About this city
Also known as: The Home of TABASCO Sauce
Situated in rural Iberia Parish along the subtropical Gulf Coast of southern Louisiana, Avery Island is not a true oceanic island, but rather a massive solid salt dome surrounded completely by bayous, salt marshes, and cypress swamps. Reaching an elevation of 163 feet above the flat coastal marshes, this unique geological formation achieved global pop-culture fame as the source and sole manufacturing site of TABASCO Brand Pepper Sauce, formulated here in 1868 by Edmund McIlhenny. The entire island has been owned and strictly conserved for generations by the McIlhenny family, who also developed an expansive, world-class botanical paradise to preserve native wildlife. Today, Avery Island functions as a premier destination for culinary tourism and eco-exploration, steeped in Cajun heritage and old-growth maritime flora.
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Practical Tourism Metadata
Suggested stay: 1 day
Tour the historic TABASCO Sauce Factory and sample spicy flavors at the official tasting room. Walk or drive through the lush pathways of Jungle Gardens to view thousands of nesting snowy egrets at Bird City. Dine on authentic spicy Cajun cuisine at the 1868! Restaurant.
