dives are also popular in the inner part of the lagoon – between the coast and the coral reef.
- Swimming between corals needs to be done very carefully, as their branches are very fragile and can easily break if you accidentally hit them. Despite the fact that the lagoon is protected, strong waves can occur in winter, making diving more difficult.
- You should definitely take a stroll along the city marina, where you can admire not only modern powerboats and yachts, but also traditional boats, which locals have long used for fishing. In the same place you can rent such a boat with a trip for fishing.
- Among the sights of the beach of Saint Pierre is a Dry Dock – a historical monument of the 19th century, which represents the place where the sailboats were repaired. The Gardens of the beach are also interesting – a recreational area of the city that goes in parallel with the promenade, with many different vegetation, in the shadow of which people most often organize picnics.