Route des Tamarins is Réunion’s main coastal highway, running between Saint-Paul and Saint-Pierre, cutting through cliffs, valleys, and viaducts with wide ocean views. It’s one of the smoothest and fastest roads on the island, built to connect towns and reduce travel time, but also worth the drive for its engineering, outlooks, and elevation changes.

What makes it more than just a road:

• Massive viaducts and tunnels through the West Coast cliffs

• Quick access to Colimaçons, Étang-Salé, Piton Saint-Leu, and beaches below

• Panoramic views of the coast, especially heading southbound

• Occasional belvédères and viewpoints with pull-offs

• Often used to bypass traffic in the beach towns below

You don’t stop here for long. But if you’re moving between zones and want to do it with fewer curves and better scenery, this is the road you take.

👉 Local tip: For a scenic detour, exit at Les Colimaçons or Stella Matutina and zig-zag back down toward Saint-Leu for lunch or a swim.