When to go · Cayenne
Cayenne in January
Mixed month. Heavy rain; carnival starts in the streets.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Temperature
- 30° / 23°
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 20
- Crowds
- Medium
- French Guiana overall
- Prices
- Medium
- French Guiana overall
Verdict
Heavy rain; carnival starts in the streets.
Weather in January
- CayenneHighs around 30 °C, lows around 23 °C, rain on about 20 days
- Coast (Cayenne to Saint-Laurent), French Guiana · Cayenne, Kourou, Sinnamary, Saint-Laurent, Awala-Yalimaporainy
Hot and humid, 23–32 °C. Dry season mid-August–November; the 'petit été de mars' brings a short drier break in March; heaviest rain April–June.
Long rainy season season
Green, humid, with a possible short drier spell in Feb–Mar; Carnival runs through Jan–Feb regardless of rain.
Watch: Frequent showers; flooded low spots after heavy rain.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Carnaval de Guyane check
Weekends from early January to Ash Wednesday (moves yearly) · Citywide, especially central Cayenne
Costumed parades (touloulous), music and closed streets on peak weekends; hotels fill and prices rise — book ahead.
Carnival (Epiphany to Ash Wednesday) big impact
Jan–Feb/Mar · French Guiana
Sunday parades and Touloulou balls; Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday are holidays.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · French Guiana overall
- Medium
- Prices · French Guiana overall
- Medium
French Guiana overall: Wet; carnival season begins at Epiphany.
What to pack
- Light, breathable clothes, a sun hat and sunscreen
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast