French Guiana Holidays & Accommodation

South America

american accommodation guide

Of the three tiny nations on the north coast of South America, today only French Guiana remains a colony and the main language is French. French Guiana is a bit off the beaten track for people looking for a South American vacation. Although the interior is made up of regions of the Amazonian rainforest, much of it is too dense to be penetrated by people and they remain uninhabited. Fortunately, there are eco-outfitters which will take visitors into portions of the Amazon on tours either along walking trails or boat cruises.

French Guiana Holidays Planner

Along the coast of French Guiana, visitors can find pristine beaches to visit, the only intruders being the occasional nesting sea turtle. The capital of French Guiana, Cayenne, is known for its French colonial architecture and high standard of living. Here you can try great Creole and Guianese cuisine and rub shoulders with Brazilians, French expatriates, Surinamese Maroons, and Hmong farmers from Laos.

The interior is largely unpopulated, and today the country serves as a launching area for France's satellites, with many people being employed by the French space program in Kourou.

North of Kourou are the Iles du Salut. Here are the islands that served as a penal colony for France for many years. The movie and book Papillon was based on this prison. The most notorious of the penal colony islands, Devil's Island, is closed to the public due to its dangerous currents, but people can visit the island of St. Joseph. Here travellers can lounge on the beach and listen to the capuchins and parrots in the trees, where prisoners were once sent for solitary confinement.