Natural Crafts Cayenne & Area

The Montabo trail is just under 4 km long (3.8 km to be exact), winding its way through the jungle, with multiple ascents and descents, and overlooking the ocean all the way! It's a great way to get in some exercise and enjoy the beautiful scenery, flora and fauna just outside Cayenne, without straying far from the city. Allow around 1? hours round trip for the less athletic. A pleasant trail with no particular difficulties, offering beautiful panoramic views.

A magnificent circular trail runs along the crest of the Rorota plateau, overlooking the coast and offering some splendid (and sometimes hidden) viewpoints. If you're quiet and attentive to noise, it's not uncommon to come across a few saimiri monkeys leaping over the path... But the main reason for going here is to see the sloths, generally found in the treetops just after the first ascent, as you come to the loop. At the top, you reach Lac du Rorota, which serves as a freshwater reservoir for the city of Cayenne.

The commune is bordered for several kilometers by superb beaches shaped by erosion. The forest provides a splendid, mystical backdrop to the beach. At low tide, the peaceful ocean invites you to take a dip without too much risk, while at high tide, surfers are treated to regular and sometimes impressive waves. At weekends, the beaches are crowded without being overcrowded. Beware: there are no lifeguards here, and the current can be very dangerous!

Along the Montjoly beach, you'll find the Salines trail, signposted by illustrated panels providing information on the beach's flora. The trail crosses dune vegetation while skirting coastal marshes, and leads halfway to the sheltered observatory, from where you can contemplate numerous birds and the occasional caiman. The trail then continues into the mangrove swamp, which is generally difficult to access, and is crossed by a footbridge running between the mangroves. A very pleasant 2.5 km semi-shaded walk.

Mont Grand-Matoury : at 234 m, this is the highest hill on the island of Cayenne. The 2,700-hectare forest has been regularly logged since the ^17th century. Wood from the forest fed the boilers of the Mirande distillery (the ruins on the Matoury road), and the slopes, once cleared, were planted with sugar cane, destined for the Mirande factory, then the Rémire factory until 1984.

The Mirande forest: in 1942, it was classified as a forest reserve by a decree issued by the colonial administration at the time. An arrêté de conservation de biotope (biotope conservation order) was signed on April 11, 1994, covering the entire mountain, which is also classified as a Znieff (natural zone of ecological, faunistic and floristic interest).

The Mirande nature trail is probably one of the most beautiful walks you can do around Cayenne in 3 hours. A path winds its way through Mont Grand-Matoury, a nature reserve populated mainly by birds. Encounters with wildlife are frequent, but it's at sunrise and sunset that the chances of spotting macaws, toucans or sloths are greatest. The Paypayo trail (2.5 km loop) takes you through a primary forest rich in biodiversity. The "Cascades" trail (2.8 km loop) follows the small waterfalls of the Mancelière creek. Allow 2 to 3 hours for both trails.

The park covers the communes of Mana, Awala-Yalimapo, Regina-Kaw and Roura. Although the aim of the park is to enhance the natural, cultural and ethnological heritage of these regions, it is not subject to any real regulations. However, objectives have been set with an obligation to achieve results over a specific period of time. In a nutshell, the Regional Nature Park of French Guiana (PNRG) aims to develop a quality rural territory, inhabited and enhanced.