Archaeology handicrafts and science and technology sites to visit West

This educational farm is dedicated to the coconut. You'll discover all its secrets, from planting to processing and using the products: wood, fibers, cabbage-coconut, water, coconut milk and oil, shell crafts... Participatory workshops enable you to learn how to make coconut punch, braid the leaf, or grate the coconut to make cakes. If you want to tantalize your taste buds, think of the Coco Snack (11.30am-1.30pm) or the Saturday brunch (once a month, 9am-12pm, by reservation), all made with coconut, of course.

La maison du Géranium is a small country distillery, in the heart of a vast botanical garden of 3 800 m² planted with medicinal and food species, run by a friendly couple. Mr, a distiller from father to son for three generations, explains the extraction process of the essence of geranium, cryptomeria or eucalyptus... Everything depends on the day and what is simmering on the fire of the big still, condemned to sweat big drops of natural essences. Madame welcomes you in the souvenir shop, full of essential oils.

Johan Morel opens the doors of his artisanal distillery perched on the heights of Saint-Leu to explain the manufacturing process of his essential oils. The young enthusiast distils in an old copper still local aromatic and medicinal plants that he grows on site. You will enjoy both the good smells and the magnificent panoramic view of the west coast. These essential oils are sold in the pretty little shop decorated with vintage objects. This immersive tour promises to awaken your senses!

An unavoidable stop on the Maïdo road, a visit to Jean-Yves Bègue's distillery is like a moment suspended in time. Jean-Yves will be pleased to explain you the process of distilling geranium, camphor, eucalyptus and cryptomeria. He perpetuates the family tradition in the greatest simplicity and shares his know-how with passion. He will tell you how the cultivation of geraniums has played a great role in the history of the Western Highlands. You will then be able to leave with these essential oils thanks to his shop.

The Grotte du Peuplement is located at the southern exit of Saint-Paul, opposite the Cimetière Marin. Legend has it that it served as a refuge for the 1663 arrivals, but historical studies have proven this to be false. This site was named the "Cave of the First Frenchmen" in the 1960s, after having been called the "Cave of the Portuguese" or the "Cave of the 12 Exiles". As the cave remains inaccessible due to falling rocks, you can enjoy the pleasant park which was completely redeveloped in 2016, ideal for a family picnic.

In the 1970s, a handful of illustrious Réunionese artists fell in love with the site, a former industrial wasteland, the heir to a sugar factory that had been abandoned since 1935. They dreamed of a village where Reunion's creative talents could come together. In 1978, the Association pour la promotion du site de l'Éperon (Association for the promotion of the Éperon site) was formed, founding the "village artisanal de l'Éperon". In 2014, some fifteen artists occupy workshop-boutiques, whose products go beyond traditional Reunionese crafts. Today, it's not so much a craft village in the strict sense of the word, but rather a locality, located on Rue Fond Générèse, a pretty cobbled street with a fountain and flower-filled spaces, bringing together artisan and designer workshops (pottery and ceramics, stained glass, painting, framing, illustrations, design..), boutiques selling ready-to-wear, jewelry, bags and fashion accessories, concept stores, a café-library, two hairdressers, a wine cellar... not forgetting a few excellent places to eat and spend a pleasant moment suspended in an atmosphere of its own. The Association also organizes a popular annual Christmas craft market (usually held on the first weekend of December), a craft festival and a Reunion music festival. See the association's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/asso.eperon974/) for more details. Two free parking lots are available at the entrance and exit of the village.

On the hiking path leading to the Alcide islet, discover one of the oldest trees of Reunion Island: the King of Tamarins. With its trunk measuring 9 m and its branches reaching 19 m high, it dominates the forest that surrounds it. More than 400 years old, it has a circumference of 3.89 m. Despite the cyclones and storms that have broken part of its branches, it remains majestic. If it could, it would even tell us about its encounter with the first inhabitants of the island. Continuing the hike, you will reach a viewpoint on the Maïdo.

Linking the Maïdo to the Tévelave at an altitude of 1,700 m, the forest road of the Tamarins stretches for about thirty kilometres. If it is the starting point of several hiking trails such as Piton Rouge, it is just as pleasant to come and rest. Numerous picnic areas equipped with tables, shaded kiosks and barbecue are provided for this purpose. The Reunionese like to meet there on weekends with their families, far from the heat of the coastline.