Piton d'Achaing in Salazie- Unmissable - Reunion East Tourist Office

History
Legend
Activity ideas
To see also

Apart from the fact that the Piton d'Anchaing is a unavoidable de Salazie, it also offers the possibility of hiking there.

Piton d'Anchaing in Salazie

So, what can you say about the Piton d'Anchaing in Salazia ?… Come on ! we will start at the beginning: Piton. In Réunion, a Piton is an eruptive cone. So there are everywhere. Except that in the case of Anchaing, the piton never spat. It is in fact a landslide in one piece, in a package. It was long thought that it was coming from Snape des Neiges. But if you look closely, it's almost impossible since the slopes are much steeper.

A little bit of history

The work on the inscription of La Réunion on the World Heritage of Humanity has enabled scientists to look a little more into the question and to put forward another hypothesis: The package/piton would have detached from the plateau of Belouve. This would explain its so flat top and especially the jagged side towards the back, that is to say towards the Mare à Vieille Place. Have you ever tried to push a sandcastle? If it is pushed at the base, it stays almost the same at the top and it creases at the back of the push. I'm sure you'll think about it next time you're in the area!

The legend

The most touching thing about this Piton d'Anchaing in Salazie is the legend attached to it. Anchaining and Heva, his wife, were slaves on a plantation on the coast. Determined to leave their condition and to live their love as free men, they fled and joined the circus. Given the difficult access to the piton, its circular summit which allowed a 360° view, they chose to settle there. The legend does not say how long they lived there happily. What we do know, however, is that when the hunters finally found them (yes!), they preferred to throw themselves into the void rather than return to their old life. And that's where it gets beautiful: they would have turned into papangue!