Plage de l'Ermitage, Beach in Saint-Paul, Réunion

Plage de l'Ermitage stretches over seven kilometers of white sand along the western coast of Réunion, protected by a natural coral reef barrier that creates calm, shallow lagoon waters perfect for safe swimming and family activities.

The coral formations protecting this beach date back approximately 8,000 years, forming a fringing reef directly attached to the coastline that has naturally protected the shore and created the shallow lagoon environment over millennia.

Local Réunionnaise families traditionally gather here for Sunday picnics under the shade of filao trees, making this beach a central part of the island's weekend leisure culture and community social life.

Camping is banned on the beach and its backshore, but an intercommunal campsite sits beside the lagoon. Three lifeguard posts stand along the sand: at La Saline les Bains in the south, in front of the pass, and at the Aquaparc site in the north, with swimming areas marked in front of each. Access is easy from Saint-Paul via the corniche road or from the south via the Route des Tamarins.

The lagoon shared with La Saline is also called the St Gilles lagoon, and the two names reflect different habits of use rather than separate bodies of water. Three lifeguard posts line the beach: at La Saline les Bains in the south, in front of the pass, and at the Aquaparc site in the north.