How to see the eruption of Piton de la Fournaise (April 2021)
Many of you are wondering: what is the best spot to see the current eruption of Piton de la Fournaise (April 2021)? You must first go to the Plaine des Sables and I advise you to leave very early because then there are a lot of traffic jams (Photo taken around noon). Only the lucky ones will find a parking space in the Foc-Foc car park. With each eruption, we see that the show attracts a good number of Reunionese and tourists, and that's quite normal! The peculiarity at the moment is the affluence on the same hourly amplitude because of the curfew that applies throughout the island at the moment from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. (prefectural decision linked to the Covid-19 pandemic).
Faced with heavy traffic and traffic jams from 6.30 / 7.00 am, I finally parked on the roadside, well below. Allow a quarter of an hour of additional walking to get to the start. Depending on the traffic and the flow of traffic, this tip can ultimately be a time saver! The start of the hike begins at the Foc-Foc car park. After about 45 minutes of walking you will see the first smoke and lava jets on the horizon, which will encourage you to continue! Allow about 1h30 / 2H of walking to reach the Piton de Bert. The path is relatively flat, without particular difficulty, and above all it is very well developed by the National Forestry Office (ONF).
During your walk, you will be able to enjoy several points of view / openings on the Piton de la Fournaise: different angles of view on the Dolomieu Crater, but also different smaller craters in the enclosure which are ultimately the remains of the last eruptions. We see a more reddish earth and / or darker in places - signs that time has not finished transforming them! Again, to fully enjoy the spectacle and the best viewing angles, opt for an early morning departure to have a view that is clear of any cloud. The sky begins to cloud around 10 a.m. depending on the weather.
That's it, your efforts are rewarded: you arrive at Piton de Bert where you can take a seat and admire this breathtaking spectacle offered to you on Reunion Island!
Remember to take warm clothes because it is always cool at the volcano, and the weather is very changeable. The little extra: breakfast in front of the eruption! After getting up at 4:30 am, drive for 1:30 and walk the small croissant coffee for 2 hours in front of such a spectacle, it's just magic! For the return path: take the same route, the path is very well marked without major difficulty. I also saw a lot of people who bivouacked, it's a great idea to fully enjoy the night eruption, its sounds, this red that pierces the dark night, and of course the sunrise over the volcano. which is a hell of a show too! I learned that the bivouac was authorized in addition (on condition of not camping) despite the curfew. How about you? !!
