Cascade Niagara (Salazie)

Cascade Niagara is a roadside waterfall in the Cirque de Salazie in north-east Réunion, a French island in the Indian Ocean, beside the RD48 between Salazie village and Hell-Bourg. It drops in a wide curtain into a pool, making it one of the easiest waterfalls on the island to see without a long hike. Its width and shape gave it the Niagara nickname locally, though the scale is far smaller than the North American falls. A small lay-by on the RD48, signed Cascade Niagara, serves as the parking area, and a short walk of about 20 minutes leads to the waterfall, giving a round trip of roughly 45 minutes. The best view of the whole width of the falls is from the roadside parking area, where no walk-in is needed. The pool at the base is used for swimming by visitors and locals when the flow is not too strong. Flow and safety vary a lot with recent rainfall: after heavy rain the current in the pool can be too strong to swim, and visitors should check conditions before getting in. The cirque receives some of the highest rainfall on the island, so the waterfall is usually running, and it is at its fullest after rain. Mornings in any season are the recommended time, before afternoon cloud builds in the valley, and light is softer for photography. The stop is quietest on weekday mornings and busiest at weekends, when local families picnic nearby. There is no public bus service dedicated to the site, so most visitors arrive by car as part of a drive through the cirque that also takes in the Voile de la Mariée viewpoint and Hell-Bourg village. Footwear with grip is useful, as rocks near the pool are wet and slippery, and a rain jacket is a sensible addition. Visitors should not leave valuables in parked cars.