Access guide

How to get to Mafate: the 7 ways in

No road enters the Mafate cirque: you arrive on foot, by one of the seven ways in listed by the Réunion National Park. For each one, here are the road, the parking, the bus, the walking time and the settlements you reach.

For a first visit, go in by the Col des Bœufs: it is the shortest way, with La Nouvelle about 2 h 30 on foot, and you can reach it by car or by bus through Salazie.

Checked on 1 November 2026Bus timetables valid until 31 December 2026

First things first

Why you can only enter Mafate on foot

Mafate is a cirque closed in by ramparts, in the heart of the Réunion National Park. No road enters it: as the Park points out, it can only be explored on foot. Its people live in small settlements, the îlets, linked by trails, which is why Mafate is called "an island within the island".

Helicopters supply the cirque: according to the Park, 90% of the food served in the gîtes arrives that way. That does not make them a way in. The Park bans drop-offs in several parts of its core, and its exemptions rule out tourist transport. Plan to walk.

Mafate welcomes more than 130,000 hikers a year for about 70 gîtes and 1,300 beds, according to the Park. If you are staying the night, book before you leave.

At a glance

The 7 ways in compared

Way in	Walk to the first îlet	Level	Bus	Îlets reached	Side
Col des Bœufs	2 h 30	Accessible	Estival 82 + 82C, two buses up a day	La Nouvelle, Marla	Salazie
Bord Martin et le Bélier	2 h 30 to 3 h 15	Demanding	Estival 82, then on foot	Aurère, Îlet à Malheur	Salazie
Maïdo	2 h 40	Hard	Kar'Ouest 61, daily	Îlet des Orangers, Roche Plate	West, Saint-Paul
Sans-Souci, par la canalisation des Orangers	4 h 15	Long and vertiginous	Kar'Ouest 74, daily	Îlet des Orangers, Îlet des Lataniers	West, Saint-Paul
Dos d'Âne	4 h 30	Hard	Kar'Ouest 17 and 25	Aurère, Cayenne, Grand Place	North-west, La Possession
Rivière des Galets	3 h after the 4x4	Demanding, fords	4x4 taxi only	Aurère, Cayenne, Grand Place	North-west, La Possession
Col du Taïbit	3 h	Hard	Alternéo 62	Marla	Cilaos

Depending on your trip

Which way in should you choose?

First visit, or a single day: the Col des Bœufs. La Nouvelle is a day's round trip from there.
Without a car: the Maïdo, Sans-Souci or Dos d'Âne, served by Kar'Ouest from Saint-Paul, Le Port and La Possession. The Col des Bœufs works by bus too, but with only two buses up a day.
To avoid big climbs: the Orangers water channel from Sans-Souci. The Park describes it as long and vertiginous, but easy, and it is the least used way in.
To cross the cirque: go in and out by two different ways, for example Sans-Souci and the Col du Taïbit as in the Park's booklet. They are far apart by road: plan your return in advance.

One by one

The 7 ways in, in detail

Col des Bœufs

Salazie · La Nouvelle, Marla

Road: From Saint-André, drive up to Salazie, then Grand Îlet and Le Bélier. The Haut Mafate forest road then leads to the car park, above 1,900 m.
Parking: Guarded, paying car park, cash only and no booking: around €5 a day and €14 a night. These prices are a guide only and can change.
Bus: Estival line 82 from Saint-André station to Le Bélier (1 h 20), then line 82C to the col (25 min). Monday to Saturday, leave Saint-André at 6:20 or 11:45 to reach the col at 8:11 or 13:41. On Sundays and public holidays, leave at 8:30 or 12:45 to arrive at 10:21 or 14:41. The 82C comes back down from the col at 8:30 and 15:30, or at 10:30 and 15:30 on Sundays.
Walk: About 2 h 30 to La Nouvelle, through the Plaine des Tamarins, and a little longer on the way back, which climbs. Marla is reached across the same plain.
Take care: The steps below the col can be slippery in the morning, while the slope is still in the shade.
Our routes: La Nouvelle from Col des Bœufs 6.1 km, 2 h 10
Marla and La Nouvelle loop from Col des Bœufs 19.4 km, 6 h 40

Bord Martin et le Bélier

Salazie · Aurère, Îlet à Malheur

Road: The same road as for the Col des Bœufs: past Le Bélier, the Scout and Augustave trails start on the Haut Mafate forest road, before the car park at the col.
Parking: Small free car parks with no attendant where the trails start. For several days, randopitons recommends the paying car park at the col, about 3 km further up.
Bus: Estival line 82 to the Le Bélier stop. The Scout trail then starts a little over a kilometre away as the crow flies, up the road.
Walk: From 2 h 30 to 3 h 15 to Aurère, by the Augustave trail or by the Scout trail and Îlet à Malheur. Allow far longer on the way back: the descent becomes a long climb.
Take care: Both trails are open according to the ONF as of this guide, but the Augustave trail has been closed in the past. Check its status before you leave.
Our routes: Aurère and Îlet à Malheur via the Sentier Scout 8.6 km, 3 h 15

Maïdo

West, Saint-Paul · Îlet des Orangers, Roche Plate

Road: From Saint-Paul, drive up to Le Guillaume and Petite-France, then follow the Maïdo road. The trail leaves the road a little over a kilometre before the viewpoint.
Parking: Maïdo car park, at the end of the road.
Bus: Kar'Ouest line 61, from Saint-Paul bus station to the Sentier du Maïdo stop (about 1 h). Monday to Saturday, it leaves at 5:40, 9:25, 12:15 and 15:30. On Sundays, at 5:55, 8:20, 10:50, 13:30 and 16:00. The last bus back leaves the Maïdo Point de Vue stop at 17:10.
Walk: About 2 h 40 of descent to Îlet des Orangers, by La Brèche. Roche Plate is also reached by La Brèche.
Take care: Nearly 1,000 m of descent, so as much to climb on the way back: a very hard climb to do on the same day.
Our routes: Îlet des Orangers from the Maïdo 6.7 km, 2 h 40

Sans-Souci, par la canalisation des Orangers

West, Saint-Paul · Îlet des Orangers, Îlet des Lataniers

Road: Head towards Le Port, leave the road at Cambaie, pass the Sans-Souci agricultural college and follow the Canalisation des Orangers road up to the red water tank, where the Park places the start.
Parking: Paying car park just below the red water tank: around €2 a day and €10 a night. These prices are a guide only and can change.
Bus: Kar'Ouest line 74, from Saint-Paul bus station to the Citerne Rouge stop (30 to 40 min). First bus at 7:10 Monday to Saturday, at 8:20 on Sundays. Last bus back from the stop at 18:12, or 17:12 on Sundays.
Walk: 32 km and 8 h 30 for the round trip to Îlet des Orangers according to randopitons, and one guide advises splitting it over two days. You can carry on to Îlet des Lataniers.
Take care: The path is vertiginous and very exposed to the sun. Never walk on the pipe when it is wet, avoid going in the rain and take a torch for the tunnel.

Dos d'Âne

North-west, La Possession · Aurère, Cayenne, Grand Place

Road: From La Possession, the Dos d'Âne road climbs to the village, at about 940 m.
Parking: You can park near the Dos d'Âne church, where the trail starts.
Bus: Église du Dos d'Âne stop, served by Kar'Ouest line 17 from Le Port, daily, and by line 25 from La Possession church, Monday to Saturday. First arrival at about 7:35 Monday to Saturday, about 9:20 on Sundays.
Walk: A little over 1 h 30 of descent to Deux Bras, then about 3 h to Aurère. Cayenne is reached by walking up the Rivière des Galets.
Take care: The descent includes a ladder and cables, and the Rivière des Galets is crossed on foot: never cross a river in flood. The Bras des Merles trail is closed.
Our routes: Aurère from Dos d'Âne via Deux Bras, on the GR R2 11.5 km, 4 h 15
Cayenne loop from Dos d'Âne, via Deux Bras and the Bras d'Oussy 22.3 km, 7 h 35

Rivière des Galets

North-west, La Possession · Aurère, Cayenne, Grand Place

Road: The 4x4 taxis leave from a car park in La Possession, beside the riverbed, and drive 12 km of track up to Deux Bras, in about 30 minutes.
Parking: Free for the day, not secure at night, according to the West tourist office.
Bus: No bus on the track. The 4x4 taxi must be booked in advance and costs €14 one way per person, €28 return. Agree the time of your return with the driver.
Walk: From Deux Bras, about 3 h to Aurère by La Porte. Cayenne and Grand Place are reached by walking up the river.
Take care: A municipal order bans hikers from walking on the track. It reopened on 1 May 2026 and closes whenever heavy rain falls, above all in the southern summer: ask your driver.
Our routes: Cayenne loop from Dos d'Âne, via Deux Bras and the Bras d'Oussy 22.3 km, 7 h 35

Col du Taïbit

Cilaos · Marla

Road: From Cilaos, take the D242 towards Îlet à Cordes. The car park is 600 m past the bridge over the Bras Rouge, and the trail starts 100 m further on.
Parking: Few spaces, and it is better not to leave a car there overnight.
Bus: Alternéo line 62, from Cilaos to the Sentier Marla stop. The first bus leaves Cilaos at 5:30 on weekdays, and the last one leaves the stop at about 18:00.
Walk: About 3 h to Marla, most of it climbing to the col, at 2,081 m.
Take care: Leave early: cloud often covers the ridge by late morning. This is the only way between Cilaos and Mafate.
Our routes: Marla from Cilaos via Col du Taïbit 5.5 km, 2 h 15

Safety

Before you leave

Closures. The ONF closes trails after a rockfall or a flood, sometimes overnight. Check the page on closed trails in Mafate before you leave.
The weather. From November to March, floods sweep away the fords. Check the Météo-France warnings, and turn back if heavy rain is forecast.
Telling someone. The signal is patchy in the cirque. Tell someone which way you are going in and when you will come out. With RandoMafate, your loved ones follow your outing on a web page, and see the last position sent when the signal drops.
Emergencies. In an accident, call 112.

See closed trails in Mafate · The whole island

Go into Mafate with RandoMafate

RandoMafate carries the Mafate trails on your phone: your route and your position stay available with no signal. It shows ONF closures and Météo-France warnings, and your loved ones follow your outing on a simple web page. In Mafate, it is free.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How do you get to Mafate?

On foot. The National Park lists seven main ways in: the Col des Bœufs, Bord Martin, the Maïdo, Sans-Souci, Dos d'Âne, the Rivière des Galets and the Col du Taïbit. The simplest is the Col des Bœufs, on the Salazie side.

Is there a road to Mafate?

No. No road enters the cirque. Roads stop at its edges, and only a track reserved for 4x4 taxis runs up the Rivière des Galets to Deux Bras, when it is open.

How much is the Col des Bœufs car park?

Allow around €5 a day and €14 a night, cash only and no booking, for a guarded car park. These prices are a guide only and can change: bring cash.

Can you get to the Col des Bœufs by bus?

Yes, every day, on Estival lines 82 and 82C with a change at Le Bélier. There are only two buses up a day: Monday to Saturday the first arrives at the col at 8:11, and on Sundays at 10:21.

Can you enter Mafate by helicopter?

Do not count on it. Helicopters supply the cirque. The National Park bans drop-offs in several parts of its core and rules out tourist transport from its exemptions.

Can you do Mafate in a day?

Yes, to see one îlet: La Nouvelle from the Col des Bœufs is a day trip if you leave early. To explore the cirque, plan at least one night in a gîte.

What is the best season to go to Mafate?

Avoid periods of heavy rain: from November to March, floods can cut the fords and the Rivière des Galets track. The trail from the Col des Bœufs to La Nouvelle does not go through the river.