The floriferous village of Plaine-des-Palmistes, in the permanently humid uplands high above St-Benoît, is divided into Premier Village, Deuxième Village and Petite-Plaine.
The magnificent waterfall of Cascade Biberon, which tumbles 240m down a sheer mountainside, is easily reached from Premier Village on the RN3. It is signed from Plaine-des-Palmistes. Getting there involves an uncomplicated walk of 3km from the parking area. Most of the goyavier which grows wild in Réunion now comes from this area and, in season, you’re bound to see groups of people clambering about in the forests, harvesting the small, red fruit.
The town hall and post office are on Rue de la République. There’s also a war memorial, in honour of the soldiers who died in World War I.
South of Plaine-des-Palmistes, just beyond Col de Bellevue on the RN3, is a large shrine to Saint Expédit, with a statue of the man himself in a Roman legionnaire’s outfit. A plaque tells how he was whipped and beheaded on 19 April ad303 for not renouncing Christ (see box Saint Expédit, page 343).
Plaine-des-Palmistes is the gateway to the fabulous primeval rainforests of Bébour-Bélouve. These luxuriant forests constitute the single most important stop in Réunion for naturalists.
Leaving the town for the Bébour-Bélouve forest area, you drive out along Route de la Petite Plaine, towards steep, misty slopes and ridges. En route, you pass dairy and vegetable farms, again very reminiscent of Switzerland, Italy or France. The road winds its way steadily uphill; turn right following the arrow pointing to Bébour-Bélouve and you’ll see the first slopes swathed in evergreen montane forest.
Dominating these forests are hundreds of thousands of tree ferns, from which the name ‘Plaine-des-Palmistes’ was (erroneously) derived. For a short distance you then drive along a dirt road, to the sign ‘Forêt de la Petite Plaine’, where there is a comprehensive information board about the forests of Bébour (5,800ha of primary forest) and Bélouve (889ha of primary forest).
While no wood may be removed from Bébour, tamarind wood can be taken from Bélouve, within reason and under strict supervision. There is also a zone called Canton de Duvernay, where Cryptomeria wood may be extracted. Signs advise the following rules for all the forests: No litter, no fires, no radios and no removing of indigenous flora.
Continue past Canton de Duvernay, after which you pass the Col de Bébour and Rivière des Marsouins area to your right, and you’ll arrive at another large roadside information board, where a wonderful trail commences into Bébour.
This trail, which can be walked in an hour, involves a level stretch along the mountainside (roughly 1,030m above sea level), so can be managed by almost anyone. Mosses, lichens and other epiphytes festoon the trees, clotting on the branches, like enormous, outrageous wigs. Often, these epiphytes have a yellowish or sometimes reddish hue, so the forest is really unusual in that everything appears almost golden, not green. If you search carefully among the epiphytes, you might find some of the indigenous orchids, but they’re uncommon.
Also present are most of the birds unique to Réunion: Mascarene paradise flycatchers, Réunion bulbuls, Réunion stonechats, Réunion olive white-eyes and Réunion grey white-eyes. In the sky watch out for Mascarene cave swiftlets, Mascarene martins and Réunion harriers.
Along the road from here to Bélouve Forest are miles and miles of primary forest swathing steep, mist-enshrouded slopes and valleys.
When you see increasing numbers of the silvery tamarind trees, you’ll know you’re approaching Bélouve Forest. There is a point signposted and cordoned off, beyond which vehicles are not allowed. It’s a short walk along a road flanked by impressive tamarind forest, to the Gîte de Bélouve. There’s a breathtaking viewpoint at the back of the gîte over a wide, deep valley and a disused cable-car station.
GETTING THERE AND AWAY Plaine-des-Palmistes lies on the RN3, which links St-Pierre and St-Benoît. Buses travel the whole route about three times a day (Line H), whilst others just run between Plaine-des-Palmistes and St-Benoît.
WHERE TO STAY There are several gîtes in the area and a ferme auberge (farm inn). For details, see Chapter 15, Accommodation, pages 259–61.
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