French Guiana travel guide

Getting there

Cayenne's Félix Eboué Airport has flights from Paris and the French Caribbean. Land crossings connect with Brazil over the Oyapock River bridge and with Suriname by boat across the Maroni.

Best time to visit: Aug–Nov – the main dry season.

Tougher months: April-June - the wettest months, with heavy downpours and muddy trails.

Weather by month in Cayenne

• 29°J●●●
• 29°F●●●
• 29°M●●
• 30°A●●●
• 30°M●●●
• 30°J●●●
• 31°J●●
• 32°A●
• 33°S
• 33°O
• 32°N●
• 30°D●●

Average daytime highs in °C; dots show how rainy the month is (one dot dry, three dots wet).

Time zone: America/Cayenne. Compare with your local time.

Background: Visa policy of France (Wikipedia).

Official advisory: Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions (U.S. Department of State, updated 2026-07-08). Read the advisory.

Source and more: French Guiana travel facts on RoamSun

Stay

Most trips to French Guiana are based around Cayenne, Kourou or Îles du Salut. Pick a base for your main interest, then add day trips rather than moving hotels every night.

Typical daily budget: about US$70–100 for a backpacker and US$150–250 mid-range, per person.

Source: RoamSun French Guiana page · Browse hotel guides

Connect

Plug types: C, E. Voltage: 220 V. Check your own devices on the plug and currency checker.

Calling code: +594.

Mobile data: read the travel eSIM setup guide before you fly so the plan is installed and ready on landing.

Source: Advinne eSIM guide · RoamSun

Do

• Cayenne (Coast · capital): A colourful Creole capital with markets, a lively square and Fort Cépérou views.
• Kourou (Coast · space centre): Home of the Guiana Space Centre and the boat departure point for the Îles du Salut.
• Îles du Salut (Offshore · penal history): Three palm-covered islands including Devil's Island, once a notorious prison colony.
• Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni (West · river town): A historic town on the Maroni River with the main penal camp and boats to Maroon villages.
• Kaw Marshes (East · wetlands): A vast wetland reserve with caimans, waterbirds and floating lodges.
• Awala-Yalimapo (North-west · beaches & turtles): A Kali'na village area with beaches important for nesting leatherback turtles.
• Cacao (Interior · Hmong village): A village founded by Hmong refugees, known for its Sunday market and soup.
• Guiana Amazonian Park (South · rainforest): France's largest national park, covering a huge area of pristine Amazon rainforest.

Things to do

• Watch a rocket launch. See a launch from Europe's spaceport at Kourou from one of the public viewing sites.
• Visit the Îles du Salut. Take a boat to the former penal islands, where monkeys and peacocks roam among prison ruins.
• Tour the Saint-Laurent prison camp. Walk through the Camp de la Transportation where convicts were processed on arrival.
• See leatherback turtles. Watch giant sea turtles lay eggs on the beaches of Awala-Yalimapo or Rémire-Montjoly in season.
• Paddle into the rainforest. Take a pirogue up rivers like the Approuague or Maroni and sleep in a hammock camp.
• Browse Cayenne market. Taste spices, tropical fruit juices and Vietnamese soup at the busy central market.
• Spot caimans in the marshes. Take a boat into the Kaw marshes at dusk to look for black caimans and scarlet ibis.
• Explore the space centre. Join a guided tour of the Guiana Space Centre and visit its space museum.

Source: full French Guiana guide on RoamSun

Eat and drink

• Bouillon d'awara – rich Easter stew made with palm fruit
• Colombo – Creole curry with chicken or fish
• Accras – crispy fish fritters
• Fricassée – meat or seafood simmered in spicy sauce

Source: RoamSun French Guiana guide

Money and safety

Currency: Euro (EUR). Currency and plug checker.

Tipping: Not expected; service is included..

Emergency numbers: 112 · 17 police · 15 ambulance · 18 fire.

• As part of France, French Guiana uses the euro.
• Cards are accepted in towns and supermarkets, but carry cash for rural areas, markets and river transport.
• Take normal precautions in Cayenne and Saint-Laurent, and avoid walking alone at night in quiet areas.
• Do not go deep into the rainforest alone; use registered guides, as illegal gold-mining areas can be dangerous.

Source: RoamSun French Guiana facts