Petite-France Geranium Distilleries

Petite-France sits on the road climbing to Le Maïdo, and the highland slopes around it were planted with rose geranium from the late nineteenth century, distilled for an essential oil that went into the French perfume industry. The trade collapsed with synthetic substitutes but a handful of alambics still work, copper stills fed with cut foliage and wood fire, producing oil in very small quantities. Growers show the process and sell what they make.

What to look for

• The copper alambics - traditional stills fired with wood and fed with cut foliage.
• The geranium fields - the plantings on the slopes around the village.
• The distillation - the process from cutting to oil, shown by the growers.
• The Maido road - the climbing route the village sits on.

When to go

May to November is the drier season. Distilling happens when foliage is cut, which is not every day. Mornings are best before cloud comes up the slope.

Practical notes

Distilling is not always in progress and a visit may find only a shop. Producers are small family operations and visits are informal. The road up is winding and often in cloud.

Nearby

Le Maido is above, and Saint-Gilles is below.