La Plantation

Set above the Indian Ocean on Réunion's Wild South coast, La Plantation looks out over water on one side and sugar cane fields on the other. The guesthouse holds five rooms, each with air conditioning, a television, and a private bathroom. Rooms are angled for a wide sea view, and the vegetation of the surrounding coast fills the middle distance. A heated pool runs to the edge of the garden in an overflow design, with a jacuzzi set alongside it. It is a compact stay. Guests can book a massage after a day spent along the coast, which further south turns to black lava rock and cliffs shaped by old flows from Piton de la Fournaise. Meals are taken at a table d'hôte, where the kitchen draws on creole recipes and produce bought from local growers and market stalls. The wider area holds a working tea plantation, vanilla growers, and canyoning routes along the Langevin river, all within reach for day trips. Saint-Joseph itself sits at the southern edge of the island, where the coastline turns volcanic and the forest closes in behind it. The garden and pool face the water directly, so the sound of the ocean carries across the terrace in the evening.