Stella Matutina Museum
Musée Stella Matutina
An agricultural and industrial history museum housed in an old sugar factory, telling the century-long story of Réunion's sugarcane, vanilla and spice economy.
The Stella Matutina Museum sits on a hillside south of Saint-Leu. It occupies the 19th-century Stella Matutina sugar factory, preserving huge crushing machines, steam engines and boilers. It presents the production history of the island's cash crops, including sugar, rum, vanilla, vetiver and geranium essential oils, and it also covers the social history of slavery, indentured labour and migration, making it a good place to understand Réunion's diverse society. Admission is about €10 (check the official website). Closed on Mondays. It can be combined with the nearby Mascarin botanical garden and Kélonia for a half-day itinerary.
Opening hours
Tue–Sun 09:30–17:30
Nearby sights
- Kélonia
- Mascarin Botanical Garden
- L'Étang-Salé Beach
- L'Ermitage Beach, Saint-Gilles
- Maïdo Viewpoint
- Boucan Canot Beach
- Cirque de Cilaos
- Cirque de Mafate