What to pack

The classic mistake is packing for a tropical island. Réunion is one, but it rises to three thousand and sixty-nine metres, and the gap between a west-coast beach at noon and the summit of the Piton des Neiges at dawn reaches twenty-five degrees.

Two wardrobes, then, in the same bag. Here is what genuinely earns its place, and what can stay home.

Shoes first

This is the one item not to compromise on: ankle-height walking boots, already broken in. Réunion's trails are rocky, often muddy, and slippery even in dry weather. City trainers will not do, and a sprained ankle three hours from a car park is expensive.

Add sandals or water shoes for the pools, where the bottom is pebbles, and a light pair for everything else.

Clothes

• Light, breathable rain gear. In every season, on every coast, and especially in the east.
• A fleece or light down jacket: essential for the Hauts, the cirques and pre-dawn starts.
• Light long clothing: against the sun at altitude and mosquitoes at dusk.
• The tropical basics — t-shirts, shorts, swimwear — for the coast.
• Quick-drying walking trousers, more useful than jeans.

For hiking

• A 20 to 30 litre rucksack.
• Two bottles or a hydration bladder: there is almost no water point on the routes.
• A head torch — the volcano and the Piton des Neiges are started in the dark.
• High-factor sun cream: the radiation is strong, including under cloud and at altitude.
• A hat or cap, and sunglasses.
• Something to eat: there is nothing on the trails.

The medical kit

Mosquito repellent: dengue circulates regularly on the island, and it is the only real health precaution to take. No compulsory vaccination, no malaria. A basic kit — blister plasters, painkillers, antiseptic — and your prescriptions.

The health system is the French one: the carte Vitale is valid, there are pharmacies everywhere, and hospitals at Saint-Denis, Saint-Pierre and Saint-Benoît.

What is useless

• A plug adapter: this is France, 230 V and French sockets.
• A local SIM card: a mainland French plan works at no extra cost, Réunion being a French department.
• Euros to change: it is already the currency.
• A passport, for a French citizen: the ID card is enough.
• A bulky beach towel: most accommodation provides them — check before you leave.

By season

From May to October, add an extra warm layer: nights at altitude are cold and it can freeze at the summit. From November to April, double the repellent and plan for drying — the humidity is constant and laundry takes its time.

If your accommodation has a washing machine, a week's packing covers three weeks. It is the detail that changes bag volume most, and it is worth checking at the time of booking.

Frequently asked questions

Written in Saint-Benoît, where we rent the bungalow, and updated on September 13, 2026. Access and swimming rules change: we always point to the authority in charge rather than speaking for it.