Le Port (Pointe Des Galets) Réunion Cruise Ship Port Guide

Pointe des Galets is where your ship actually ties up on Réunion, in the commune of Le Port, on an island that’s technically French, an overseas department sitting out in the Indian Ocean. This is Réunion’s main cruise port, and it’s a working harbour a short drive from the capital, Saint-Denis, not some palm-fringed resort jetty built for cruise ships.

If you’re picturing a palm-lined terminal with a steel band playing, adjust your expectations. Pointe des Galets is a working cargo and naval harbour, container ships and naval vessels sharing the same water as your cruise ship. Stick with it though, because a short shuttle ride gets you to some of the best things to do on Réunion’s west coast, from whale-watching boats to hiking trails up into the volcanic interior.

Pointe des Galets and Le Port: which country is this cruise port in

Pointe des Galets is in France. Réunion, sometimes written La Réunion, is a French overseas department rather than its own country, so you’ll clear French immigration and customs here, and the currency, the post office and the legal system are all French too.

Pointe des Galets itself is a cape on the north-west coast of Réunion, long since swallowed up by the town of Le Port, which grew around the island’s only industrial harbour. You might see this stop listed as Le Port, La Réunion or La Réunion’s Le Port. They’re all the same spot.

Le Port borders Saint-Paul across the Rivière des Galets and La Possession on the other side, and sits around 18 km from Saint-Denis and 71 km from Saint-Pierre at the far end of the island. The harbour eventually got busy enough to earn its own commune, and Le Port now sits within the Territoire de la Côte Ouest grouping alongside its neighbours.

Pointe des Galets quick facts: location, country and cruise lines calling

Cruise schedules shift season to season, so take this as a guide to the kind of line that calls here rather than a fixed sailing calendar.

The harbour splits across two sites, three kilometres apart. Port Ouest is the older half, now given over to recreational boats, fishing vessels and naval repairs, while Port Est, the newer commercial side, is where cargo ships, containers and cruise ships all tie up. The Grand Port Maritime de La Réunion runs the whole site, formed when the island’s old ports and airports department merged with the port concession previously run by Réunion’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and it bills itself as the busiest port of overseas France and the busiest across Europe’s Outermost Regions.

There is no pedestrian exit from the Pointe des Galets terminal

The biggest surprise for first-timers is that you can’t just walk off the ship and out the gates. Pointe des Galets sits inside a working industrial harbour, and the ground between your ship and the exit was built for lorries, not for anyone on foot.

The fix is simple enough: a free shuttle bus, compulsory for everyone, runs from the ship to the port gates, where taxis, tour operators and a small information booth with maps are waiting for you. If you haven’t booked a shore excursion, an organised trip arranged through the cruise line, taxis and independent guides outside the gate can usually sort something out on the spot, though you’ll have more choice if you’ve planned ahead. Our general travel safety tips for any cruise port apply here as much as anywhere else.

Whatever you book ashore, keep an eye on the all-aboard time printed on your boarding pass. The return shuttle runs to the ship’s clock, not yours.

Inside Le Port’s Réunion cruise terminal: facilities checklist

The terminal itself is modern and does the job quickly, so most people are only inside for a few minutes before heading for the gates. A few things to know before you step off:

• There’s a visitor information booth near the terminal with free maps of Le Port and the wider west coast.
• Car rental desks sit inside the terminal, but stock is limited and prices climb sharply on cruise ship days, so book ahead if you want to drive yourself.
• Customs, border police and health checks happen on arrival and departure, though the process is streamlined for cruise passengers.
• Small souvenir stalls sell local handicrafts, embroidery, vanilla, spices and rum, though the better shopping is in Saint-Denis.
• Mobile signal is strong across the island, and most UK phone contracts with EU roaming work here without extra charges, since Réunion is part of France.

Getting to Saint-Denis: reconciling the distance figures

Ask three sources how far Saint-Denis is from the port and you’ll get three different numbers, anywhere from around 13 km up to 20 km depending on the route. In practical terms, allow 20 to 40 minutes each way, by taxi, hire car or the local bus alike.

Bus number 2 stops right across from the cruise terminal and runs into central Saint-Denis on a scenic 30-minute coastal route, though it fills up fast when a ship’s in and the wait can drag. Taxis are quicker, but agree the fare before you set off since meters aren’t always switched on.

Local authorities also run a shuttle out to the nearest beach in Saint-Denis, a round trip of roughly an hour, travel each way included, which suits anyone after sand and sea rather than sightseeing.

How busy the port gets: cruise call numbers

Réunion isn’t a high-volume cruise stop, and that works in your favour. The Grand Port Maritime de La Réunion’s most recent figures put the total at close to 44,000 cruise passengers across 34 ship calls in a year, a modest enough number that queues for shuttles and taxis stay manageable even when a ship’s in.

France’s national audit office, the Cour des comptes, notes that passenger numbers here have grown a good deal over time, from tens of thousands in its early record-keeping years to more than 118,000 in the busiest year on file. Even so, Réunion’s cruise trade stays smaller than the Caribbean’s, mostly because the island only gets turnaround-style calls rather than cruises that start or finish here. In practice, that means you’re unlikely to share the port with another ship on the same day.

Things to do near Pointe des Galets and Le Port

Once you’re through the terminal and off the shuttle, Le Port itself has a handful of stops worth a look: the Eglise Sainte-Jeanne d’Arc, the Office de Tourisme de l’Ouest information bureau, and the Cap Sacré-Coeur shopping mall if you fancy browsing local brands.

Markets are the real draw if the timing works out. Le Port’s own market runs on Wednesdays at Port des Cheminots, while nearby Saint-Paul holds a Friday and Saturday market that’s widely rated one of the best on the island, tropical fruit stalls sitting next to truck-bars frying up Indian-style samosas and Chinese dumplings.

The west coast is known for whale and dolphin watching, with around 23 species recorded in local waters. Humpback whales pass through from June to October after the long swim up from Antarctica, while sperm whales, fin whales and several dolphin species hang around year-round. A handful of dive centres based in Le Port run trips out to more than a dozen offshore sites, and if a dive or a beach day is on the cards, pack some reef safe sunscreen before you leave home. The marine-friendly kind isn’t always easy to find once you’re there.

Further inland, the Cirque de Mafate is UNESCO-listed and reachable only on foot or by helicopter, with trails winding through properly dramatic volcanic terrain. The ground is steep and uneven, so decent walking shoes matter more here than almost anything else in your bag. With more time you could reach the Cirque de Salazie or the Piton de la Fournaise, an active volcano rising to 8,635 ft, though both ask more of a day than a single port call can comfortably give.

Closer to the coast, the Lazaret de la Grande Chaloupe preserves colonial-era quarantine buildings and tells part of Réunion’s Creole history, while l’Hermitage beach, the Jardin de l’Etat botanical garden and the Aquarium of Réunion suit anyone who’d rather relax than hike. The Musée Stella Matutina, set in an old sugar cane factory, is one to file away for a future trip, since it sits near Saint-Pierre at the other end of the island and isn’t realistic on a single day ashore.

Réunion is usually just one stop on an itinerary built around other Indian Ocean islands, and if you’re planning this call it’s worth also looking at the Port Louis cruise port guide for Mauritius or the Victoria, Mahé cruise port guide for the Seychelles, the two islands most often paired with Réunion on a regional route.

Shops close for lunch between midday and four

Most shops on Réunion, Saint-Denis included, shut for a long lunch from around midday until four in the afternoon. If shopping’s the plan, time your visit either side of that gap rather than turning up mid-afternoon expecting the shutters to be up.

The currency is the euro, and US dollars won’t get you anywhere since Réunion is part of France. Cards are widely accepted, but carry some cash for the market stalls. The emergency number is 112, and it works from any mobile even without a local network.

Common Questions

Is Pointe des Galets in Mauritius or Réunion?

Pointe des Galets is on Réunion, not Mauritius. The two islands sit in the same stretch of the Indian Ocean but are entirely separate, with Réunion part of France and Mauritius its own independent country.

Can I walk from the ship into Le Port town?

No. There’s no pedestrian exit from the terminal, so everyone takes the free, compulsory shuttle bus to the port gates before carrying on by taxi, local bus or tour vehicle.

How far is Pointe des Galets from Saint-Denis?

Figures vary depending on who you ask, but allow roughly 15 to 20 km and 20 to 40 minutes by road, by taxi, hire car or the local bus that stops opposite the terminal.

What currency should I bring?

Bring euros. Réunion is part of France, so US dollars won’t work, though cards are widely used. Keep some cash handy for markets and smaller stalls.

Is there Wi-Fi or mobile signal at the port?

Mobile signal is strong across the island, and most UK EU-roaming phone plans work without extra charges, since Réunion runs under French telecoms rules.

Do I need to book a car rental in advance?

Yes. Desks inside the terminal have limited stock, and prices rise sharply on days when a ship’s in, so book well ahead if you want to drive yourself.

What’s realistic with just a few hours ashore?

A market visit, a short beach stop, or a whale-watching trip in season from June to October all suit a short call far better than the island’s interior volcano routes.

Will my ship be the only one in port that day?

Usually, yes. With around 34 cruise calls a year according to the port authority, it’s rare for more than one ship to be in at once.

When do local markets run near the port?

Le Port’s market runs on Wednesdays at Port des Cheminots, while nearby Saint-Paul’s larger market runs Fridays and Saturdays.

Why Trust About2Cruise

This guide draws on official figures from the Grand Port Maritime de La Réunion, French administrative and commune records for Le Port, and the Cour des comptes’ independent audit of the port’s traffic, all cross-checked against several independent travel sources rather than taken from a single blog post. We haven’t sailed into or visited Pointe des Galets ourselves; this page comes from research, not first-hand experience. You can read more about how About2Cruise researches and fact-checks its guides.