French Guiana, or ‘Guyane’, is an equatorial South America department of France that shares borders with Brazil, Suriname, and the Atlantic Ocean. It is known for having a rich and beautiful ecosystem, and despite being one of the most pristine locations on earth, it is also a place where you can experience the unexpected and extraordinary like a space launch from the European Space Agency’s spaceport or the eerie, deserted penal colony on Devil’s Island. It is a land of cultural contrasts, diverse natural beauty and history, making it, ultimately, one of the most interesting places to visit in South America.

Whether you spend your time in Cayenne (the capital); in one of the natural hotspots like the Réserve Naturelle Régionale Trésor; having fun with cute little monkeys at Ilet la Mere; paddling up the river in a pirogue dugout canoe, or indulging your senses at Cayenne's famous street market. - one thing is for certain- French Guiana will surprise you at every corner and make you fall in love with its lovely dual personality.

One day you might spend exploring French Guiana’s tropical rainforest and spotting species like ocelots, sloths, agoutis, crocodiles, howler monkeys, spider monkeys, Bush Dogs, toucans and macaws. While on another you could be in Cayenne, experiencing the melting pot of French, Asian, African, and Brazilian cultures. If you visit during Carnival (which falls between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday), you can join in the celebrations which include beautiful parades every weekend.

But there’s more to French Guiana than the beauty; the ruins of the 17th-century Fort Cépérou overlook Cayenne’s colourful Creole houses and street markets. The Transportation Camp takes you back to the period between 1852 - 1953 when prisoners arrived here for processing. They would then be transferred to penal colonies throughout the territory like the one at Devil’s Island. Not only that, but it was in these historic walls that infamous inmates like Alfred Dreyfus and Papillon stayed. There is even a cell with Papillon's name engraved!

Plus, there is also the Space Centre which is the base of three different organisations including; the European Space Agency, the French Space Agency, and Arianespace which is a private commercial company responsible for the development of the Ariane rocket. The space centre does up to nine launches a year, and tourists can witness this spectacular moment from the jungle. Pretty incredible right?

With abundant biodiversity - 5600 plant species, along with 56 species of fish, 78 amphibians, 49 reptiles, 327 birds, 60 bats, and 53 species of mammals - French Guiana efforts to preserve its ecosystems can easily be seen, eco-tourism is essential here. After all, no one would want to spoil French Guiana’s diverse wildlife, pristine Atlantic beaches, vast savanna stretches, lushly cloaked mountains, or the rivers that meander through the steamy jungles.

Truly Individual

Any element of your holiday can be made truly individual to your requirements, including the places you want to see and the things that are important to you. Just contact one of our Travel Specialists today.

If you would like to begin creating your perfect French Guiana holiday, Simply complete the enquiry form to get in touch.

Alternatively, call our Travel Specialists on 020 8546 6222.

Cayenne

Cayenne is the vibrant capital of French Guiana. it’s located on a former island at the mouth of the Cayenne River right on the Atlantic Ocean, this city, is filled with life and is a true meeting point of French, Asian, African, and Brazilian cultures.

The result is a city as vibrant as its streets where beautiful lined up colonial homes exhibit beautiful shades of turquoise, pinks and yellows. But that isn’t all, in Cayenne you will find colourful and lively street markets with anything from African-style paintings, to Hmong handicrafts, exotic fruits, and spices galore; there are also several Creole, Brazilian, Chinese and French restaurants in the city; as well as stunning historic architecture that you can’t miss.

Some of the spots you should include on your Cayenne itinerary are - ‘Avenue Général de Gaulle’ which is the main commercial street; Place des Palmistes and the Place de Grenoble (also known as the Place Léopold Héder); the ‘Hôtel de Ville’ which is the town hall and was built by Jesuits in the 1890s; Musée Départmental Franconie; the Fort Cépérou ruins which date back to the 17th century; Place du Coq; ‘Place Victor Schoelcher’ which was named in honour of the anti-slavery activist; Museo departamental Alexandre-Franconie; Cayenne Cathedral; the city’s botanical garden; as well as the Musée des Cultures Guyanaises (Museum of French Guianese Culture) to name only a few.

Make sure to also try some ‘colombo’, a traditional and very popular dish in French Guiana that is strongly influenced by Indian cuisine and consists of pork stew prepared with vegetables and the mix of spices is very similar to those used for the preparation of curry. Delicious!

Îles du Salut (Salvation Islands)

Îles du Salut or, the Salvation Islands, are a group of volcanic islands that comprises three main islands -Royale Island, Saint-Joseph Island, and Diable Island (best known as the “Devil’s Island”)  which was - and still is - an important part of history for its role as a penal colony between 1852 and 1953.

One famous inmate was Frenchman Henri Charrière who was convicted of murder in 1931, for a crime he did not commit and was sentenced to life imprisonment at the penal colony on Devil's Island. After surviving 12 years in the most inhuman conditions, he finally fled the island and took refuge in Venezuela. In April of 1969 his autobiographical novel “Papillon” was first published followed by a movie interpretation (1973) starring famous Hollywood actor Steve McQueen.

If you are wondering why Diable Island was used as a prison the answer is quite simple; its strategic location - 10 miles (15km) off the coast of mainland French Guiana - along with its shark-infested waters, and rocky shoreline made escaping the island pretty much impossible (unless you are Henri Charrière).  

Nowadays it’s all very different, and you can easily take a trip to the islands. Île Royale is the largest of the three islands, and was the former administrative headquarters for the colony, while Île St Joseph, was reserved for solitary confinement for prisoners in the Devil's Island. Half day tours include; the cell blocks, the guard housing (now a restaurant) as well as the Director’s House.

The islands have been made very ‘tourist-friendly’ and you can easily see it right from the first moment when you arrive there. The buildings have been converted into hotels or tourist facilities, and the harbour - where once prisoners where dropped off to stay on the island - is now a welcoming spot for cruise ships. There is also a gift shop on Diable Island where you can buy postcards stamped with "Devil's Island”.

Guiana Space Centre (Centre Spatial Guyanais)

The Guiana Space Centre is another famous touristic attraction in French Guiana, we highly recommend you take the time to make sure that you can visit it, even if it is just for a little while.

But, why build a space centre in French Guiana? The idea is actually not that far-fetched. The equatorial coast near Kourou is away from storm tracks and earthquake zones; has a low population density and by launching rockets eastwards over the Atlantic the rotation of the earth helps rockets enter orbit faster. 

When visiting the centre, you will have the opportunity to view a film about the history of the Space Centre, do a tour of the Jupiter Control Centre as well as the Ariane facilities. The space centre has a total of three different organisations working here - The European Space Agency, the French Space Agency, and finally, Arianespace, a private commercial company which was responsible for the development of the Ariane rocket.

Of course, when speaking of a space centre we also need to speak about a space launch! Although not available to everyone as there are pre-determined dates for it, this is another great (and pretty unique) thing to do in French Guiana. The centre conducts up to nine space launches annually, and tourists can witness this spectacular moment from the jungle.

Lastly, you can also visit the Space Museum, where you will be able to learn more about the history of space through seven themed modules. There are also audio-visual and slide presentations aiming to give you as much insight into space and the work done at the Centre as possible.

Camp de la Transportation

Located in St Laurent de Maroni - a border town in northwest French Guiana that sits on the Maroni River -‘Camp de la Transportation’ or, Transportation Camp, was a prison used between 1852 and 1953, that acted as the main penal establishment in French Guiana.
Just like the Devil Island, the ruins of these prisons are one of the areas main touristic attractions with some of the buildings even having undergone restoration back in the early 1980s.

It was in Camp de la Transportation that all prisoners arrived for processing, after which they would then be transferred to penal colonies throughout the territory. Just remember that these walls of history were the same ones where back then you could find famous inmates such as Alfred Dreyfus or Papillon. So, while you are there, don’t forget to look for Papillon's name engraved in one of the cells!

Because of that (and more), when you first arrive at Camp de la Transportation it is impossible not to be influenced by the brutality of this place, especially, when knowing what it represents in our history. You can still see the rusty shackles and solitary confinement cells with tiny windows, and even though there is vegetation all around it - which has brought a different and softer light to this place - the awareness of past cruelty can still be felt.

Nonetheless, this is a great place to visit, not only for its historic relevance, but also for its unique and impressive “decaying” aesthetic.

Hattes Beach (Plages les Hattes)

Who would love to see some giant leatherback turtle hatchlings? Hates beach (or Plages les Hattes) is the perfect place to do it.

Located in the northwest part of French Guiana, Hates beach, has been widely recognised as the single most important nesting site in the world for giant leatherback turtles. Even though you will mostly find giant leatherback turtles here, you can also spot green turtles and even Olive Ridley turtles or hawksbill turtles

Between April and July you can spot over 80 leatherbacks on the beach in one single night. Pretty impressive! Their eggs will hatch later on, sometime between July and September, and it’s one of the most heart-warming moments anyone can witness. If this is something you wouldn’t want to miss, make sure to book your trip in advance as this is also part of the peak season.

There is also a small local museum nearby and many tourists opt to visit it the before heading down to the beach as the museum offers lots of insight about the turtles, making it a nice prep for what you will be seeing afterwards.

If you would like to begin creating your perfect French Guiana holiday, Simply complete the enquiry form to get in touch.

Alternatively, call our Travel Specialists on 020 8546 6222.