A new magnetic observatory has been established on La Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean. This isolated observatory serves to monitor the evolution of the magnetic field in that region. It is also useful for large-scale modelling of the core field and other contributions to the geomagnetic field. The vector magnetic field components are measured every second, transmitted every 5 min to the Institut de physique du globe de Paris, and made immediately available to users (see www.bcmt.fr).