South of Réunion Island

The Dassy trail and the Bras de la Plaine gorges

Hard

Distance9.4km

Ascent580m

Estimated time3 h 10

Loop230 – 772 m−570 m of descentStart Départ sentier Dassy

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The Dassy trail drops from Bras de Pontho, in the heights of Le Tampon, down to the bed of the Bras de la Plaine, the deep river that separates Le Tampon from Entre-Deux. This 9.4 km loop reaches the floor of the gorges, walks up the river for more than three kilometres, from ford to ford, and comes back via Pont d'Yves, with 580 m of ascent.

Map and profile

Hover over the profile or the trace: the marker follows on both.

Loop, 9.4 km · +580 m / −570 mStops: markers on the trace and on the profile

Stops

Départ sentier DassyPlacekm 0.0 527 m
Caverne de la Petite RavinePlacekm 5.4 356 m
Pont d'YvesPlacekm 6.7 757 m

In pictures

Trail statusNo known closure on this route

Checked on 7 October 2026 · ONF ordersClosed trails in the south of the island →

The route

The start is on the D27 (rue Émile Zola), in Bras de Pontho, at the "Sentier Dassy" sign near the bus stop of the same name. The small car park at the start has only a few spaces: most people park along the road, or in a nearby private paid car park. The trail first runs along a sugarcane field, then goes down the rampart by stone steps and wooden railings. As you descend, the basalt walls of the gorges rise on either side.

At the bottom of the descent, the Pont de la Liane, a wooden footbridge thrown across the river at its narrowest, gives a fine view up and down the gorge. The loop does not cross it: you climb back a few metres to reach the bank, then walk up the bed of the Bras de la Plaine, over boulders and grey sand, past a natural arch and basalt columns. The fords come one after another: wear shoes that can take water, and expect to wade up to your waist at times.

You leave the river by a small ladder up to the Îlet Tata path, then the Caverne de la Petite Ravine. From there, an old pipeline track climbs by many steps to Pont d'Yves. You then reach the D27 by the chemin de la Petite Ravine and follow it downhill for about 2.5 km back to the start, watching out for traffic. The climb is steep and in full sun by late morning: set off early and keep water for the end.

Good to know

This hike depends on the water level more than on fitness. The Bras de la Plaine floods suddenly, even with no rain on the spot: a dam upstream releases water automatically when its reservoir is full. If the water looks high at the Pont de la Liane, do not go into the gorges. Rocks also fall from the walls in wet weather, and the trail has closed several times, most recently until 2 June 2026. RandoMafate shows warnings, ONF closures and the weather for the day before you set off, keeps the map offline at the bottom of the gorges, where even GPS struggles between the walls, and tells the people close to you if your return time has passed.

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.