Réunion Island: photo reportage among volcanoes and nature
A reportage on Réunion Island might seem a mere stylistic exercise, but for me it holds a deeper meaning, which I will reveal at the end. This French overseas territory, set in the Indian Ocean between Madagascar and Mauritius, is an explosive concentrate of nature and humanity: from the majestic walls of the Cirque de Salazie and Mafate to the dizzying waterfalls, all the way to the lunar landscape of the Piton de la Fournaise volcano; from the wild green mountains to the white beaches that plunge into the coral reef. But Réunion is not only landscape: its people are the true mirror of this many-coloured nature — cultures, religions, ethnicities and Creole cuisine coexist in perfect harmony. Some shots from this project were selected and published by the international magazine Olympus Passion. The last photograph is the emblem of all this: a perfect coexistence of differences. Just like a wedding — because Réunion Island was my honeymoon.
The waterfalls of Réunion Island
Waterfalls are one of the features of Réunion, especially on the east coast. The photos were taken in June, in the "dry season": in December the rains are often torrential and the humidity unbearable.
The wild nature of Réunion
Nature in Réunion is wild, especially on the east coast, which is more battered by storms and more humid. The locals do not try to tame it: they simply surrender to "laisser faire".
The houses, between shacks and jewels
If you visit Réunion, do not expect France. Many houses are left to themselves without much care, somewhat in the African style; others give the idea of a past era of wealth now lost; still others are little jewels. The income inequality of a society long based on slavery.
Nestled in the lush greenery of the Cirque de Salazie, the picturesque village of Hell-Bourg is a leap back in time. The old Creole colonial houses catch the eye with their pastel colours, their verandas overlooking immaculate tropical gardens and the typical lambrequins, the elegant wooden fretwork along the edges of the roofs. Once a renowned spa resort for the island’s aristocracy, today it is ranked among the most beautiful villages in France.
Vanilla
Vanilla is one of the main agricultural products of Réunion and the Madagascar region. A plant native to Mexico, where it is naturally pollinated by a particular hummingbird, once imported to Réunion it proved completely sterile due to the absence of that bird. Few people know that it was a slave on the island, Edmond Albius, who discovered the way to pollinate it artificially: a method still in use today.
The markets of Réunion, between France and Africa
The markets of Réunion are a hybrid of the European and the African ones: too orderly to be African, too varied and colourful to be European.
The religions of Réunion, a peaceful coexistence
In the middle of the trek leading to the remote little village of Marla we came across a Christian church: shabby on the outside, but well kept inside and still used by the local faithful. Religion is one of the island’s distinctive traits, where the different faiths coexist in harmony.
Listening to the imam, at Saint-Pierre. The Muslim community is very open towards foreigners, tourists and locals alike: even non-Muslims may enter the mosque, accompanied by local worshippers who are always willing to talk about their religion.
The volcanoes of Réunion
Réunion, as well as being the island of waterfalls, is also the island of volcanoes: it is dotted with immense extinct calderas, where lush vegetation and new human settlements have since grown.
The Piton de la Fournaise is an active volcano and holds the record for the highest frequency of eruptions in the world: roughly one every nine months.
Notre-Dame des Laves. During the last eruption the lava reached almost to the sea, stopping right at the doors of the church. A miracle, for some.
The beaches and the coral reef
The west coast is very different from the east: the mountains shelter it from the storms and the climate is drier. It is also the most touristy area, with about 30 km of coral reef that allow swimming in crystal-clear waters in complete peace — the only stretch safe from sharks. It is precisely because of the milder climate that most of the population has settled here.
A mix of different cultures and ethnicities
Ringo girls. The population of Réunion is a mix of ethnicities — Europeans, Africans, Indians, Chinese — held up in mainland France as an example of perfect coexistence between different religions and cultures. Réunion has a magic recipe for civil coexistence, which the French themselves struggle to replicate in metropolitan France.
Different but not in conflict
This photo is the epitome of Réunion: contrast and harmony. In the foreground the pure-white first-communion dresses, in the background the provocative clothes of a sex shop. Different, but not in conflict.