Travel Guide L’union

The Union Estate is home to the famous colonial house featured in the film Goodbye Emmanuelle. Now converted into a museum, it's a worthwhile visit before venturing further afield to the famous, crystal-clear Anse Source d'Argent. Here, however, you can also enjoy the scent of vanilla pods, which are being smoothed nonchalantly by a few employees. This plant, introduced to the island in 1866, once contributed considerably to its prosperity. Nearby is a small copra factory where workers, perched on a pile of coconuts, shell them. Their flesh, once dried in a calorifier, will be pressed in an antique oil mill.A little further on, at the foot of a huge rock - said to be the largest in the archipelago - The Giant Rock, some 15 giant tortoises graze in their enclosure. Two feet are enough to wander through this Union estate, where many paths wind, one of which leads to the small shipyard donated by France. Its artisan carpenters have earned a reputation for the quality of their work, notably for their fishing boats built from the trunks of teak and takamaka trees. It's a real pleasure to explore this land of the Union Estate. You should also take a look at the old ruined cemetery.For those aged 12 and over, it costs SR150 to visit the site, which is open from 7am to 5pm. The ticket is valid for the whole day. Good deal: a ticket purchased after 4:30 p.m. gives access to the site for the whole day the following day.