La Réunion - Rum, Vanilla, and Turtles

I have been on the French island of La Réunion, located far down in the Indian Ocean, since December 4, 2025. As described in the last blog post, more than half of the island is a protected area, and only 20 percent, or about 500 square kilometers, can be used for agriculture. Sugar cane is grown on more than half of the agricultural land, which is why the island was first settled in the 17th century. In the south, vanilla is also cultivated, which can be bought in various qualities at some stalls in the Saint-Pierre Saturday market.

This market has everything one can imagine, and everything is priced like in Europe – at least. The island is definitely not suitable for a budget vacation.

Liquid Sugar Cane

We learn about a famous product made from sugar cane at Isautier in the municipality of Saint-Pierre in the south of the island. The company, founded in 1845 by brothers Louis and Charles Isautier, who immigrated from the French region of Champagne, is the oldest existing rum distillery on Réunion. In their museum