The route
The start is at the Dos d'Âne church, at about 940 m, where you can park, next to the "Église Dos d'Âne" bus stop served by the Kar'Ouest network from Le Port and La Possession. Walk down the steep rue Ferdinand Louise, then a path leaves on the left between the houses and reaches the Rivière des Galets rampart.
The descent to Deux Bras takes a little over an hour and a half. The path goes through tunnels of creepers, a staircase rebuilt after a cyclone landslide, short steep switchbacks, a ladder up a small cliff and then cables, on sandy, slippery ground. At the bottom you ford the Bras de Sainte-Suzanne, often dry-footed on the rocks, and a track leads to Deux Bras, the confluence with the Rivière des Galets, where the helicopter that supplies Mafate lands. Leave aside the Bras des Merles path there, closed by prefectoral order after several landslides.
The way then follows the bed of the Rivière des Galets for almost two kilometres, with several fords, up to La Porte, at about 250 m. At the last ford, take the leftmost path, stony, with high steps. It skirts the concrete openings of the tunnels that carry Mafate's water to the west coast, then follows a ledge cut into the cliff of the Piton Cabris, guarded by a long steel cable rail above the drop. Switchbacks through bamboo lead to a small shrine, then to the Bord Bazar viewpoint, at about 950 m. The path ends among eucalyptus at Aurère.
Staying overnight
Aurère has several gîtes, among them Les Agapanthes, Le Mafatais, Le Poinsettia and Crête de la Marianne, most of them bookable on reunion.fr or through the West tourist office. In 2026, half board at Les Agapanthes costs €63 to €88 per person. A campsite, La Bonne Terre, also takes hikers. The name Aurère, once written "Orère", is said to mean "good land".
Good to know
From November to March, floods on the Rivière des Galets wash away the fords, and the route cannot be walked in heavy rain: check the state of the river before leaving, and never cross a river in flood. The springs along the path, Source Bambou and Source Cabris, are declared unfit to drink: carry all your water. To save an hour and a half, you can start at Deux Bras by 4x4 taxi up the Rivière des Galets track, reserved for authorised vehicles and closed in the rainy season. RandoMafate keeps the map and the climb offline at the bottom of the river, shows the ONF trail closures and the forecast for the hike before you leave, and your close ones follow your outing on a simple web page, with a notification if your announced arrival time passes.
Plan this hike in RandoMafate
The trail map offline, elevation to the metre, ONF closures and the weather for the day, and the people close to you told when you set off and when you are back.
RandoMafate
