Plage de l'Étang-Salé, Volcanic beach in L'Étang-Salé, Réunion, France

Plage de l'Étang-Salé is a beach of dark grey to nearly black volcanic sand on Réunion's south-western coast. It runs from the Pointe des Avirons, at the boundary with Les Avirons, to the centre of L'Étang-Salé, passing the Pointe des Sables. The sand is smooth and matte, dotted with small white shell fragments, and becomes hot quickly in the sun.

The beach owes its black sand to Réunion's volcanic rock, eroded and carried to the shore. It runs from the Pointe des Avirons, at the boundary with Les Avirons, to the Pointe des Sables and on to the centre of L'Étang-Salé. National Road 1 and then the town's houses separate it from the Forêt de L'Étang-Salé.

The beach lies beside the Forêt de L'Étang-Salé, separated from it by the Route Nationale 1, an access ramp to the town centre and the town's houses. A car park, a holiday village and a few beach bars stand on the landward side, where visitors gather rather than swim, since the water is frequented by high-sea sharks.

Swimming is dangerous here because high-sea sharks frequent the water, so stay on the sand rather than entering the sea. The black volcanic sand becomes burning hot in the sun; bring shoes or sandals for walking. The beach lies across National Road 1 from the L'Étang-Salé forest, with a car park, a holiday village and beach bars near the town-centre access ramp.

The volcanic sand heats up so intensely during the day that bare feet become uncomfortable within minutes. This feature makes the beach distinctive and affects how visitors actually experience their time there.