Le Tapacala

Set at the entrance to the village of Îlet à Cordes, about 20 minutes from central Cilaos, Le Tapacala sits below the slopes of Piton des Neiges. The garden around it is planted with endemic species and birds move freely through it, with hiking trails leading off from nearby. It is a small stay: just three suites, each around 70 square metres with its own terrace and garden. Interiors mix tamarind wood, native to the island, with volcanic stone. Two of the suites, Lé Doss and Lé Gadiamb, sleep up to four; the third, Lé Kalou, is a double with its own kitchen space. Breakfast is served on the terrace, facing the mountains, or in the open-sided dining room where a small waterfall runs nearby. The kitchen leans on produce grown on site, and meals are cooked over a wood fire and served in the garden dining room. Mickaël, who runs the house with Raymonda Gonthier and once worked as a tour guide, leads walks into the village, through lentil fields and past old vineyards, with stops to talk with local growers. A private picnic site nearby looks out over Cilaos and Saint-Pierre.