The most beautiful natural sites to discover French Guiana

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.

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.

This magnificent river, one of the most powerful in French Guiana, has been cut off since 1993 by a major hydroelectric structure: the controversial Petit Saut dam. The river can be travelled upstream from Petit Saut, between Kourou and Sinnamary, via the RN 1. Many beautiful jumps have been drowned by this huge artificial lake, making it much easier to navigate (and for illegal gold miners, too). A number of tourism professionals offer activities to discover the upper Sinnamary, which remains a magnificent, little-visited area with abundant wildlife.

Zico Joseph welcomes you to his carbet, located 1 hour 30 minutes from Cayenne, in a delightful setting for a total change of scenery. On 2 levels, you can hang over 35 hammocks, around a flower garden with kitchenette, a relaxation area for reading and a pontoon to enjoy the clear waters of the creek. Walks in the forest are also possible, on your own through the forest paths. The "cascades", about 200 meters away by canoe or swim, offer a pleasant break for fishing, swimming or simply taking a siesta by the water's edge.

Whether you want to enjoy the marshes and their caimans, or spend a night in a carbet in the middle of the jungle and enjoy the sandbanks and sunset, the îlot caïmans offers an experience in the Sinnamary marshes. Here's your chance to get up close to these wild beasts in their natural environment. In just one day, you can observe the caimans that come easily to the beach, discover the flight of the red ibis in a pirogue and take a hydrofoil ride to an islet. The welcome, however, is sometimes a little rough.

Saut Maripa lies in the bed of the Oyapock River. Once an impassable barrier for merchant pirogues, the Saut was bypassed by the construction of a railroad track on the bank. Now transformed into a somewhat dilapidated hiking trail, the site is open to the public free of charge. A botanical trail of around 4 km also loops around the river to discover the lush vegetation that feeds it.

Kourou's beaches are one of the few in French Guiana to be equipped with picnic facilities, a fitness trail for joggers and children's play areas... With views of the Isles of Salut when the horizon is clear, and birdwatching during the migration season! Bring your hammock, as it's de rigueur here to take a siesta in the shade of the palm trees. The small Pim-Poum beach is the most attractive, but there's also the livelier Cocoteraie, with its beach bars and skatepark.

This trail was inaugurated by the ONF in 2014. A sign hidden behind the foliage indicates the entrance to a narrow path that follows the course of a stream before emptying into a cave, a nesting area for the "coq-de-roche" bird. After less than 30 minutes' walk, you reach the observatory site. From March to April, you'll find magnificent birds with bright orange plumage (males) topped by a rounded crest, looking to mate with discreet, brown-plumaged females. Don't forget your binoculars... and be quiet!

Once a month, usually on Saturdays at 6.15 and 7.15 a.m. (for daytime outings) and 6.15 p.m. (for nocturnal outings), CNES unveils the rich fauna and flora of the CSG savannahs. An agent from the ONF (Office National des Forêts) will show you this well-preserved sample of Guiana's coastline, where animal encounters are not uncommon: jaguars, red ibises, sloths and armadillos are among the hosts of these woods. The schedule is available on the Internet, and departures are from the Musée de l'Espace (undergoing renovation in 2023).