From St Pierre: helicopter flight over the whole of Reunion Island

The best reason to book this flight is simple: in less than an hour, you see the parts of Réunion that take days to reach on foot or by road. From Saint-Pierre, the helicopter sweeps over all three cirques, major waterfalls, volcanic craters, forest and coast in one grand loop.

I especially like the 55-minute PREMIUM circuit and the careful handling reported by passengers, including pilot Anthony checking on everyone during the flight. The coffee or tea before takeoff is a small but welcome touch, and the clear windows and well-kept cabin make it easier to enjoy the views.

The main catch is that your chosen time is only a request. Mafate Hélicoptères confirms the real departure time the day before, with all flights leaving between 6 and 11 a.m. Weather can also limit the route, so keep some flexibility in your plans.

Key points

• Three cirques in one flight: See Cilaos, Mafate and Salazie without long mountain drives or strenuous hikes.
• A 55-minute aerial circuit: The route covers Trou de Fer, Bélouve Forest, Takamaka, Grand-Étang, Piton de la Fournaise and Saint-Pierre lagoon.
• Pilot commentary in French or English: Your pilot explains what you are seeing and checks that you are comfortable.
• Early morning departures: The confirmed takeoff falls between 6 and 11 a.m., when conditions may be best.
• Shared helicopter with a small-group option: The standard flight is shared, while private or small-group arrangements are available.
• Weather matters: If parts of the route are unavailable, you may be offered a later date or a partial refund.

Why this flight gives you Réunion in one clear picture

Réunion is not an island you understand from the beach alone. Its character comes from the sudden rise of mountains behind the coast, the deep volcanic valleys and the contrast between old, forested slopes and the raw ground around Piton de la Fournaise.

A road trip can show you one region at a time. A hike can bring you close to one viewpoint or waterfall. This flight lets you connect the whole island in a single morning. You see how the three cirques sit within the interior, how the forest covers the high ground, and how the volcano shapes the coast.

At $406 per person, this is not a casual add-on. It is a major holiday expense. Still, the value makes more sense if you have only a few days on Réunion, cannot hike comfortably, or want to see sites that are hard to reach from the ground. One passenger with an injury found the flight especially useful because it offered views of peaks that were not practical to reach on foot.

The standard experience uses a shared Mafate Hélicoptères helicopter. A minimum of five participants is required, but you do not need to assemble the whole group yourself. Other passengers can be added to complete the flight.

Starting at Saint-Pierre Pierrefonds Airport

You meet at the Mafate Hélicoptères hangar in the Saint-Pierre airport area, at Pierrefonds Airport. Plan to arrive 30 minutes before the activity starts. Your reservation time is not necessarily your final takeoff time, so check the operator’s confirmation the day before.

The flight team provides coffee or tea before boarding. That short pause gives you time to settle in, show your identification and hear the practical instructions before the aircraft starts up.

Bring sunglasses and a camera. You will need a passport or identity card, and a copy is accepted. Leave bags, backpacks, tablets, selfie sticks and tripods behind. This is partly about cabin space and partly about safety. The restrictions may feel strict if you are used to carrying camera gear, but the limited cabin area is easier to manage without loose items.

The helicopters are described as modern and comfortable. Clear windows matter here, since your best photographs will come from looking straight down or out at an angle. Keep your camera ready, but do not let it distract you from the view. The scenery changes quickly.

Cilaos, the first great mountain bowl

Cilaos is one of Réunion’s best-known cirques, a huge mountain bowl surrounded by steep relief. From above, you get a much better sense of its scale than you do from a single roadside lookout.

The villages appear small against the slopes, with the Piton des Neiges rising nearby. This is a place where the view is as much about the shape of the valley as the buildings within it. The helicopter gives you the broad picture: roads, settlements, ridges and rock walls all arranged inside an enormous volcanic amphitheater.

Cilaos is also a reminder of what you are buying with an aerial tour. Reaching the area by road takes time, and a ground visit would still show only one part of the cirque. From the helicopter, you see the structure of the whole region before moving on.

Mafate, the island’s roadless interior

Mafate is the most remote of the three cirques on this route. It can be reached only on foot or by air, which makes the overhead view particularly useful.

From above, the cirque feels separate from the rest of Réunion. There are no ordinary roads carrying you through its interior, and the quiet mountain setting is difficult to grasp from a map. The helicopter passes over a place where hiking is the main way to move between settlements and viewpoints.

This section may be the strongest argument for taking the flight. You can see Mafate without committing to a demanding multi-day walk, though you should not expect the same close-up feeling as a hike. The aircraft gives you scale and access, not a path through the valley.

Salazie and the Voile de la Mariée waterfall

Salazie brings a different mood. Its steep interior is heavily covered with vegetation, and the cirque is known for the Voile de la Mariée waterfall.

Waterfalls can be hard to judge from the ground. Trees, bends in the road and changing viewpoints often hide their full height. From above, you get a clean look at the water dropping through the mountain walls and at the folds of the cirque around it.

This is one reason the route works so well as a survey of Réunion. Cilaos, Mafate and Salazie do not look identical. Seeing all three in one flight helps you notice their different shapes and textures instead of treating the island’s mountains as one continuous mass.

Trou de Fer and Bélouve Forest from the air

Trou de Fer is one of the flight’s most dramatic sections. It is a deep chasm surrounded by waterfalls, with steep walls that make it difficult to appreciate from many ground positions.

The helicopter is especially useful here because it can show the opening, the surrounding rock and the falls together. You get the scale of the hollow rather than a narrow view of one cascade.

Nearby Bélouve Forest adds a complete change in tone. The forest is dense and mysterious, while the Trou de Fer provides the open, rugged contrast. From the air, you can see how the forest occupies the high ground around the chasm.

Cloud and weather are important in this part of the trip. The interior mountains can be covered or partly obscured, particularly when conditions change. That is why the operator confirms your final flight time only the day before and schedules departures between 6 and 11 a.m.

Takamaka and Grand-Étang

The route continues over the Takamaka waterfalls and Grand-Étang, Réunion’s largest lake. Grand-Étang lies in a valley surrounded by cliffs, so the helicopter offers a useful view of the water and the enclosing rock at the same time.

Takamaka brings another set of waterfalls to the route. By this point, the flight has shown you how water cuts through several different parts of the island, from high forest to steep volcanic valleys.

For me, this middle section gives the tour variety. It is not simply a sequence of peaks. You see forest, open water, cliff walls and falling water, all within the same morning. That variety helps justify the price more than a shorter flight focused on one landmark.

Piton de la Fournaise and the volcanic southeast

Piton de la Fournaise is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. The flight takes you close to its craters and frozen lava flows, giving you a view of the island’s raw volcanic side.

The volcano section differs sharply from the cirques. Instead of green mountain walls and settled valleys, you see broad areas shaped by eruptions. The craters and lava flows show that Réunion is still being formed, not simply preserved as an old island.

An aerial view also helps you understand the size of the volcanic area. On the ground, a lava field can feel like one wide stretch of dark rock. From above, its lines and channels become easier to read.

As with the mountain interiors, weather can affect what you see. If a section of the planned route cannot be flown, the company may offer a different date or a partial refund. One passenger was offered a later flight or a refund after some sites became unavailable and chose a refund, receiving $65 per person. That is useful evidence of a fair response when weather changes the experience, though you should not assume every route adjustment will have the same value.

The Saint-Pierre lagoon closes the circuit

The return toward Saint-Pierre gives you a gentler finish. The helicopter passes over the lagoon, with clear water and white sand beaches, before returning to Pierrefonds Airport.

After the dark volcanic ground and steep interior valleys, the lagoon offers an easy visual contrast. You finish by seeing the coast as a thin, bright edge below the mountains you have just crossed.

The coastal view also puts the whole flight into perspective. You have seen the island from its ocean margin to its highest interior, then returned to the town where the trip began. That sense of connection is the strongest feature of this route.

What the pilot adds to the view

The pilot provides commentary throughout the flight in French or English. That matters because the scenery passes quickly and many natural features can look similar when viewed from above.

A good explanation helps you identify a cirque, waterfall or volcanic feature before the helicopter moves on. The pilot also has the practical job of keeping you comfortable in a confined aircraft. Anthony is specifically praised for checking on passengers several times and for smooth, reassuring handling.

You should still expect the sound of the helicopter to limit conversation. Commentary may not feel like a long guided talk. Think of it as useful orientation delivered during the flight, with the view doing most of the work.

The experience is designed to feel safe, and the crew is described as friendly and attentive. That does not remove the normal limits of flying. If you are nervous in small aircraft, claustrophobic or prone to motion sickness, consider that before paying for the trip.

Timing, comfort and practical restrictions

All departures take place between 6 and 11 a.m., but the exact time is confirmed the day before. Keep your morning open and avoid booking a conflicting activity immediately afterward.

Do not drink a lot of alcohol the night before. If you know you suffer from motion sickness, take suitable medication before takeoff. The flight is not suitable for someone who has taken part in a scuba activity within the previous 24 hours.

The helicopter is wheelchair accessible, but you should confirm your needs in advance. People over 120 kilograms are not considered suitable for the activity. If you weigh more than 110 kilograms, the instructor may suggest a different date so the passenger weight can be balanced.

If you are at least 28 weeks pregnant, you need a medical certificate confirming that you can fly. The activity is also not suitable for people with epilepsy or claustrophobia.

Cancellation is free up to two days before the activity for a full refund. That policy is useful because weather is a real factor on Réunion, though the operator controls the final decision about flight conditions.

Who should pay $406 for the flight?

I would recommend this flight most strongly if you have five days or fewer on the island, cannot manage long hikes, or want to understand Réunion as a whole before choosing other day trips.

It also suits photographers, as long as you accept the restrictions on tripods, selfie sticks, tablets and bags. A camera and sunglasses are allowed, and the clear cabin windows can produce strong images. Still, the best memories may come from simply looking out rather than trying to record every second.

You may want to skip it if you are on a tight budget, dislike small aircraft or need a fixed schedule. A road trip and a hike will give you more time in individual places, even though neither can match the reach of this circuit.

Should you book this Réunion helicopter flight?

Book it if you want the island’s largest possible view in one morning. The route covers the three cirques, Trou de Fer, Bélouve, Takamaka, Grand-Étang, Piton de la Fournaise and the Saint-Pierre lagoon, which is an impressive amount of ground in 55 minutes.

I would build flexibility into your trip, arrive early, pack light and treat the confirmed departure time as weather-dependent. At $406, the flight is expensive, but for a short stay or limited mobility, it can be a sensible use of money. If seeing Réunion’s remote interior from above matters more to you than spending hours on the ground, this is one of the island’s most efficient big experiences.

FAQ

Where does the helicopter flight depart from?

The flight departs from the Mafate Hélicoptères hangar in the Saint-Pierre airport area, at Pierrefonds Airport, postal code 97410.

How long is the helicopter flight?

The flight lasts 55 minutes and follows the PREMIUM circuit.

What time does the flight leave?

The requested time is confirmed the day before. All takeoffs take place between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m.

What sights are included on the route?

The route includes Cilaos, Mafate, Salazie, Trou de Fer, Bélouve Forest, Takamaka waterfalls, Grand-Étang, Piton de la Fournaise and the Saint-Pierre lagoon.

Is the helicopter flight shared?

The standard 55-minute flight is shared with other participants. Private or small-group arrangements are also available.

What languages are available?

The driver and flight commentary are available in French and English.

What should I bring?

Bring sunglasses, a camera and a passport or identity card. A copy of the identification document is accepted.

Can I cancel for a refund?

Yes. You can cancel up to two days before the activity for a full refund.