The Golden Rules of Responsible Wild Camping in Réunion

The most fundamental rule and the most frequently broken. Everything you bring in, you take back out. No litter left behind, not even in an overflowing public bin. The zero-waste rule applies to cigarette butts, bottle caps and food packaging too.

Réunion's rivers, natural pools and lagoons are fragile ecosystems. Conventional chemical products destroy corals, kill fish and pollute groundwater.

Nighttime silence is a fundamental mark of respect, both for fellow campers and for local wildlife (endemic birds, petrels nesting at altitude after dark). Music and loud conversation before 10pm only. Generators are strictly prohibited at wild camping spots.

Open fires are strictly prohibited in Réunion. The island has suffered devastating wildfires that have destroyed thousands of hectares of endemic vegetation. The fire risk is particularly high during the dry season (May to November).

Réunion is home to hundreds of endemic species found nowhere else on Earth. Picking plants, capturing animals and damaging vegetation are prohibited in the National Park and carry severe penalties.

Do not pick flowers, do not approach bird nests, observe sea turtles from a distance, do not capture endemic lizards or insects, and never walk off marked trails within the National Park.

Your van weighs between 2 and 3 tonnes. On soft or vegetated ground, it can irreversibly damage vegetation and compact the soil. In Réunion, certain habitats are extremely fragile — highland wetlands, vegetated lava formations, cirque meadows.

There is no grey water collection system in Réunion. Washing-up and shower water drain directly into nature — making the use of 100% biodegradable products absolutely essential. Move at least 50 metres away from any watercourse before washing yourself or doing the dishes.

Switch off your headlights as soon as you are parked. Use a red head torch rather than a white one for night-time movement (less disruptive to wildlife). Réunion has one of the finest night skies in the southern hemisphere — make the most of it!

Réunion is an island with a rich, unique Creole culture. Its people are warm and welcoming — but they expect in return a genuine respect for their way of life, their land and their traditions. Always greet the locals, ask permission before parking near a private property, and show an interest in Creole food and local markets.

This is the ultimate principle of responsible camping, adopted by the global van life community under the name "Leave No Trace". In Réunion, we go further: leave every spot in better condition than you found it. If you see litter left by others, pick it up. Report degraded spots on Park4night. Share these rules with fellow van-lifers you meet on the road.