Travel Guide Saint-Laurent-Du-Maroni

The second largest city in French Guiana (with 45,000 inhabitants), is located about 260 km from Cayenne, at the end of the splendid road to the West or the coast. Welcome to Kamalakuli, the Amerindian name of the place before the construction of the present city. From its colonial and penal administration past, St. Laurent has inherited magnificent monuments that dot a network of alleys and remind us that the city once enjoyed a certain prosperity. The exceptional architecture and atmosphere of Saint-Laurent make it an exquisite city, a city of art and history. The civil war that ravaged neighboring Suriname between 1986 and 1992 also greatly altered the city's demographic landscape. Fleeing their country, many black Maroons and Surinamese found refuge in the region of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni and stayed there. This population lives mainly in the village of La Charbonnière, next to the ferry. In recent years, a major effort to restore the old buildings has been made and continues today. It should be noted that the remains of the prison of Saint-Laurent are probably among the best preserved in the department. But Saint-Laurent is also a city with its inhabitants, its smells, its traditions. With the Maroni, the king river of Guyana, it enjoys a sweetness of life that is its own. Its checkerboard city center is composed of three parallel avenues, with the market in the center. The Charbonnière district, to the south, is a Bushinengé village of its own, with a festive atmosphere. Visit with caution.