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The main attraction of Régina is the Approuague, a wild, deserted river, the fourth longest in French Guiana (270 km). It rises in the Massif Central south of Saül. Among its magnificent jumps, the most famous are the Grand-Machicou and the Grand-Canori, the most spectacular in the region with its 19 m vertical drop. This road, or rather liquid trail, was used in the last century by the adventurers of El Dorado. Today, only the names of Impératrice, Titine, Bœuf-Mort, Dardanelles... still sing the epic tale of these adventurers of days gone by. The ascent can be very difficult during the dry season. The Approuague has a notorious reputation for breaking equipment. The rocks hidden just a few centimetres under the water are much harder than the motor's propeller. The ascent from Régina should be made with the tide in mind: pushed by the tide, you'll save a lot of time and fuel.
A few kilometers from Régina, on the right bank of the Approuague, lies the hamlet of Saint-Esprit. The discovery of this tiny, timeless village, populated by just a few souls, will come as a surprise. Every year on June 24, followers of the Colombe d'Or (Golden Dove) engage in a number of ritual practices, including walking barefoot across a bed of embers: a mystical atmosphere and guaranteed thrills!
Still on the right bank of the Approuague, we come across the Mataroni River. The flora and fauna here are quite rich, with the exception of the first few kilometers where the Legion has set up camp. After crossing the Yapoura, Bois, Dagomelle and Magasin jumps, and finally the Lavillette jump, the pirogue has to be pulled up onto the rocks after a long walk. At the foot of the jump, there's a very pleasant bivouac and swimming area.
Continuing up the Approuague, we arrive at the Tourépé jump, the first and, for some, the last, as the "Tourépé wave" can be difficult. After passing Saut Mapaou, where the tide finally stops, you reach the magnificent site of Saut Athanase, dominated by the village of the same name on the heights of the right bank, then Cisame.
After Saut Colonis, the river becomes narrower, more beautiful and wilder. Saut Aïkoupaï offers you the chance to bivouac on the islet on the left bank. You leave the Arataï River on your right.
After crossing the Kalawéli jump, you arrive at Grand-Machicou. The site is equipped with several carbets, some of which are covered. The site is truly beautiful. Allow 3 days for the round trip from Régina. Climbing Machicou is another matter... Machicou has five steps, so you have to find the passes, and that's where the problem lies. The best solution is to wait for a supply boat of gold miners to show up. Follow it, but be careful... you'll first have to motor up the first four steps. The fifth step is impassable, and you'll have to carry the canoe 250 m through the forest. Many canoes, overloaded or hesitant, or lacking sufficient power, end up at the bottom of the river. A veritable Ali Baba's cave is thus found at a depth of 7 m to 8 m: canoes, motors, guns and even, it seems, gold. After all that effort, a punch will be welcome to savor the victory over the Grand-Machicou. The ascent continues, easily over the Petit-Machicou jump, followed by the barely perceptible Ménado, Bois-Blanc, Bouchard and Petit-Canori jumps.
The Petit-Canori can be motorized via a small bistoury on the left bank. Beware, the current is quite strong and there are a lot of stones at water level. It is therefore advisable, if you have an aluminum hull, to cross the jump directly in the middle by pulling the boat with a rope, a fairly easy and safer method. Once you've cleared the jump, it's just 5 minutes to the splendid Grand-Canori jump, which creates Guyana's highest waterfall, 19 m high and 400 m long. At the foot of the jump, you'll find a superb bivouac site. To protect the site, the trail does not go as far as the falls.
Grand-Canori often represents the end of the climb up the Approuague. The rest is more of an expedition: first, you have to carry the boat over the jump. A wide, 2 km-long layon on the right bank takes you there. It takes a good day to complete this portage. Be aware that gold miners pull 200-litre drums of petrol up the slopes of this layon, carry engines weighing over 80 kg, and above all pull, push and carry long, heavy wooden canoes weighing several hundred kilos. The course of the Approuague above Grand-Canori is wilder, and jumps are more dangerous due to the stronger current. If before Grand-Canori you saw few birds and game, now you'll see plenty. The Petit-Japigny and Grand-Japigny jumps provide good bivouacs. A natural grotto beneath Grand-Japigny is a great photo opportunity. There are several more or less legal gold-panning sites in the upper Approuague. It takes 2 days to reach Grand-Machicou and another day to reach Grand-Canori.