Plaine des Gregues
A highland village in the south growing turmeric, with a cooperative and a festival built around it.
Updated 2 September 2026
La Plaine-des-Grègues sits at around eight hundred metres above Saint-Joseph in the southern hills, and it is the centre of Réunion's turmeric growing, which the island calls safran péi, the local saffron. A cooperative processes the rhizomes, washing, cooking, drying and grinding them, and runs visits with tastings. The village holds a turmeric festival each year, and vanilla, vetiver and other crops are grown on the same slopes.
What to look for
- The turmeric processing - washing, cooking, drying and grinding at the cooperative.
- The safran pei - the local turmeric the district is known for.
- The other crops - vanilla, vetiver and fruit grown on the same slopes.
- The village festival - the annual turmeric celebration.
When to go
May to November is the drier season. The harvest and the festival fall in the second half of the year. Mornings are clearest before cloud.
Before you go
The cooperative is a small working operation and visits need timing. Processing is seasonal and may not be running. The village is quiet with few facilities.
Nearby
Saint-Joseph is below, and Cascade Langevin is east.
What to pack for Plaine des Gregues
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
- A reusable bag or container - For market produce and cutting down on packaging. Find on Amazon
- Wet wipes + hand sanitiser - Street food and washbasins do not always go together. Find on Amazon
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Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
