Pointe des Galets

Port de la Pointe des Galets is usually referred to simply as "Le Port".

The ship is scheduled to dock at the port of Pointe des Galets. The distance to St. Denis is 8 miles, or a drive of approximately 30 minutes. There is a compulsory free port bus to take you outside the port gates. There is a small visitor information booth with maps. A few Taxis and tours are just outside the gate.

Be careful here, as most cabs want either 100 Euro per hour or would only tour with the meter on. Or a trip to St. Denis would set you back about 45 Euro. The cabbies often do not have change or accept credit cards.

There is a local bus # 2 that stops right across from the cruise terminal that gets you into the central downtown St. Denis area. The trip is scenic as it hugs the coast line for the 30-minute trip, but often is full and the wait for the next bus can be long.

Local authorities also provide a shuttle to the nearest beach in St. Denis. Return cost is 5 Euro with a trip time of about 30-40 minutes each way.

Réunion (French: Réunion or formally La Réunion; previously Île Bourbon), is an island located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about 200 km (130 miles) south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.

With an active volcano on its south coast, 17 miles of warm, welcoming beaches in the west, and lots of mountains and forests in between, Reunion Island offers vacation opportunities ranging from relaxing to truly insane. If you're looking for a place to "chill out", you'll find it here. But if you're the kind of vacationer who prefers an adrenaline rush over a sunburn, the possibilities are endless. From hiking Reunion's unique "cirques" or canyoning the island's many waterfalls to scuba diving or surfing in the clear waters that surround this tiny 30-mile-wide island, adventure activities abound for vacationers hoping to do something a…

Le Port is not only a major port with the never-ending unloading of containers from huge cargo ships and endless rows of warehouses but also a pleasant town to live in, with long avenues bordered with royal palm trees and a pedestrianized shopping area. Its architecture is sometimes innovative and daring. Culture and multimedia play a large part in the town's life: the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and its new premises, very lively associations dedicated to animation, art and culture ("Village Titan"), the Ecole de l'image et du multimedia (ILOI) which is becoming more and more famous, a library, a multimedia library and a cyber center.

Le Barachois: A waterfront promenade perfect for a leisurely walk, offering views of the Indian Ocean and historic cannons.

Local handicrafts include embroideries, vanilla, spices, rum and items made from seashells and plant fibers. Some souvenir shopping is available in the port terminal. The main shopping area is in St. Denis. Most of the shops are closed from noon to 4:00 PM for their lunch break

Euro. Most shops accept international credit cards (Visa and Mastercard) but most of them require a minimum amount for credit cards payments (usually €15). There is a good number of ATM (called "gabier") which don't charge you for using them.

Réunionnaise Creole is the main language of the country, though French is more commonly spoken.

Emergency services: 112 (which can be dialed by any mobile phone, even if not connected to a GSM network).

WiFi - Excellent WiFi at the port gates. There is open WiFi at the City Hall which is the Hôtel de Ville de Saint-Denis, in Ave Victoria

Shops usually close for lunch between 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.