Écomusée du Sel de Bandrélé

At Bandrélé on Mayotte's southeastern coast a group of women have kept the traditional salt-making going, filtering seawater through sand collected from the mangrove flats and then boiling the brine down over wood fires in a process that takes days, and the ecomuseum there explains it and lets visitors watch. The salt is sold on site. It is one of very few places the method survives.

What you actually see

• The filtering - seawater run through mangrove sand to concentrate the brine.
• The boiling - the brine reduced over wood fires over several days.
• The women's cooperative - the group that kept the practice going.
• The salt itself - the product sold at the museum.

When to go

May to October is the dry season, which is when salt making works. The wet season stops production. Visits should be arranged to catch the process.

Honest expectations

Production is seasonal and depends on weather, so a visit may miss the making. The museum is small and an hour or two covers it. Explanation is in French.

Nearby

Saziley is south, and Sakouli is north.