Best time to travel
Webcams:
Reunion Island is an all year destination: the differences between the dry season: April to November = "winter", and the rainy season: December to March = "summer" are not very important.
Regarding temperature, the differences on the coast turn around five degrees Celsius maximum between the seasons. The temperature differences between day and night are greater than between summer and winter. And: "A warm winter day can be hotter than a cold summer day."
But because of the high degree of air humidity, especially on the coast, the heat is more difficult to stand in the heart of summer.
There is a (very low) risk of gel and even snow. This happens sometimes in August, at more than 2000 m above sea level, and is happily celebrated by the population.
In short: you can feel cold in winter in the mountains and suffer from the heat on the coast in summer, but in general, there is a pleasant temperature everywhere on the island throughout the year.
In summer there is a higher risk of rain and cyclones (= hurricanes, the last one, which hit the island directely dates back to 2007) can occur. Quite frequently, we have the first heavy rains around Christmas.
Concerning your holidays:
- First of all, the weather conditions are not exactly the same from one year to an other: we have already had very dry summers and very wet winters. Caused by the global climate change,
long term weather forecasts have become less reliable.
- Secondly, the activities planned by you play an important role. For example between December and March we do not recommend to go trekking for more than three days. In any case, before each hike, better you have a look at the weather forecast, especially in summer. Sometimes, if there have been heavy rains in summer, not all of the trails will be reestablished before May.
- Third, the location of your main accommodation on the island is also essential:
for example, on the west coast the weather is dry almost all year round.
Most of the time, if you have transport available, you can choose your weather freely: you just go there, where the webcams indicate suitable conditions.
Climate details (by Meteo France)
The most popular period, climate-wise, is the beginning of summer. But better avoid those months of October and November: there are plenty of fellow tourists, prices tend to rise and the quality of service tends to decline.
We advise you (especially for hiking) to choose months like May, June or September, trying to avoid high season and french and the islands school holidays.
Spending your holiday on the island at that time of the year, normally you will have:
- tranquility,
- pleasant weather
- affordable prices
- an ample choice of accommodation and other services.
If you have questions left just contact us !