L'Étang-Salé
# L'Étang-Salé

L'Étang-Salé (French pronunciation: ​; French for The Salty Pond) is a commune in the department and region of Réunion. It is bordered by the communes of Les Avirons and Saint-Louis. Within the commune is the Étang-Salé forest. There is also a beach with black sand in the commune that is a popular surfing spot.

## Geography

### Climate

L'Étang-Salé has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw) closely bordering on a hot semi-arid climate (BSh). The average annual temperature in L'Étang-Salé is 23.6 °C (74.5 °F). The average annual rainfall is 619.5 mm (24.39 in) with February as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in February, at around 27.1 °C (80.8 °F), and lowest in July, at around 20.1 °C (68.2 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in L'Étang-Salé was 36.4 °C (97.5 °F) on 13 March 2004; the coldest temperature ever recorded was 8.0 °C (46.4 °F) on 15 August 1992.

Climate data for L'Étang-Salé (1981−2010 normals, extremes 1961−2008) :

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Record high °C (°F) | 36.2 (97.2) | 36.2 (97.2) | 36.4 (97.5) | 34.1 (93.4) | 33.0 (91.4) | 31.2 (88.2) | 29.8 (85.6) | 30.1 (86.2) | 31.0 (87.8) | 32.5 (90.5) | 33.9 (93.0) | 35.3 (95.5) | 36.4 (97.5) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 32.1 (89.8) | 32.0 (89.6) | 31.6 (88.9) | 30.5 (86.9) | 28.6 (83.5) | 26.8 (80.2) | 26.0 (78.8) | 26.3 (79.3) | 26.9 (80.4) | 28.2 (82.8) | 29.6 (85.3) | 31.0 (87.8) | 29.1 (84.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 26.9 (80.4) | 27.1 (80.8) | 26.4 (79.5) | 25.2 (77.4) | 23.1 (73.6) | 21.1 (70.0) | 20.1 (68.2) | 20.3 (68.5) | 20.9 (69.6) | 22.3 (72.1) | 23.9 (75.0) | 25.7 (78.3) | 23.6 (74.5) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 21.7 (71.1) | 22.3 (72.1) | 21.2 (70.2) | 19.9 (67.8) | 17.5 (63.5) | 15.5 (59.9) | 14.2 (57.6) | 14.1 (57.4) | 14.9 (58.8) | 16.3 (61.3) | 18.1 (64.6) | 20.4 (68.7) | 18.0 (64.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 16.0 (60.8) | 15.5 (59.9) | 15.1 (59.2) | 14.1 (57.4) | 10.0 (50.0) | 8.8 (47.8) | 9.1 (48.4) | 8.0 (46.4) | 9.9 (49.8) | 11.0 (51.8) | 12.3 (54.1) | 13.8 (56.8) | 8.0 (46.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 93.0 (3.66) | 108.2 (4.26) | 90.2 (3.55) | 69.3 (2.73) | 41.6 (1.64) | 40.7 (1.60) | 37.2 (1.46) | 20.8 (0.82) | 18.7 (0.74) | 20.8 (0.82) | 25.1 (0.99) | 53.9 (2.12) | 619.5 (24.39) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 5.7 | 7.1 | 6.1 | 5.5 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 4.4 | 50.8 |
| Source: Météo-France ||||||||||||||

## Economy and tourism

* there is an industrial zone in L'Étang-Salé
* a popular surfing beach in L'Étang-Salé-les-Bains
* several hotels
* an 18-hole golf course
* Croc' Park - a crocodile park

## Images

* The beach of L'Étang-Salé
* Surfer at L'Étang-Salé
* Forest of L'Étang-Salé
* The Gouffre - a lava formation at the coast
