Avery Island isn't your typical island. This island sits atop a massive salt dome in the wetlands of southern Louisiana, and you don't cross open water to get to it. It's also home to the renowned Tabasco brand of pepper sauce. Owned by the McIlhenny Co., Avery Island welcomes visitors year-round for tours. Come prepared for a natural excursion, as well as one fit to fire up your taste buds.
You don't need a boat to get to the island, but you will need a dollar. Avery Island is easily accessible via Louisiana Highway 329 from New Iberia. Before crossing over to Avery Island you must pay a dollar at the toll station. Highway 329 is also known as Avery Island Road. From the U.S. 90 exit in New Iberia, it's 6 miles to Avery Island on Highway 329.
Tours of the factory where Tabasco sauce is made are free; they occur every day of the week all year long except for major holidays. These are short, guided tours of the bottling and packaging operations and include a film on the history of Tabasco, a sauce tasting and a free sample. Of course, there's also a gift shop where you can purchase the many different types of sauces Tabasco produces, as well as Tabasco-themed merchandise.
The Tabasco factory isn't the only hot spot on Avery Island. The island also is home to Jungle Gardens, a lush 170-acre expanse of subtropical botanical gardens. Among the array of plants you'll see are oaks dripping with Spanish moss, soaring bamboo and colorful azaleas and camellias when in season. Sightings of alligators, deer and migrating birds are common. Snowy white egrets flock to Jungle Gardens during spring and fall, making their temporary home in a rookery known as Bird City. An admission fee is required to tour Jungle Gardens.
In 2014, the McIlhenny Co. introduced culinary tours to Avery Island. Designed to let visitors experience Cajun cuisine and culture, the food tours begin and end on the island and include a 3.5-hour guided excursion to restaurants and other establishments in and around bayou country. Along the way patrons learn about Cajun culture while sampling such local delicacies as crawfish and boudin. The food tour departs the island at 1 p.m.
