Saint-Leu () is a
commune in the
French overseas department
The overseas departments and regions of France (, ; DROM) are the five departments and regions of the French Republic which are located outside European France (also known as " metropolitan France"). These overseas entities have exactly the s ...
of
Réunion
Réunion (; ; ; known as before 1848) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France. Part of the Mascarene Islands, it is located approximately east of the isl ...
. It is located on the west coast of the island of Réunion.
Geography
Climate
Saint-Leu has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
''Cwa'') closely bordering on a
subtropical highland climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring c ...
(''Cwb''). The average annual temperature in Saint-Leu is . The average annual rainfall is with January as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in February, at around , and lowest in August, at around . The highest temperature ever recorded in Saint-Leu was on 10 January 2007; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 10 September 1975.
Population
Sports
Surf
It is a well-known surf spot. Various surfing competitions have been held in Saint-Leu, including
World Qualifying Series (WQS) and
ASP World Tour
The World Surf League (WSL) is the governing body for professional surfers and is dedicated to showcasing the world's best talent in a variety of progressive formats. The WSL was originally known as International Professional Surfing (IPS), fo ...
(WCT) competitions.
It is well known for its famous ''left wave''.
Paragliding
There is a paragliding base at Colimaçons.
Paragliding World Cup races have been held in Saint-Leu in 2003 and 2006, and Pre World Cup Tour race in 2010 and 2015.
In 2016 the city will held again a
Paragliding World Cup race (October 2016).
Points of interest
*
Conservatoire botanique national de Mascarin
*
Kélonia
Kélonia is a public aquarium and observatory specialising in Marine turtles in Saint-Leu, Réunion.
It was built on the site of a former turtle farming, Turtle Ranch and hosts guided visits and educational workshops. Kélonia participates in diff ...
Marine Turtle Station
*
Museum Stella Matutina
Neighborhoods of Saint Leu
* Downtown Saint-Leu
*
Chaloupe Saint-Leu
* Pointe au Sel
* Bras Mouton;
* Bac en fer
* Cap Saint-Leu
* La Fontaine
* L'Etang Saint-Leu
* La Pointe des Châteaux
* Les Colimaçons
* Le Plate
* Grand Fond
* Stella Matutina
* Le Portail
*
Piton Saint-Leu
Gallery
File:Hôtel-des-Postes-de-Saint-Leu.JPG,
File:Reunion Saint-Leu shore GeneralViewNorthwards.JPG,
File:Eretmochelys imbricata 01.jpg,
File:Eglise.colimacon.st.leu-07.JPG,
File:Gare-de-Saint-Leu.JPG,
File:Port-de-Saint-Leu.JPG,
File:St.Leu-plage.jpg,
See also
*
Communes of the Réunion department
References
External links
*
Communes of Réunion
Surfing locations in Réunion
Long stubs with short prose
{{Reunion-geo-stub