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Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

country

French GuianaGuyane

First trip: Cayenne 2–3 nights plus Kourou 2 for the Îles du Salut and, if timed, a rocket launch; add Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni 1–2 by car; the interior is reached only by small plane or river.

Not field-verified

French Guiana is an overseas region and department of France, so it is part of the EU and uses the euro, but it is outside the Schengen area: entry rules follow French rules for overseas territories, which can differ from mainland France. Almost everyone lives on the coast road between Saint-Laurent and Cayenne; the rest is rainforest. Trips break on missing entry documents (check the yellow fever vaccination requirement), on car hire needed for the coast, and on river-only access inland.

Regions

Cayenne and surroundingsplanned

Capital; markets, beaches of Rémire-Montjoly, Kaw marshes trips

2–3 nights

Kourou and the Îles du Salutplanned

Space centre visits and boat trips to the former penal-colony islands

2 nights

Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni and the westplanned

Transportation Camp, Maroni river, sea-turtle nesting beaches at Awala-Yalimapo

1–2 nights

Arrive

CAY

Cayenne Félix Eboué

About 15–20 km from Cayenne; flights mainly from Paris and the French Caribbean

Time math

4 days
Cayenne 2 + Kourou 2 with a boat day to the Îles du Salut
7 days
Cayenne 3 + Kourou 2 + Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni 2, by rental car

Country rules

Inherited by every page below
  • French Guiana is part of France and the EU but not the Schengen area: a Schengen visa may not be valid here. Check French government entry rules for overseas departments for your passport.
  • A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for entry for most travellers; check the current rule and get vaccinated at least 10 days before travel.
  • Around launches from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, access to some areas (including the Îles du Salut) is restricted; check launch dates before planning.

Etiquette

  • French is the language: start with bonjour.
  • Ask before photographing people in Maroon and Amerindian villages.
Carnival (January to Ash Wednesday)
Weekend parades and night events in Cayenne and Kourou for weeks.
Rocket launches (various dates)
Access around Kourou and the Îles du Salut can be restricted.
Rainy seasons (December–January, April–July)
Heavy rain; some river trips and roads affected.

Money & passes

Cash necessity: 2/5

  • Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards work in Cayenne and Kourou; carry cash for markets and small villages.
  • Prices are higher than in mainland France for most goods.

Before you fly: eSIM before you fly · Visas and entry

Safety

  • Emergency: 112 (also 15 medical, 17 police, 18 fire).
  • Crime, including robbery, occurs in Cayenne and Saint-Laurent: avoid walking alone at night and do not leave items in parked cars.
  • Road checkpoints are common on the coast road; carry your passport.
  • Malaria and dengue occur, especially in the interior; use repellent and get advice from a travel clinic.
  • Do not travel independently into the interior: illegal gold mining makes some areas dangerous.

French Guiana links by river ferry to Suriname at Saint-Laurent and by bridge to Brazil at Saint-Georges–Oiapoque.

Open Americas

Sources