Piton Rouge, Mountain summit in Saint-Joseph, Réunion, France

Piton Rouge is a volcanic cone crowned by a crater, rising to 2,368 metres near the edge of the Rempart de Bellecombe on Réunion. It lies within the commune of Saint-Joseph, in the heart of the island's national park. Its upper slopes are covered in reddish-brown and purple-brown material, streaked with near-black patches running down toward the lower slopes.

Piton Rouge is a volcanic cone crowned by a crater, standing at 2,368 metres near the ridge of the Rempart de Bellecombe. Its position places it within the commune of Saint-Joseph and inside the core zone of Réunion National Park. The summit lies in the south-west of Réunion, a French overseas department in the Indian Ocean.

Piton Rouge lies within the core zone of Réunion National Park, created in 2007 and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2010 under the name Pitons, cirques and remparts of Réunion. Its summit stands near the crest of the Bellecombe rampart, on the commune of Saint-Joseph.

Visitors should start early and bring sturdy hiking shoes and plenty of water, as trails are steep and weather can change quickly at higher elevations. Conditions vary across different altitudes, so layered clothing is helpful when moving through different zones.

Piton Rouge is a volcanic cone crowned by a crater, standing at 2,368 metres near the ridge of the Rempart de Bellecombe. Its summit lies within the core of Réunion National Park, in the commune of Saint-Joseph. The photograph shows the summit edge as uneven and rounded, with dark, vein-like patches running down the reddish-brown slopes.