From 10 to 13 April 1977, the village of Piton Saint-Rose was submerged by lava which covered hundreds of hectares of good earth, burned more than thirty houses and cut the road off before rolling onto the sea.Since that memorable day, a huge black scar of cooled rock has remained on the mountain.By taking the C.D. 57 (country road), just north of the village,you can go up several kilometres and see the lava stream which crosses the road on the left.

The town of Saint-Benoît was burnt in the 1950's; many houses were rebuilt out of concrete at that time. Saint-Benoît is a vast district, stretching from the coast up to Piton des Neiges, and it has some extremely beautiful places.

Rivière des Roches separates Saint-Benoît from Bras Panon. The mouth of "Rock River" is a lovely seaside site and a "bichique" fishing area. A freshwater lagoon between the coast and an offshore bar is the ideal place for canoeing and windsurfing. It is possible to follow the river along a small road (Beauvallon) up to a superb waterfall surrounded by basalt walls, called Bassin La Paix (Peace Pool). Further up, Bassin La Mer (Sea Pool) is only accessible by 4X4 vehicles or on foot (1/2 hr).

Saint-André, in the centre of this rich sugar cane region,was populated by a large influx of Indian immigrants in the 19th century. It still has a large Tamil population.The region is mainly a land of sugar cane plantations. From Saint-André to Sainte-Marie, the National Road cuts through lush sugar cane fields and here and there you will catch a glimpse of the deep blue colour of the Indian Ocean.