French Guiana One-Week Itinerary

French Guiana One-Week Itinerary

The smallest from the Guianas in population and size, the little France in South America has plenty to offer. With high transportation and accommodation prices because of the Euro currency, traveling on a budget might be a bit challenging. Hitchhiking is quite easy for foreigners and the small distances help as well. You can fly into the capital, Cayenne or enter from Suriname or Brazil overland. The space center in Kourou is a highlight of the country.

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If you spend a week in the country you can split according to your personal preferences between Cayenne, Kourou and the Amazon Forest. I started my trip in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, since I came from Suriname. Took me 30 minutes to get a free lift to Kourou, where I had a couchsurfing host.

Amazon Rain Forest (2 days)

I spent my first weekend in a carbet (a shelter where you sleep in hammocks inside the jungle), with the friends of my host. We went with 2 boats to a boat ramp 45 minutes away from Kourou. We drove the boat trough Kourou river for 45 minutes and entered in one of the small rivers connected where our carbet was already reserved.

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Going trough the river in the Amazon Rain Forest is quite an experience. The dense vegetation, the chance to see small crocodiles, birdlife and jaguars are on the list of possibilites. We arrived around 10 AM in the carbet, attached our hammocks and started to prepare lunch in a barbecue structure available in the shelter.

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Meanwhile we went to swim a bit. In the afternoon I went hiking in the jungle and later on we had fun with a buoy attached to the boat with a rope.

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The night was great and there were no mosquitoes at all. The next day we did fishing and went for a small trip in the river.

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We left by the end of the afternoon back home.

Kourou (2 days)

In 1964 Kourou was chosen to be the site of the Centre Spatial Guyanais (Kourou Space Centre) because it’s close to the equator, is away from tropical storm tracks and earthquake zones, and has a low population density. The 3 hour tour with a guide and bus, must be booked at least 48 hours in advance and is free. The museum has an entry fee of 8 EUR but if you did the tour the same say, the museum entry is half price.

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Watching the calendar of the rocket launches before booking your trip is a must. The launches happen every few months and can be seen from the beach or from specific locations in the center (also to be booked). I was there on the 5th of September when a rocket was supposed to be launched but unfortunately there was a failure and abortion of mission. The beach was full of people to watch the launch. I went to the space center that day and the museum was closed. I could only take a picture in the entry with the perfect replica of a rocket.

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Another day can be saved to have a look around the broad walk, Plages des Roches and swim on the beach.

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Cayenne (3 days)

Cayenne, the capital and biggest city of French Guiana has a historical center, a nice botanical garden, few chinese shops and beaches. There is transport between Cayenne and Kourou but hichhiking is pretty easy. The best place to stay is in the city center, close to the place de palmistes.

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You can reserve the first day to wander around the city center, climb the fort cépérou (where you have a great view on the city), have a coffee in front of place de palmistes and admire the St. Saviour’s Cathedral.

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Also known as Cayenne Cathedral it is a Roman Catholic Church and seat of the Diocese of Cayenne.

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On the second day, you can explore the coast of Cayenne that has a great scenery.

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Plenty of beaches are available for swim. They look dirty because of the brown river color but locals told me is fine, I swam there and I’m still alive.

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Leave your last day in the capital to learn about nature in the botanical garden and take some cheap chinese shop souvenirs (I bought a pair of nice shoes for only 5 EUR).

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The Jardin botanique de Cayenne is a botanical garden located at the end of the Avenue Charles de Gaulle, adjacent to the university.

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French Guiana really exceeded my expectations, specially for the forest trip and to see a rocket replica. Totally recommended!