Ile de la Réunion – the French overseas department in the Indian Ocean – was the travel destination for a group of students in September 2006. The two week field trip focused on aspects like geomorpholgy, soil science, climatology and botany as well as human geographical topics, such as settlement history, demography, agriculture and tourism. The itinerary led from St.Denis, the capital, to the northern part of the island, with stopovers in the coastal cities, the Cirque the Mafate and the Cirque de Salazie. Afterwards, the group headed towards Le Baril, a small town on the south coast and later on to the central highlands called Plaine des Cafres. Beyond doubt, the ascension of Piton de Fournaise, which is currently one of the most active volcanoes in the world, will stick in every participants memory. In case you are interested in finding out more about this beautiful island, check out this comprehensive reader on the Geography of La Réunion [in German only].
The Cirque de Mafate as seen from Dos d`Ane viewpoint.
Coral reef shoreline near Saint Gilles les Bains (left) and eruption of Piton de la Fournaise (right).
Highlands and vents: La Plaine de Cafres.
Entering the Caldera of Plaine des Sables.
Piton de Neiges (3070 m asl) as seen from Grand Bénare
TerraScientia 