South American Vacations

French Guiana is located on the coast of South America, towards the north, and borders Brazil, Suriname and the North Atlantic Ocean.  Be that as it may, French Guiana is actually an overseas department of France.  As you enter French Guiana you will notice many types of terrain, from low coastal plains to rising hills and mountains.  Much of French Guiana is wilderness, at least the parts not settled by French political and commercial entities.  The weather is predictably tropical for this continent.  Unlike other countries, though there is not much of a change in season; it stays hot and humid most of the year.

The official language of French Guiana is French, though there are many people that speak Creole as well.  Most everyone you meet will understand French, but the same cannot be said of English.  The only exception would be tourism workers and police officials.  The region has an estimated population of 209,000 people.  The region can be divided into two departmental arrondissements: (Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni and Cayenne) as well as 19 cantons and 22 communes.  The primary religion is Roman Catholic, and the people tend to have a conservative attitude about many political issues, including the region’s own independence. 

You can expect to see plenty of equatorial forests, colonial towns, natural wildlife and even a space center.  The population is known to be ethnically diverse, yet wealthy.  Years ago, there was rivalry between poverty-stricken youth and Paris.  However, because Paris subsides this area, it is mainly a dependant territory on France.

For food there are plenty of restaurants available including businesses that cater to western food, South American style food and French cuisine.  One of the best-reviewed places is Place des Palmiste.  As far as drinking goes, you can’t do any better than tafia, a local alcoholic beverage that goes good with limejuice and salt. 

Major Cities In French Guiana

Cayenne: This is the capital of French Guiana and holds all of the commercial-minded locations like Cayenne-Rochambeau Airport, as well as pricier hotels like Novotel Cayenne, Central Hotel, Hotel la Bodega and Best Western Amazonia.  Most of the action lies on the street Avenue Général de Gaulle.  There are also cathedrals you can see, museums (such as the French Guianese Museum of Culture) and a scientific research institute.  There are even some relaxing beaches like Montjoly and Montabo.

Kourou: This is the city that hosts the space center called “The Musée de l’Espace” and Arianespace.  The Centre Spatial Guyanais is a popular tourist destination as are the islands of Îles du Salut, which includes the legendary Devil’s Island, once used as an unusually cruel French penal colony, which was closed down by the mid 20th century.  The Les Roches Gravées features indigenous rock art while the Kourou River keeps things cool.  Visitors can ride the river with canoes or boats or can even camp along the shore.

Saint-Laurent: Not only offers boat tours and canoe rentals, but also lets you see the Camp de la Transportation on rue Tanon.  This is another abandoned prison, though this one actually lets you take a guided tour through the facility.  Most of the guides speak English here so you will not feel left out of the discussion.

Is French Guiana Safe?

Some parts of French Guiana have a reputation for being unsafe, such as areas like the Village Chinois in Cayennel, which is somewhat isolated, as well as some of the beaches that contain sharks.  However, tourists are not at risks provided they stay in tourist-friendly areas and use common sense.  French Guiana is a beautiful territory, and a political curiosity, being owned by France but position in the middle of South America.

French Guiana Trivia: The late Henri Salvador, who was the inspiration for the Bossa nova movement, was a resident of French Guiana.