Hell-Bourg
Member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France
Hot springs found in the 1830s turned this spot in Réunion's Cirque de Salazie into a fashionable spa, where wealthy coastal families built Creole villas with carved lambrequins and shady verandas. A cyclone landslide buried the baths in 1948, and the village's decline kept those houses intact. Today it is a base for hikes to the Piton d'Anchaing and the Piton des Neiges.
Highlights
- Villa Folio, an 1860 Creole house listed as a historic monument
- The flower-filled cemetery, opened in 1864 and ringed by bamboo
- Ruins of the old thermal baths
- Museum of music and instruments of the Indian Ocean in the Maison Morange
- Hikes to the Piton d'Anchaing and up the Piton des Neiges
Text adapted from Wikipedia (Hell-Bourg (FR), Hell-Bourg (EN)). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to see
Specialities of Réunion
Typical of the region rather than of this village.
- CariDishLocal curry on a base of onion, garlic and turmeric, served with rice
- AchardsDishSpiced pickled vegetables served with rice and the main dish
- Lentils of Cilaos (FR)Local produce
- Cilaos wine (FR)Wine
Adapted from Wikipedia (Cuisine réunionnaise). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to sleep
16 places to stay within 3 km
- B&Bs and guest houses 8
- Hotels 5
- Campsites 2
- Mountain huts 1
Data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Thermal baths nearby
- Thermal spa: Etablissement Thermal Irénée Accot · ~2 h 39 by car
Data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Nearby member villages
- Palazzolo Acreide · 7,739 km
- Ferla · 7,741 km
- Buccheri · 7,747 km
- Monterosso Almo · 7,750 km
- Bova · 7,760 km