South of Réunion Island

The Mare Longue forest in Saint-Philippe

Moderate

Distance6.9km

Ascent270m

Estimated time2 h 10

Loop16 – 276 m−250 m of descentStart Mare Longue les Bas

Primary forest
Lava flow
Botanical trail
Easy
Family friendly
No dogs
World Heritage

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The Mare Longue forest, in Saint-Philippe, is one of the last remnants of the lowland tropical rainforest that once covered the island: less than 7% of it is left. It grew on a lava flow about 500 years old, under a thin layer of humus, and holds nearly 30% of the island's native flora. This easy 6.9 km loop, with 270 m of ascent, follows the National Park's route and its botanical trails. Allow 2 h 10 of walking, and more to read the signs.

Map and profile

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

Loop, 6.9 km · +270 m / −250 mStops: markers on the trace and on the profile

Stops

Mare Longue les BasPlacekm 0.0 17 m
Parking de Mare LonguePlacekm 0.0
Parking de Mare LonguePlacekm 0.0

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 at the small Mare Longue car park, on the mountain side of the RN2. Coming from Saint-Joseph, it is before the Saint-Philippe town sign. The path first crosses filaos and guava trees, then passes a vanilla plot, grown in the undergrowth under an ONF concession, before entering the native forest. It meets the concrete Mare Longue forest road several times.

On the botanical trails, marked in red on the way up then yellow and blue on the way down, signs name the trees. The bois de pomme spread buttresses a metre high, red palms and tree ferns rise under a canopy that tops 20 m in places. Some fifty epiphytic orchids grow on the trunks, and you pass the protected white cadoque vine or the bird's-nest fern. The Réunion day gecko, the Réunion harrier and a small endemic bat, the Réunion free-tailed bat, also live in the forest. A memorial set in a buttress honours the botanist Thérésien Cadet, who studied this forest in the 1970s and helped protect it.

The ground is "cowpat" lava, covered with moss and roots. You will see barils, wells left by tree trunks caught in the lava, up to 2 m deep. The way back follows the track and then the ceinture path, towards the Garden of Perfumes and Spices.

Good to know

Mare Longue lies in the core of the National Park and in the World Heritage area. The former nature reserve keeps strict rules: dogs are banned, you stay on the paths, you pick nothing, and camping is forbidden. It is one of the wettest corners of the south, with over 4,000 mm of rain a year. October and November are the driest months, and the mossy slabs get slippery as soon as it rains. There is no water point on the way. The Bras Plat path, the old GR R2 that crosses the forest higher up, is closed by prefectoral order and does not touch the loop. RandoMafate shows the ONF trail closures and the forecast for the hike before you leave, keeps the map offline under the canopy, and your close ones follow your outing on a simple web page.

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.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the Mare Longue loop take?

The National Park gives three and a half hours for the full loop, taking time over the signs. RandoMafate estimates 2 h 10 of walking, without breaks. The botanical trail alone, shorter, takes about an hour.

Can you go with children?

Yes, the loop is easy and the Park even lists it as suitable for a joëlette all-terrain wheelchair. Keep an eye on young children near the barils, the wells in the lava, and on the slippery slabs.

Can you bring your dog?

No. Dogs are banned inside the former Mare Longue reserve, even on a lead.

What else is there to see in Saint-Philippe?

The Garden of Perfumes and Spices, a few hundred metres from the car park on the way back, shows more than 1,500 species on guided tours. The Saint-Philippe coast also has easy paths, from La Marine to the Puits Arabe or from Le Tremblet to the Pointe de la Table.