Tourist Attractions & Monuments French Guiana

Lionel and his friendly team invite you to discover the canopy at your own pace... Climbing to the top, on the 2 36 m high observatories (and 2 42 m perches now!), is an unforgettable experience. From the arboreal carbet 10 m above ground, where you sleep in a hammock, you can zip-line, abseil and hike along the trails of Mont Saint-Michel. You can also explore the river by kayak. A memorable experience in the middle of the forest (allow 2 hours by pirogue to reach the camp)!

The museum features an ever-expanding collection of live specimens of tarantulas, matutous and other beauties. The impressive butterfly collection includes rare specimens. In addition to insects endemic to French Guiana, you can see Amerindian pottery, stamped bricks from the four corners of French Guiana and, last but not least, blown bottles found on gold-panning sites (the oldest dates back to the ^17th century). A word of advice: arrive early, as tours fill up fast. And this is an astonishing visit, not to be missed!

The Morpho team welcomes you to the Kaw marshes, aboard this boat with removable beds and a capacity of 12 people at night and 16 during the day. The Morpho has a roof for shelter and observation of the flora and fauna. there are 3 tours to discover the marshes. Discovery (9.30am-3pm): trip up the Kaw River and lunch.Caimans and Birds (3.30pm-9am): sunset and ti'punch, lunch at a restaurant in the village of Kaw, search for caimans, overnight on the boat and breakfast. The Immersion package combines the two above.

This magnificent gîte is located 1h30/2h from Régina by pirogue. Several hammock carbets, a sanitary carbet (shower, WC, washbasin), a restaurant carbet and a palaver carbet for evening aperitifs. The camp is bordered by a creek where you can try your hand at gold panning. Amerindian or Saramaka guides will take you swimming down part of the river, and a botanical trail has been laid out. The site is family-friendly, allowing you to discover the Approuague in complete safety, and to go upstream to the Grand-Machicou or Grand-Canori jumps.

After a 20-minute pirogue ride on the Acarouany, discover the carbets of the Javouhey Randonnées association, located on the Bois Bandé site. The friendly Mr. Li or one of his sons will lead you on a hike (approx. 2 hours) along a trail to discover the species and plants of French Guiana. At the end of the walk, you'll learn all about Hmong trapping techniques. If you're spending the night - which is highly recommended - bring your own food, as a barbecue is available. A very pleasant stay for nature lovers.

This CNES space launch facility, based in Kourou, covers an area of 69,000 hectares. Visitors can either take a guided tour, or attend a launch.

Visit the Guiana Space Center.The CSG authorities organize guided tours which are free of charge and open all year round, Monday to Friday, to anyone over the age of 8. Valid identification is required. Visits are suspended the day before, the day of and the day after a launch. Access to the facilities remains subject to operations: tours may therefore be modified to ensure visitor safety. Visits take place twice a day from Monday to Thursday and on Friday mornings (average duration: 3h30 to 4h). Meet at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. for check-in, then depart by bus for a 3-hour tour of all the launch zones and the Ariane launch center. Finally, visit the Jupiter room until around 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m. or 4:30 p.m.-5 p.m.

Watch a launch. By 2023, the number of launches has dropped to just under 10 a year, all launchers combined. If your stay coincides with a launch, try to attend the show. Requests for invitations to a launch are free of charge. Invitations are limited to the number of places available, and sites are activated according to personal protection constraints.book in advance and reserve online: cnes-csg.fr - ✆ 05 94 33 44 53 - Mail: [email protected]. To be admitted to the Agami site (7.5 km from the launcher), you must be over 16. For Ibis, Venus and the Jupiter VIP room, the age limit is 14. However, the Carapa site (12.5 km from the launch zone) remains open to the public without invitation or age restriction. It is located on the mountain of the same name, just outside Kourou. The site can accommodate around 1,450 people. Although access is free, once this number has been reached, it will no longer be possible to enter. We therefore advise you to arrive well in advance, bearing in mind that the site opens 2 hours before the launch. Bring a pair of binoculars and a camera. Other popular sites in Kourou on launch days are the beach and the summit of Monkey Mountain. In Cayenne, head for Place des Amandiers, where you'll find plenty of entertainment (and sometimes a giant screen)!

Pierre, a renowned Amazonian guide with a degree in biology and geology, will be delighted to show you around the Amazon rainforest. Hiking or canoeing, wildlife observation on Lake Petit Saut and the Mana estuary, discovery of the waterfalls and the Voltaire inselberg, "apéro-pêche" outings... and many other activities, always in a good mood! You'll find descriptions, prices and a calendar of outings on our website, which is a bit cluttered but very comprehensive!

Housed in a mansion built in 1870 by a family of gold miners, the Musée des Cultures Guyanaises aims to promote Guiana's heritage. The large documentation room upstairs offers comprehensive documentation on French Guiana (books can be consulted on site), as well as a small collection of objects testifying to the rich history and presence of numerous ethnic groups. Enriched by the garden, this museum is a great way to familiarize yourself with the region.

This is the mythical place in Saint-Laurent where all convicts were unloaded on arrival from mainland France. After a medical examination, they were assigned to the various penitentiary centers in French Guiana. At the entrance to the camp, while waiting for the tour, you can enjoy a permanent photo exhibition retracing the history of the penal colony. Then, the guide, master of the keys, opens the doors to another world, and visitors are literally transported into this disturbing place. The most courageous will imagine themselves in the shoes of famous prisoners such as Papillon, Seznec or Dreyfus. It's a moving place, and the setting for Yves Boisset's L'Affaire Seznec (1993).

The beginnings. In 1644 - the year of Messire Charles Poncet's arrival in Cayenne - a few French survivors of a small colony established a year earlier were living on the banks of the Maroni. A first exploration of the river took place in 1820-1821, under the government of Baron de Laussat. This was followed by the mission of Lieutenant Carpentier in 1852. In his report of August 30, 1855, Carpentier wrote: "As for the Maroni, which borders the French and Dutch Guianas, it is far superior to the other Guiana rivers. The Amazon and Orinoco, alone, in this northern part of South America, outweigh it."

The lieutenant is enchanted by this region, and speaks highly of Sieur Kappler's establishment: "A fact that is happening at this establishment must attract the utmost attention of those interested in the colonization of these beautiful lands. About forty families from Friesland have settled in Kappler and have been cultivating and working the woods for over three years. When I left French Guiana a year ago, not a single sick person had yet been counted among them, yet they worked during the hottest hours of the day, without taking any precautions against the heat of the sun"

In 1852, Commissioner General Sarda-Garriga was asked to look for a more salubrious location for a penitentiary in French Guiana. His choice fell on the right bank of the Maroni, on the site of an ancient Galibi village where the Boni had settled. Between July 1852 and April 1853, work began on the penitentiary. But the departure of Sarda-Garriga put an end to the project. His successor showed no interest in the project, and it was not until Governor Baudin that the work was completed. Baudin arrived in French Guiana in November 1855 and took office as governor in February 1856. During these three months, he toured the Maroni, Mana, Sinnamary and Kourou rivers. He visited Kappler's establishment. His August 1856 report concluded: "I found some Europeans perfectly fed, housed cleanly and comfortably, in as good air as is possible between the tropics, and yet they were not free from fever."
The work of colonization began in earnest in 1858, just after the inauguration of the penitentiary. Saint-Laurent then became an agricultural penitentiary. The idea of colonizing and developing the economy of French Guiana in the manner of the English in Australia became a reality. The Saint-Laurent region became a model and several logging camps were opened, including those at Saint-Jean and Sparouine. Proud of this success, the French government decided to settle the deportees and, in 1859, the first convoy of condemned women arrived in Saint-Laurent. All were volunteers, chosen from among those most likely to return to a normal life. Soon, however, the health situation in French Guiana's prisons became catastrophic, and Napoleon III decided to suspend them. In 1867, he opted for New Caledonia. For twenty years, Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni would receive no more Europeans.
In 1859, a shortage of skilled workers led to the closure of four shipyards. Only Saint-Louis and Saint-Maurice remained open. In 1878, Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni became the headquarters of the penitentiary administration, before becoming a "special penitentiary commune" in 1880.

The establishment of the penal colony, birth of a commune. The Saint-Laurent penitentiary was founded in 1857. As early as 1852, M. Mélinon, one of the establishment's first commanding officers, dreamed of turning the region into a large-scale agricultural and forestry operation. The locality, then called Pointe-Bonaparte, was home to a few natives. In 1852, with the help of some forty former slaves from the Mana region, Mélinon began clearing the forest, and later obtained the services of a few dozen transported slaves to swell the ranks of his workers. On an inspection tour, the Governor of French Guiana, Admiral Laurent Baudin, decided that the future town would take the name of its patron, Saint-Laurent, as well as that of the river on which it was built, Maroni. The penitentiary, which had already been in operation for a year, was inaugurated a few years later, on February 21, 1858. In the same year, all the prison administration departments, offices, hotels for senior staff, houses for junior staff and guards, and a twelve-building hospital were installed.

On March 16, 1880, a decree made Saint-Laurent an autonomous commune. With this decree, the President of the Republic, Jules Grévy, decided to organize the penitentiary commune of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni. The decree was promulgated in Cayenne on May 7 by Governor Marie-Alfred-Armand Huart, and a director of the penitentiary administration was appointed to implement it. The Maroni penitentiary territory was renamed the "commune pénitentiaire du Maroni".

Punishments. The special maritime court in Saint-Laurent judges only convicts. It is presided over by a colonial infantry captain, whose assessors include the president of the Saint-Laurent civil court and a deputy head of the prison administration office. Another officer of the same rank is the Commissaire-Rapporteur, and a military supervisor acts as clerk. It is he who, when the time comes, reads the indictment to the accused. The meagre defense of those transported is provided by the wardens and by any free person willing to take on this role. The session room is the same as the courtroom of the disciplinary commission: on the day of the session, the door is open, as the hearings are public.

Caning: the number of strokes is set by decree in Paris. The whippers, who are also convicts, have no difficulty in making the torments even more terrible, depending on the mood of the guards. The convict Maynard writes of the whip Ambarrek: "When he struck the convicts bound to the fatal bench, he would rise on tiptoe so that the whip would fall from higher up, and suddenly curling up like a wild beast, he would lower the knotted whip and pull it horizontally. This Arab was the only corrector who tore off shreds of scarlet flesh with his seven-strap whip. His face twitched, his eyes sparkled. He showed all his teeth. He was dreadful The arrival of Jules Grévy as President of the Republic put an end to corporal punishment in the early 1880s. This was followed by the creation of a special maritime court and the institution of disciplinary camps.

The guillotine: when corporal punishment was abolished, the two machines were placed in a room in the Saint-Laurent disciplinary ward. Saint-Laurent's reputation as the capital of the penal colony was enhanced by the arrival of the two guillotines. Preparations for an execution began during the night. Executioners and assistant executioners erected the machine. They performed this task in silence, so as not to wake the occupants of the two rows of benches. At dawn, the group of "key-bearers" came to collect the condemned man. He was given a last meal, rum, a liter of wine and a pack of cigarettes. After this final snack, he was taken to the registry office, where he met the warden, the prosecutor, the doctor and the chaplain. He signed the register, and was then taken to the guillotine for execution. The guillotine used for death sentences was in permanent view of the other convicts. The executioner was a volunteer convict, who enjoyed a "privileged" position (bonuses, different meals).

Camp organization. The two prison administration buildings. On the right, the infirmary, and on the left, the accommodation for the warders and "key-holders", responsible for monitoring convicts and separated from other convicts for obvious security reasons. This building now houses a library.

Another complex includes the kitchen, the small chapel and the anthropometric room, where doctors were responsible for profiling convicts and assigning them tasks according to their skill level. A little further on, you can see the remains of a latrine, a basin, a well and a pump. A large mango tree stands proudly in the middle of the courtyard.

There were also double and single huts reserved for convicts sentenced to forced labor; the "Quartier des Relégués" (generally petty criminals convicted of theft), consisting of a collective building for up to 40 convicts and 19 individual cells; the "Quartier des Libérés", detained under the same conditions as the "relégués"; the "Tribunal Maritime Spécial", responsible for judging misdemeanors and felonies committed within the Camp's walls; the "Blockhaus", with a capacity of 40 convicts, but which sometimes housed twice that number in particularly harsh conditions: hindrance for the most recalcitrant, promiscuity, lack of air and light, and spartan sanitary conditions.

The rest of the buildings are divided up as follows: the Quartier Spécial, with 12 cells reserved for convicts sentenced to death (once the sentence had been passed, convicts waited up to 4 months for it to be carried out); the Premier Quartier, with some 20 cells for convicts bound for the Salvation Islands; the Deuxième, Troisième and Quatrième Quartier were reserved for "difficult" convicts, isolated from the others by gates. Finally, cell 47 is famous for having housed Henri Charrière, known as "Papillon".

The largest of the three islands in the archipelago, Île Royale is the starting point for a visit to the islands, with its many buildings. Once you've disembarked, you'll follow the coastal road to the left and take a paved path to the top of the island. It is in this vast clearing that most of the island's prison heritage is concentrated.

Inaugurated in 1855, the chapel was very active in the early years of the penal colony. The chapel walls are decorated with frescoes by the convict Lagrange. Leaving the church, you can see the sisters' house and the maternity ward where, for years, nuns devoted themselves to alleviating the suffering of convicts. As the military hospital testifies, Royale was an important health care center in French Guiana. Its healthier climate facilitated certain cures. The hospital was only open to prison staff, and convicts were only admitted in exceptional circumstances, if not to die.

Facing the hospital and the lighthouse next door is a heliport and a strange, modern building that stands out in such surroundings: the cinetheodolite. This ultra-sophisticated device can both locate the position of the launcher in flight with extreme precision, and collect images of Ariane, even at night, thanks to infrared. Leaving the helicopter pad on the right, the tour continues along a small path leading downhill. As the island is a fully protected reserve, you'll come across many animals that are not very shy. Below, you come to the children's cemetery, where the sons and daughters of the guards' families are buried. A few metres further on, on the left, is a sinister building: the morgue. Here, the bodies of dead convicts were stored before being thrown into the sea.

From themorgue, retrace your steps and follow the path overlooking the ocean, offering superb views of the coastline in places. Take time to admire the magnificent hibiscus and bougainvillea along the way. On the left, below, a few wood pigs seem perfectly at home in a vast pool of uninviting mud. At the end of the path, you come to the warders' quarters and cells. Overseers spent a minimum of two years on the islands, where they could stay with their families. A school was also set up here, enabling children to attend school.

The cell block, made up of three groups of buildings, is undoubtedly the most sinister part of the island. In these dungeons, some inmates served their sentences, while others, condemned to death, awaited execution. Leaving the cellblock, we discover a vast freshwater pit used to collect rainwater. This pit is in fact a former quarry from which raft rock, the main building material used on the island, was extracted.

Behind the pit is the Îles du Salut hotel-restaurant, housed in the former penitentiary buildings. A large covered terrace serves as an outdoor dining room, offering a splendid panorama of Devil's Island. In the large room that houses both the bar and the hotel reception, photos testify to the site's vocation for deep-sea fishing.

Behind the inn are the ruins of the semaphore. This system, similar to a visual telegraph, was used to communicate with the mainland. In Kourou, near the Hôtel des Roches, the Dreyfus Tower housed a similar device. A plaque on the semaphore wall commemorates the fact that Seznec was unjustly sentenced to 20 years' hard labor here. Nearby, slightly lower down, the director's house magnificently overlooks the Baie des Cocotiers. It houses a museum retracing the penitentiary history of the îles du Salut and serves as a visitor center. From the director's house, a path leads down to the ocean on the seaward side. You then reach Anse Legoff, the only part of the island where it's safe to swim: this is the "convicts' pool". In the days of the penal colony, the waters were infested with sharks, which did not hesitate to come close to the shore. To protect themselves from these predators, the convicts laid out huge rocks in a square plan, creating a seawater pool. The pool was used mainly for body care, which was the prisoners' only leisure activity.

Returning to the path around the island towards Devil's Island, a few dozen metres further on you come across the ferry. In the past, this small cableway was used to bring supplies to Devil's Island and to relieve the guards. From here, you can see the Dreyfus hut on Devil's Island. Following the same path, you finally reach the south jetty, which marks the entrance to Baie des Cocotiers and the end of the tour. Shortly before this, the path offers a magnificent panorama of Île Saint-Joseph, and is well worth a short stroll before setting off.

The Amazonian Park of French Guiana is the largest national park in France and the European Union. Created in 2007, it covers an area of 3.4 million hectares in southern French Guiana, covering 40% of the territory. Located in the south-east of the Guyana Plateau and bordering Parque Nacional Montanhas do Tumucumaque in Brazil (3.9 million hectares - Amapa State), it also contributes to forming one of the largest protected areas in the world. Its highly original landscapes are complemented by a palette of rare environments: inselbergs (imposing rocky massifs) and forested mountains at altitudes of over 800 metres.

The national park is home to one of the planet's richest areas in terms of biodiversity, as well as a diversity and cultural originality that position these Amazonian territories as exceptional places to discover. The heart of the national park covers 2 million hectares. The "zone de libre adhésion" (1.4 million hectares) covers the catchment areas around its natural borders, the Oyapock River to the east and the Maroni River to the west. Five communes are included in the national park: Camopi, Maripasoula, Papaïchton, Saint-Élie and Saül, with a total population of over 15,000. It is home to the Amerindian populations (Apalaï, Tïlïo, Wayana, Wayãpi and Téko-Emérillon), the Black Maroons (Aluku/Boni) and the Creoles, as well as metropolitan populations and a few Hmong, Brazilians and Surinamese.

The Park's missions are to preserve the natural heritage, promote traditional cultures and support sustainable local development projects in consultation with local communities. The Etablissement public du parc amazonien de Guyane supports the emergence of an ecotourism industry.

Protecting the natural environment. Guiana's forests are a beacon of biodiversity on a global scale. Over 5,800 plant species have been recorded to date, including more than 1,500 tree species. The fauna includes 192 species of mammals, 260 species of reptiles and amphibians, 720 species of birds, 400 species of freshwater fish and hundreds of thousands of insects. This forest heritage is highly natural and in a good state of conservation, making it an ideal setting for knowledge and further scientific research into Amazonian ecosystems. The national park is home to some remarkable environments: rock savannas, inselbergs and forest mounts.

Preservation of cultural heritage and sustainable development. The aim is to preserve and promote the tangible and intangible cultures of the region's populations. Southern French Guiana has been home to nomadic Amerindians for several centuries, as well as to Black Maroons and Creoles since the second half of the ^19th century. These traditional communities, with their rich cultural heritage, live to the rhythm of the rivers and rainforests, in close contact with nature. Their knowledge and know-how constitute a unique heritage, and intergenerational transmission is a key challenge.

Ecotourism. The Amazonian Park of French Guiana is committed to developing local, sustainable economic activities in consultation with the local population, and supports the emergence of an ecotourism industry through training, communication, development and equipment initiatives, with technical and financial support for project leaders.

Certainly the most challenging trail around Saül, thanks to its undulating terrain, but also one of the most beautiful. You'll walk along part of the Nouvelle France creek, past the Roche Bateau (a huge rock overlooking the creek). As well as finding a passing carbet, you'll pass by the Kanawa gîte where you can cool off! So pack your picnic for a great day's hiking, your hammock if you want to rest halfway through, and your swimsuit for a refreshing dip... Enjoy the ride!

The Kaw marshes are part of the Kaw-Roura nature reserve, which extends over 94,700 ha between the communes of Régina (on which the village of Kaw depends) and Roura. Management was first entrusted to the Arataï association (ministerial decree of March 13, 1998), then in February 2008 to the Association de gestion des espaces protégés (AGEP). Today, management of the reserve has been entrusted to the Parc Naturel Régional de Guyane (PNRG) since February 27, 2014.

In a grandiose setting, the Kaw River winds its way through magnificent flooded savannahs, amidst moucou-moucou, arums with large heart-shaped leaves. Zebus, a kind of humped oxen, move heavily through the water. In the air or underwater, life is everywhere, teeming and mysterious. As the boat glides gently over the surface of the water, your eyes and ears are alerted to the diversity of the still rich fauna, so protected and yet so threatened... Musk ducks and piprites cast you a sidelong glance, motionless, perched on the grasses, while numerous jacanas delight you with the unexpected yellow that unfolds in their lively, mischievous flight.

Manatees used to accompany the pirogues, but are now rare. Occasionally, the eye catches a hoazin, recognizable by the glorious crest on its head. All in all, a spectacle full of surprises for the attentive and curious visitor.

In the heart of French Guiana, the ideal wildlife refuge awaits you for unforgettable moments of wonder and pleasure! 450 animals from 80 species await you. Wide-angle viewing areas and a large, immersive greenhouse allow you to get up close and personal with the animals: from fearsome snakes to imposing reptiles, from powerful wildcats to mischievous monkeys, from heavenly birds to noisy birds of prey, all formidable representatives of Guiana's and the world's biodiversity. Every Wednesday and Saturday at 3pm, the zoo's caretakers and ethologists take you to the heart of their work, sharing their daily lives with the animals.

And don't forget the zoo's exclusive attraction: a ride through the rainforest on suspension bridges, a safe way to admire the flora and fauna in a unique way! The Zoo de Guyane is a member of EAZA, a genuine quality label. A distinction of which the team is very proud, and a guarantee of quality and respect for animal welfare.

A special feature: take a walk in the tropical treetops. Discover the joys of a pleasant walk several meters above the marshes, stroll in complete confidence and enjoy a unique view of the forest. Climb from tree to tree on suspended walkways... Listen to the songs of the forest, observe plants like you've never seen them before: wild vanilla, palms and epiphytes, discover the birds... If you're lucky, you might even come across a group of tree monkeys!

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.

Sabi aliba means "to know the river" in Bushiningué. As you may have gathered, we're talking about the Maroni here. Martin Fania, aka "Séké", and his team will take you on a discovery tour of a part of the Maroni he knows like the back of his hand, having grown up there. Discover the Maroni and Tapanahony up to the Sacred Mountain. He can then take you as far as Maripasoula. You'll then have the privilege of stopping off at his campou (small village), where traditional songs and dances, and a warm welcome from the children, make for an unforgettable journey.

The Kourou tourist office informs you about all the tourist offers in the town. Brochures and maps of the town are available. Unfortunately, opening times are not always respected. Friendly, attentive staff.

In addition to the main office, there's another information point at the Balourous pontoon (avenue du Général-de-Gaulle), open for departures, Monday to Saturday, 7.30am to 8.45am and 4.45pm to 6pm.

The easy "sentier des gros arbres" (big trees trail) takes you deep into the primary forest, offering an adventure to meet its giants. You'll discover some magnificent trees: fromager, ficus, hourglass (on this trail you'll find the largest hourglass in French Guiana, measuring 3 metres in diameter). Here, you'll have to forget your usual landmarks: for a good two hours, you'll be in the heart of vegetation as powerful as it is wild. It's a delightful walk for the whole family (easy level, perfectly accessible to children).

In the penitentiary organization, Devil's Island was a place of deportation, a treatment reserved for political prisoners who were sought to be isolated from the rest of the world. One of the first of these men was Charles Delescluze, a Paris Commune leader convicted of conspiracy in 1849. It was on this 14-hectare rock that Captain Dreyfus landed on April 13, 1895. For four long years, he occupied the island, alone with a few warders who scrupulously ensured his isolation. During his stay, nothing was spared for Dreyfus, who found himself in irons in his hut for several weeks at a time. In deep despair, he would spend hours silently gazing out over the ocean, sitting on a stone bench that can still be seen at the tip of the island, near the tip of the Caribbean.

Without the charisma and courage of his supporters, the most famous of whom was Zola, Dreyfus could have ended his days on Devil's Island, as some of his detractors wanted. After Dreyfus's departure in June 1899, other political prisoners were deported to the island, many of them anarchists. By this time, prison conditions had eased considerably, and these men served their sentences under a regime of semi-liberty without compulsory work. Listed as a historic monument, the Dreyfus house has benefited from a restoration program financed by the CNES.

This young local brewery was founded in 2011 and offers 4 types of beer: Guyanaise blonde, Weïty white (bronze medal at the Salon de l'agriculture 2015 and silver medal 2016), Orpailleuse amber, triple kwak, IPA and Blaka (bronze medal 2018 and silver medal 2020), a brown stout . Every Saturday morning, by reservation (online), you can take a guided tour of the brewery, including a tasting of local products!