Agriculture and viticulture Réunion

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.

Founded by the renowned Aimé Rivière aka Mémé, this charming boutique offers delicious local products to take home, including their famous turmeric, a spice with recognized medicinal and gustatory qualities here in powder, syrup, jam, vinegar or punch. They also organize half-day tours of the garden, the farm and the spice cave, ending with a Creole meal. An authentic stopover, as rich in color as it is in flavor! Products also available for international delivery on the website.

The three-century-old Domaine du Grand-Hazier opens the doors to its two-hectare garden and the beautiful Creole house that sits on the throne. It is representative of the great sugar estates of the end of the 18th century on the East coast. But the main attraction of the estate is indeed its vanilla, which has been awarded the gold medal several times at the Paris Agricultural Show. A guided tour will allow you to know everything about vanilla: from the discovery of its fertilization in the 19th century, to the production of today's excellent frosted vanilla.

This is the story of a family that has been growing vanilla for 4 generations. In the 1850s, Reunion Island was the cradle of vanilla development, but this tradition is disappearing. So in three quarters of an hour, you can discover all the stages: from the planting of the orchid plant to the sale, through the harvesting and packing of the beans in the workshop. At the end, you will be able to buy this famous black gold and why not learn how to plant it at home.

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.

Founded in 1886, the Distillerie Rivière du Mât, a pioneer in sustainable development, is one of the oldest distilleries still in operation on Réunion Island. The guided tour, which lasts between 1h and 1h30, takes visitors through a variety of workshops, introducing them to the making and secrets of the island's great rums. Free tastings of La Cave à Rhums' finest medal-winning vintages, and the opportunity to purchase the full range directly from the La Cave à Rhums website boutique.