French Guiana is a little visited territory, but especially travellers who care about nature and are interested in wildlife spotting shouldn't miss out on it. This overseas department of France lies on the north coast of South America – east of Suriname and north of Brazil. French Guiana has few people, lots of Amazon forest, a bit of savanna and a long coast along the Atlantic Ocean.
You can easily spend a three-week holiday here. The country has a diversity of trails for lovers of hiking, you'll find fun outings for families with kids, and there are numerous spots for birding, watching sea turtles or other wildlife. Having said that, French Guiana is not a travel destination for those who seek large or imposing museums or suchlike cultural places of interest.
Cayenne – carnival and 20th century architecture
A specific reason to visit French Guiana's capital Cayenne (and the nearby town of Kourou) is the celebration of carnival in February/March. With a 4-day spectacle that includes different parades and a lot of partying until the early morning hours, this is one of the major carnival events in South America. Dates for 2012:
- Sunday, Febuary 12: Grand Parade in Kourou.
- Sunday, Febuary 19: Grand Parade in Cayenne, which is followed by two more parades on Monday and Tuesday, and the final celebration "Mort de Roi Vaval" on Wednesday.
Tips on day tours in and around Cayenne:
- Buy the Guide Guyane by Philippe Boré (in French, ISBN 978-2-9511548-6-5) and check out some of the book's 36 hiking in French Guiana, several of which are around Cayenne. The trails are doable with kids and the likelihood of spotting wildlife is high. Of note is the Rorota Trail because of the sloths that are easily spotted there.
- Each Saturday at 4pm you can learn all about cacao cultivation and taste the most fabulous chocolate, which is produced without any artificial or chemical ingredients. Yves Delecroix, owner of the cacao plantation, is a great storyteller. Here's all the practical information on Yves Delecroix' Walapulu chocolate.
- A fun family day excursion is a boat trip to l'Ilet la Mère. The boat Autre Mer departs daily from the port of Dégrad de Cannes in the morning and picks you up in the afternoon. The island has a walking trail and is the perfect place for spotting small monkeys called singe saïmiri. Reservations are recommended (Daniel's email: autremer.mer@orange.fr or tel: 0694 222253).
- To learrn about Cayenne's history, sign up for a fascinating, 2-hour walking tour downtown Cayenne. Contact info: guyarando@guyarando.com / tel: 0694 249000 (Erwan Castel).
The world of French Guiana's penal colonies and Papillon
Although several French public figures have served time in French Guiana's penal colonies, it is Henri Charrière's novel (or autobiography, depending on the source) Papillon that put French Guiana on the map. There are two places to visit the ruins of the penal colony that was closed in 1953.
- Saint Laurent de Maroni – Transportation Camp. Here the boats with prisoners from France arrived. The transportation camp is downtown next to the tourist office (Esplanade Baudin). Part of it can be visited independently but to get a genuine feel for the place and hear the stories of those days sign up for a guided tour at the tourist office. The tours take place in the morning and cost €5. It is best to make reservations in case you need an English-speaking guide.
- Kourou – Les Îles du Salut (in English better known as Devil's Island). Boats depart on a daily basis from Ponton des Pecheurs (around 8am) to Île Royale and Île Saint-Joseph (Île du Diable is off limits to visitors) where the most famous ruins of the penal colony lie. Expect to pay €39 when taking the ferry or around €45 when taking a catamaran (lahulotte@terresdeguyane.fr, nicoudmarc@free.fr, tropic.alizes@wanadoo.fr).
Watch a rocket launch at Le Centre Spatial Guyanais
French Guiana serves as Europe's rocket launch site – French Guiana is not an independent country but an overseas department of France. There are somewhere between 6 and 10 rocket launches per year and you can watch the launch free of charge. Check with the visitor’s centre for the exact dates (csg-accueil@cnes.fr).
The rocket launch base, Le Centre Spatial Guyanais, is located in Kourou (70 kilometres west of Cayenne) worth a visit in itself. There is a large museum and you can sign up with a 3-hour guided tour by bus on the premises (visites-csg@wanadoo.fr).
Wildlife spotting
The chance of spotting wildlife is high in French Guiana. There are many possibilities to find the animals, among which are:
- Looking around when driving in the country. Chances are good you will spot a sloth crossing the road. At Chou Aï's sloth rescue centre in Cayenne you can hold three-toes sloths
- Walking the trails as described in Guide Guyane by Philippe Boré (see above), especially to see butterflies, frogs (among which the poison dart frog) and all kinds of monkeys.
- Staying at Awala-Yalimapo (northwest of the country) between April and August to watch sea turtles nest and to see how baby turtles find their way to the ocean (July/August).
- Taking a boat trip to Kaw when interested in spotting caymans and waterfowl. There are day trips as well as multiple day trips with an overnight stay in the wetland. (marais.kaw@espaces-naturels.fr).
How to get there and around
Air France flies directly from Paris to Cayenne on a daily basis. Air France also connects Cayenne with Martinique, Guadeloupe, Port-au-Prince and Miami.
By road you can enter French Guiana from Suriname or Brazil. Between Suriname (Albina) and French Guiana (Saint Laurent de Maroni) a ferry plies on the Marowijne River for those with private transport. If you travel by bus you simply take a korjaal/piroque (dugout canoe in Dutch/French) of which there are dozens along the riverfront. A crossing costs about €4.
From Brazil you still have to take a boat but in January 2012 the bridge over the Oiapoque River will be opened, facilitating transporation between the two countries.
The easiest way to move around in French Guiana is in a (rented) car. There are car rental agencies in, among other towns, Cayenne, Kourou and Saint Laurent de Maroni. Expect to pay around €40 per day. There is limited public transportation, mainly in the form of mini vans that ply between towns. This website gives the departure and arrival schedules of French Guiana's public transportation.
This is travel to French Guiana in a nutshell. Feel free to send me an email with questions when planning a trip to French Guiana.
Karin-Marijke Vis - Karin-Marijke Vis is a bilingual writer (Dutch-English) who has been traveling in Asia and South America since 2003.
Join the Conversation