When you try scuba diving, it’s quite normal to ask yourself about the difficulty of the diving sites that you might be visiting. Diving in Reunion Island is clearly worth a trip as the island is full of magnificent dive sites. However, if you want to pass your open water in Reunion Island or simply to try scuba diving for the first time, it is better to learn about the easier sites that you will discover. We have therefore prepared a top of the best dive sites shallow in Reunion.
For more experienced divers, you should know that the Reunion Island is an extraordinary playground for advanced open water and even more experienced divers. The island has deep wrecks and beautiful drop offs , you may even encounter whale sharks, manta rays or even hammerhead sharks. Do not hesitate to inquire about the best dive sites of Reunion Island.
HOULOGRAPHE
- Region: The Port
- Type of diving: Drop Off
- Location: In front of the harbor
- Recommended diving level: Open Water Divers
- Depth of the diving spot: from 15 to 60 meters
- Time to destination: 5 minutes
Beautiful and easy drop off, accessible at any level and great to observe beautiful offshore fish and pelagic but also beautiful white gorgonians and a multitude of reef fish. Super site to learn scuba diving in Reunion or pass your open water but the spot will also delight more experienced divers.
PAIN DE SUCRE
- Region: Saint Gilles les Bains
- Type of diving: Reef diving
- Geographical situation: Just before Cap la Houssaye
- Level: Try diving for the first time
- Depth of the diving spot: from 6 to 20 meters
This dive site takes its name, which means sugar bread in French, from a huge rectangular rock that fell off the cliff and now rests on the beach. This easy dive spot of Reunion Island offers a beautiful shallow descent on reefs covered with small faults, trenches, caves and canyons. But the site is also full of fauna such as turtles, jacks, morays, rays, clown fish, and sometimes barracudas and Napoleon. Perfect to pass the open water diver in Reunion Island. Definitively one of the best dives of Saint Gilles les bains.
LE PETIT TOMBANT
- Region: Etang salé baths
- Type of diving: Diving in a circus
- Geographical situation: Exit of the port
- Minimum level: Try diving
- Depth of the diving spot: from 0 to 18 meters
This magnificent circus is located on the outer wall of the Étang-Salé-les-Bains lagoon. Large circus on a wide bottom of black sand, the site has 80% of the different species of Reunion Island. In addition, the site is particularly easy to visit and is very suitable for self-guided divers thanks to its simple and easily readable topography. With a little luck you can dive with a guitar shark resting calmly on the bottom of the circus.
LES DEUX ARCHES
- Region: Saint Leu
- Diving type: Great Barrier Reef
- Geographical situation: In Saint Leu bay
- Level: Try scuba diving
- Depth of the diving spot: from 3 to 30 meters
Superb dive site for beginner divers at Reunion Island, the two arches offers to discover a magnificent coral reef. We fly over beautiful canyons which also shelter two arches that have made the reputation of this spot.
In the first of the two arches, we discover many lobsters as well as beautiful fish surgeons. A little lower, beautiful fish leaves bask next to beautiful coral potatoes carpeted with large anemones inhabited by clown fish. Finally, further south, a large circus awaits you to discover scorpions devils and a magnificent moray eel.
LE JARDIN DES KIOSQUES
- Region: Saint Leu
- Diving type: Barrier Reef
- Geographical location: South Bay of Saint Leu
- Level: All diving levels
- Depth of the diving spot: from 6 to 30 meters
On the southern part of the garden of the kiosks, you will have the opportunity to follow a large corralien platter often frequented by many rays eagles. Further north, you will have the opportunity to explore a multitude of small asperities, faults and small canyons full of life and frequented by leaf fish, stingrays and large caragues. When diving dive on this site, you can even watch fish stone and with a little luck, passing dolphins.
LE SEC JAUNE
- Region: Saint Leu
- Type of diving: Falling
- Geographical situation: Pointe au Sel, Etang Salé side
- Level: Level 1 Diver or Open Water Diver
- Depth of the diving spot: from 0 to 20 meters
Probably the best dive site south of St. Leu, the high ground of dry yellow is dotted with fire coral of yellow and orange colors. But beyond this fiery flora, it is a site full of life and wildlife underwater.
Generally, the levels 1 will dive rather on the side of the coast to follow the wall which goes down to almost 20 meters of depth. This is a great walk covered with coral potatoes and ends with a beautiful little arch before a half turn to the boat. Note that level 2 divers will be able to discover the two caves at 25 meters deep, located further offshore.
DETOUR
- Region: Saint Pierre
- Type of diving: Diving Canyons
- Level: Diving baptism
- Depth of the diving spot: from 6 to 20 meters
Perfect for beginning scuba diving, this beautiful broken reef encourages you to explore beautiful caves and galleries as well as large arches immersed in a multitude of rays of colorful suns. But life is also at the rendezvous, between coral fauna and crustaceans of all kinds, a memorable dive to learn diving in Reunion.
CANYON
- Region: Saint Gilles les Bains
- Diving Type: Macro and Coral Diving
- Geographical situation: Near coast
- Level: Diving baptism
- Depth of the diving spot: from 6 to 20 meters
Less than a hundred meters from the shore is the magnificent Canyon dive site. The site is actually made up of different lava flows that have come alive thanks to the thousands of corals that now cover them. This site is underwater and lunar at the same time. Crossed by a multitude of small canyons and beautiful trails of white sand and a pretty little circus, the site is perfect to spend a diving holiday in Reunion. However, the site will also delight underwater photographers and level 1 divers. Beyond magnificent turtle and fish density, it is the macro that will push you to discover what is hidden in the small asperities .
CAP LA HOUSSAYE
- Region: Saint Paul’s Bay
- Type of diving: Reef diving
- Location: South of the Bay
- Recommended dive level: Level 1 Open Water and Diving initiation
- Depth of the diving spot: between 4 and 18 meters
- Distance from the coast by boat: 40 minutes
Superb site to learn scuba diving in Reunion, Cape La Houssaye is on the northern part of the Marine Reserve and is a perfect dive site to pass a first level or try diving in Reunion. There are reefs, sandy bottoms, faults, drop offs and even a small cave. The underwater structure and the architecture of the site are fascinating and there is even a cannon and a beautiful herbarium. Beyond the site itself one encounters a multitude of life like lobsters, catfish, molluscs and turtles. The site is perfect to go scuba diving level in Reunion.
