Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee.
This spot has been added by
Last updated on April 8, 2021
Located on the rocky coast of southern Réunion Island, Manapany does not offer a sandy beach, but it has a seawater pool. The pool communicates with the open sea between the rocks, which allows many fish species to find shelter there. Although the seabed is quite poor and mainly rocky, snorkelers can often see in the pool small moray eels, Moorish Idols, and surgeonfish.
The rocky pool is located in Manapany-les-Bains, just before arriving in Saint-Joseph. The direction is well signposted from the main road. A parking lot has been set up on the right, near the beach, but it fills up very quickly on weekends. Once parked, walk down to the basin.
Stone stairs make it easy to get in the water. Be careful not to slip on the last steps. Do not get in the water if there are waves in the pool.
The Manapany rocky pool is quite small. It measures approximately 75m long by 50m wide. The maximum depth in the pool is 8ft/2.50m.
You can snorkel throughout the pool, in which the underwater landscape is rocky, interspersed here and there with rare small coral. It is especially around the rocks bordering the pool that the underwater life is concentrated.
You are likely to spot schools of barred flagtail, many ebony gregory, blennies and dusky wrasse in these areas. Almost everywhere in the basin, snorkelers may also encounter surgeonfish and Moorish Idols, sometimes small trevally or cornetfish. By looking in the rocks, you may also spot a small moray eel or a pipefish.
Near the rocks where the waves break, visibility is poorer. If you visit Réunion’s south coast and hesitate between snorkeling in Manapany or Grande Anse, we would recommend Grande Anse, where the basin is richer in coral and fish.
Chez Jo restaurant overlooks the Manapany pool and beach.
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
