Things to see and do Le Maroni

The Oyapock is the second longest river in French Guiana after the Maroni, covering 370 km. The adventure begins with a hundred or so jumps, the most formidable of which is the Maripa jump: 2 km of rapids and a 14 m drop! On this stretch, the Oyapock River rushes through rapids in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. Lovers of pre-Columbian vestiges will be able to find polissoirs on rocks washed by the waters of the river and its tributaries, while others will enjoy the calm of the area and the wealth of wildlife in this little paradise.

While not spectacular, these falls are an opportunity to dip your feet in pure, white water. Take care when moving around, as the humidity makes the rocks very slippery. The area is pleasant, but lacks maintenance. The wooden installations have deteriorated and some unscrupulous visitors "forget" to pick up their garbage. What a shame! To get there, a difficult, steep laterite path on the right leaves the road on the left. 3 km further on, a clearing invites you to leave your vehicle and head for the waterfalls below.

Beautiful local handicrafts are on sale. You can book a night in the adjoining municipal carbet.

This peninsula boasts a remarkable natural and cultural heritage. Getting there isn't easy, but the effort will be rewarded. With its rocky promontory, the site offers visitors a breathtaking view of the Oyapock estuary. From an archaeological point of view, Ouanary is a site of prime importance: funerary urns, pottery and fragments of European earthenware bear witness to the first contacts between Palikour Amerindians and Europeans. Ouanary is an ideal starting point for a foray into the deep forest.

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, Boeuf-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.

Harvested in French Guiana from the drowned lands of the Approuague River, from ^18th-century plantations that have been abandoned, Cacao d'Amazonie combines ancestral Amerindian know-how with wood-fired roasting and European chocolate-making techniques, making it unique. On-site production of pure organic cocoa paste sticks, multi-flavored bars and chocolate bonbons filled with touka praline, coconut-cinnamon flavor, palm tarpaulin, ganache or wassai. Discover them for yourself!

This waterway had its heyday in the days of gold panning. Today, Cayenne Islanders have built their weekend cabins here. Despite the noise of the outboard motors, the calm of the forest is soon restored as you pass the village of Cacao and the Saut Bief. Shortly afterwards, Bagot Creek can be climbed for a few kilometers. The river's often low water level means you'll have to be careful and pull your canoe along the creek's sandy bottom. Several bivouac sites are available.

The Saül territorial delegation of the Amazonian Park is very active, and with good reason: the forest expresses all its rights here! The team works hard to mark out and maintain the hiking trails. In addition, free guided tours are regularly organized, presenting the history of the village and the birds of the Amazon rainforest (dates and times posted at the village entrance). There is also a small store on the premises.

Listed as a Monument Historique since 1993, the Saül church is the only religious building in French Guiana with two bell towers. However, in view of the natural deterioration that has intensified in recent years (xylophagous insects, bats, dampness, landslides), the church has been chosen by the Mission Patrimoine for total restoration, scheduled for completion by the end of 2023. The aim of this project is to restore this beautiful building to its former glory.

Upstream from the falls, a trail leads to the Vieux Broussard falls, also known as the second Voltaires falls, which take around 2h30 to complete. The unsecured trail requires good physical condition and the ability to find your way through the forest. The falls are beautiful, rising 41 m above sea level. While the site is magnificent, the pools at Vieux Broussard can be dangerous: stay vigilant and keep an eye on young children when swimming!

The falls Voltaire - with a drop of 45 m spread over a length of 200 m - have a flow that varies according to the season and are a particularly popular site in French Guiana: it's best to enquire in advance at the Auberge about available places.

How to get there. From Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, at the traffic circle, follow the road between the stadium and the cemetery towards Saint-Jean (D11). After about 2.5 km on the Saint-Jean road, turn left at the large bend: you'll come to Lac Bleu. Turn right at the sign. Continue on route Paul-Isnard. You'll pass the rum distillery (on your right). The road will be asphalted for 10 km, before giving way to laterite as the track enters the forest. If you fancy a picnic, you can stop off at PK 27.5 at Tatou Creek. Pass the slaughterhouses that line the first few kilometers, and the sawmill at PK 32. You'll also pass a checkpoint. At around PK 46, you'll come to two tracks. Take the one on the right. At PK 67, you pass the Apatou crossroads, where you cross a camp (straight ahead). At PK 70, you'll come to the parking lot (an open area) of the Auberge Voltaire, where you can leave your car. 300 m further on, you'll find an information panel at the entrance to the ONF-marked trail. The path is on the left after passing the creek, where a bridge has collapsed. The trail to the falls winds for around 3.3 km (approx. 1.5 hrs walk) along Voltaire Creek.

Tatou Cove is a place to relax and swim in the middle of the forest, with three carbets for picnics and board games. In the immediate vicinity of the site, there's a 2.5 km trail for walkers. Those wishing to spend the night should bring a tarpaulin in case of rain, as there are no sleeping carbets. In the rainy season, the trail is inaccessible (if you're not sure about the condition of the trail, check with the Saint-Laurent tourist office). A good stopover before Voltaire Falls!

The Trésor trail passes through a rather well-preserved primary forest and takes its name from the Placer Trésor, which was mined for gold for many years, then abandoned (the remains are outside the reserve). As this is a regional nature reserve, the plant species you'll find are clearly described. The botanical trail (1.7 km, loop) takes about 1.30 hours to complete. Alternatively, follow the Carbone trail (1.4 km).

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!

Molokoï, which means "earth tortoise" in Creole, is the longest signposted trail in French Guiana: you'll cover around 20 km of the Sentier Molokoï in around 9 hours of walking, over 2 days. It's best to start from the former Auberge des Orpailleurs, as you'll finish the second day with a gentle, long descent. Just 8.5 km from the Auberge, you'll find a camp with 3 carbets on the banks of Boulanger Creek. With a capacity of 15 hammocks, there's a place for everyone, provided you book (and pay in advance).

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.

Saut Maripa rightly has the reputation of being the most beautiful jump in French Guiana, but also the most dangerous. Many a pirogue has run aground here, and you may notice the stele erected in honor of the 3 gendarmes who lost their lives here in 1995. In the rainy season, the river is wide and fairly silent. Its impressive flow is revealed in the dry season, thanks to the rocks protruding from the surface. Many locals take advantage of the site on weekends to bring the whole family, staying in carbets (for a fee or not, depending on the level of comfort required), and enjoying water sports such as kayaking.

To reach Saut Maripa by car, a 4x4 is virtually indispensable, especially in the rainy season. It takes an average of 40 minutes to cover the 20 km of track (check on site to find out how practicable it is). Pirogues stop at Pied-Saut, upstream from Saut Maripa. From here, you'll have to walk about 2 km along an old railway track.

For those who prefer terra firma, there are 3 discovery trails: the botanical trail: a 4 km loop that takes around 1 hour to complete. Accessible to all levels, you'll need to ask if it's been recently maintained. The Layon Coumouri (2 km round trip, approx. 1 hour's walk) and the Layon Saut Maripa (30-minute round trip, 1.5 km) both start from the botanical trail. They offer different views of the Saut.

In the days of the penal colony, epidemics were commonplace due to the poor sanitary conditions and promiscuity of the prisoners. To curb the spread of epidemics such as leprosy, the speed of which was increased tenfold by the tropical climate, it was decided that convicts who contracted the disease would be quarantined on this islet, immortalized in the film Papillon (1973). Today, there are no facilities left to visit, but it has become a pleasant spot, particularly for picnicking, as a carbet has been installed for this purpose.

Departing from the Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni tourist office, Chuity Liba offers excursions of various lengths, from a 3-hour walk around the town to a day trip to Apatou (upstream on the Maroni River), not forgetting the classic half-day trip on the Maroni, including several stops in the Amerindian and black maroon villages along its banks. Don't hesitate to give them a call for more information and to find out what's on the agenda for future outings. A friendly, serious team.

On the banks of the river, surrounded by a formal garden, the customs collector's house has been a listed historic building since 2016. Over 150 years ago, this wood-and-brick building housed the chief medical officer of the Saint-Laurent penal colony. Strategically placed opposite the landing stage for prison ships and close to the governor's residence, it is assumed that the house was handed over to the customs administration in 1946 when the prison closed its doors.

This old building, erected between 1883 and 1885 by a convict in the heart of the town, was first a postcard store, then a gold panning equipment store and finally a hotel. At the end of the ^19th century, two former convicts founded Pérez & Lévy, a hardware store selling fabric, stamps and firearms. In 1953, the Barcarel family acquired the building and inaugurated a small but very popular hotel. Now closed, the relais Barcarel boasts remarkable architecture, combining timber framing and exposed brickwork.

At the NGO's premises on rue Simon in the Chinese village, you'll discover a Tembé museum (traditional art of the Maroni people), featuring around a hundred works by local artists, as well as a phytotheque for recognizing over 100 traditional plants. Founded more than 20 years ago, this cultural center also works to transmit the cultures of the Maroon people: popular arts and traditions, traditional pharmacopoeia and therapies, customs and sustainable development.

One of the most dynamic tourist offices in French Guiana. On foot, by pirogue, kayak or bicycle, reach magical places like Sunset Beach or the Gobaya Soula waterfalls (20 minutes by pirogue and an hour's walk). Walk along the trails of the abattis, the sands of New Wacapou, experience a sunset over the magnificent Maroni River... To be organized with efficient and friendly interlocutors. Sale of local crafts, bike rental, guided city tour.