The route
You reach the Bélouve gîte by the D55 and then the Bébour-Bélouve forest road (RF2), from the Plaine des Palmistes. The road ends at the gîte car park, closed by a barrier, about 400 m on foot from the gîte. At weekends a barrier closes the road lower down, at Coteau Monique, which adds several kilometres of walking. Do not park on the verge.
From the car park, walk 350 m back down the RF2 to the Fleurs Jaunes forest road, which leaves on the left. Follow it into the forest, then the Allée Cavalière leads to the Bélouve plateau, where the Trou de Fer trail takes over to the viewpoint. The ground is almost flat, but it is muddy for much of the year: boardwalks and logs cover the wettest stretches, and boots are no luxury.
The forest is the whole charm of the walk. The twisted highland tamarinds are draped in moss and lichen, the tree ferns (fanjans) spread their fronds, and the undergrowth stays damp even in the dry season. Near the track, a five-minute detour leads to the Reine des Tamarins, a highland tamarind felled by a cyclone and still alive.
The viewpoint opens suddenly onto the void. Opposite, the waterfalls of the Bras de Caverne and the Bras Mazerin plunge into the chasm, with thinner falls streaking the walls. Clouds fill the Trou de Fer from mid-morning: be there early, and accept that you may see nothing on misty days.
The way back follows the same trail. The École Normale trail, which used to make a loop to the east, is closed by prefectoral order.
Where to sleep
The Bélouve gîte, at the start of the route, is open every day and lets you be at the viewpoint at first light. Book on +262 262 90 78 78 or at book.reunion.fr, and on the day on +262 692 85 93 07. Meals are ordered in advance. Electricity is solar only: do not count on charging your devices.
Good to know
The Bélouve trails close often, and the way to the Trou de Fer changes from one season to the next. Since early 2026, the Trou de Fer trail has been closed between the gîte and the Fleurs Jaunes forest road because of damaged boardwalks, and the École Normale trail is closed too (prefectoral order of 8 October 2026). The viewpoint is still reachable by the Fleurs Jaunes forest road and the Allée Cavalière: that is the way this route takes. RandoMafate shows these ONF closures on the map and the weather for the day before you set off, keeps the map offline in a forest where trails cross each other, and the people close to you know when you are back at the gîte.
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
