Craft workshops in Reunion Island: 5 hands-on sessions with a local artisan
In Reunion Island, people will offer you canyoning, helicopter rides and sunrises over the volcano. More rarely, they'll offer you a seat next to someone who will teach you a gesture that's three centuries old.
In short: to do a craft workshop in Reunion Island with a local artisan, you can learn vacoa weaving in Saint-Leu, Cilaos embroidery in the cirque of the same name, forging and knifemaking, stone carving, or woodwork in the Plaine des Cafres. With My Native Family, these sessions take place in small groups, last from 3 hours to several half-days, and you leave with the object you made with your own hands.
Why do a craft workshop during your trip to Reunion Island
Most "things to do in Reunion Island" lists look alike: hiking in the cirques, Piton de la Fournaise, the Saint-Gilles lagoon, paragliding in Saint-Leu. All of it is beautiful. But you can travel around the whole island without ever really talking to a Reunionese person.
A craft workshop is the opposite. You spend a few hours, sometimes a few days, at someone's place. You learn their gestures, their Creole words, their story, and that of their family and neighbourhood. And you understand, through your hands, what museum panels try to explain: vacoa born out of slavery, embroidery from a cirque long cut off from the world, the stone mortar found in every kitchen on the island.
It's also a concrete way to practise responsible tourism in Reunion Island: these crafts are fragile, and they survive when someone learns them.
5 craft workshops to do in Reunion Island
1. Vacoa weaving workshop in Saint-Leu, with Sonia
Vacoa is the palm tree whose dried and softened leaves were used for centuries to make baskets, mats, bags and the roofs of Creole houses. A craft listed in the French inventory of intangible cultural heritage since 2017. A designer by training, Sonia learned it when she came back to Reunion Island in 2003, and has been passing it on since 2015.
- Where: at the Saint-Leu market, then in Sonia's workshop
- Duration: two mornings (8 hours in total)
- Price: €219
- You leave with: a bucket bag woven with your own hands, with a leather handle and finishings, worth €138
- Ideal if: you're staying in the West and want a first contact with Reunionese crafts
The full story of vacoa is in The vacoa strand. To book: weave your bag with Sonia.
2. Cilaos embroidery workshop, with Colette
Cilaos embroidery, or "jour de Cilaos", consists of pulling threads out of the fabric and then embroidering over the gap. Colette has been embroidering since she was 6. Forty-five years later, a daisy pattern earned her the title of Meilleure Ouvrière de France, one of France's highest distinctions for craftspeople. Today she teaches at the Maison de la Broderie.
- Where: Maison de la Broderie, Cilaos
- Duration: from 3 hours, longer if you have a bigger project
- Price: from €68 per person
- You leave with: your embroidered motif (3 x 3 cm), to sew onto a garment, a bag or a pouch
- Ideal if: you're spending a night or two in the Cilaos cirque and have a morning free
For the story of this embroidery, read The Cilaos thread. To book: embroider your motif with Colette.
3. Forging and knifemaking course: make your own knife with Éric
A master craftsman, Éric has been forging metal for over thirty years. He started after discovering that one of his great-grandfathers was a blacksmith. Specialising in edge-tool making, he makes the knives and tools used by other artisans on the island.
- Duration: from 6 hours
- Price: €550 per person
- What you do: forging the steel, shaping the blade, heat treatment, turning the handle in tamarind wood, assembly and sharpening
- You leave with: your knife, forged and assembled with your own hands
- Ideal if: you're looking for a powerful experience to share as a pair, or an experience gift idea in Reunion Island
To book: forge your knife with Éric.
4. Stone carving: carve your pilon with Josian
The pilon is the stone mortar used to crush garlic, ginger and chilli for rougail or cari. In the Plaine des Cafres, Josian carves it by hand from dense blue rocks he picks one by one in the Entre-Deux river. A rare trade, now very hard to learn anywhere else.
- Where: in Josian's workshop, in the Plaine des Cafres
- Duration: five half-days (20 hours)
- Price: on request
- You leave with: your hand-carved pilon, engraved with your initials and the date
- Ideal if: you're staying several weeks on the island and want a real craft course
Josian's portrait (in French): Le pilon, au cœur de toutes les cuisines réunionnaises. To book: carve your pilon with Josian.
5. Woodwork: carve your serving board with François
In the Plaine des Cafres, François works with "péï" woods, the island's native timbers. For him, passing on the craft is the heart of the job.
- Where: in François's workshop, in the Plaine des Cafres
- Duration: from 4 hours, depending on your project
- Price: on request
- You leave with: your serving board in local wood
- Ideal if: you're combining the workshop with the volcano, just nearby
To book: carve your serving board with François.
Which craft workshop to choose for your stay
- You only have one morning: Cilaos embroidery with Colette.
- You're in the West (Saint-Leu, Saint-Gilles): vacoa weaving with Sonia.
- You're passing by the volcano and the Plaine des Cafres: stone with Josian or wood with François.
- You're passing through the Cilaos cirque: embroidery with Colette.
- You're looking for a powerful experience for two: forging with Éric.
- You're slow travelling, several weeks on the island: the long stone-carving course gives you time to really learn.
- The weather closes the trails: a workshop is a great alternative when hiking isn't possible, especially during the rainy season, from December to April.
How much does a craft workshop cost in Reunion Island?
Prices range from €68 per person for an embroidery session to €550 for forging, where you make your own knife. Weaving your vacoa bag with Sonia costs €219. Stone carving and woodwork are priced on request, because they adapt to your project.
The price covers the artisan's time, the raw materials and the object you take home. On every My Native Family booking, 70% of the amount stays in Reunion Island: 60% for the artisan, 10% for a trusted local partner. The Reunion Island cultural guide is included free with your booking.
Craft workshop or souvenir shop: what changes
You can buy a vacoa basket in a shop in Saint-Denis. You can also spend two mornings weaving it next to the woman who learned it from her childhood friend. The object looks the same. What it tells doesn't.
If you're wondering what to bring back from Reunion Island, an object made with your own hands is probably the most personal souvenir there is. And the only one that comes with a first name, an address and a story.
How to book a workshop with a Reunionese artisan
- Choose your artisan on the artisans page.
- Click "Send a request" and give your dates, the number of people and your project.
- We arrange the meeting with the artisan and confirm the details with you.
There's no minimum number of participants: you can book on your own. And since sessions take place in small groups, spots go fast in high season (July-August and October): book as soon as your dates are set.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I do a craft workshop in Reunion Island?
Workshops are spread across the island: vacoa weaving in Saint-Leu, embroidery in Cilaos, stone carving and woodwork in the Plaine des Cafres. With My Native Family, you do them directly at the artisan's home or workplace.
What is the typical craft of Reunion Island?
The most iconic crafts are vacoa weaving, Cilaos embroidery (the "jour de Cilaos"), carving volcanic stone into pilons, forging and edge-tool making, and working "péï" woods.
Can I do a craft workshop alone in Reunion Island?
Yes. There's no minimum number of participants, which makes it an ideal activity for solo travel. You even get the artisan all to yourself.
Do I need experience to take part?
No. These are beginner sessions: the artisan shows you every gesture, at your own pace. You bring your curiosity, they take care of the rest.
What's the difference between a workshop visit and a hands-on session?
On a workshop visit, you watch the artisan work. In a hands-on session, you work with them, from raw material to finished object, and you leave with what you made.
Is it a good activity when it rains in Reunion Island?
Yes. During the rainy season, from December to April, trails can be closed or slippery. A craft workshop lets you discover the island differently, under shelter, without losing your day.
Going further
Before your workshop, take the time to understand who the Reunionese are: Kafrine, Malbar, Yab, Zarabe… the faces of Reunion Island. To time your session with a local festival, like the Vacoa Festival, check the 2027 events calendar for Reunion Island. And to find out how these artisans joined the project, read Six artisans said yes.
Find all the workshops on the artisans page.