Cayenne is the capital city of French Guiana, an overseas department of France. The main airport is located 25 minutes outside of the city and as you land will pass over the seemingly endless rain forest. The following are the various things to do in Cayenne, the largest city of French Guiana. These activities will give you a cultural overview of the region and an understanding of the environment around this coastal city.
Things to Do in Cayenne: Exploring the Town
Phare de Fort Cépérou
At the edge of the city and near the mouth of the Cayenne River is the old fort and lighthouse that protected the area when it was initially colonized and settled. Because it is located at the top of a hill, you can get a nice view of the city and the surrounding rainforest. It’s a nice place to see unique birds flying over the river and trees below. After enjoying the area, it is only a quick walk to the city center to continue exploring the various other things to do in Cayenne.
Cayenne Market
The Cayenne Central Market is only open on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from around 6 AM to 2 PM. It is a wonderful and vibrant place to walk through and visit. On the outside of the market building, you will find vendors selling fresh produce.
Many of these vendors come from the Cacao community, a community of exiled Vietnamese who had helped the French in their occupation of Vietnam and during the war. They grow and sell both local traditional fruit and vegetables as well as produce that originates in Asia, such as dragon fruit. Inside the building, there are food stalls that sell smoothies, French food, and Vietnamese soups. The Vietnamese pho soup is a highlight at the market and exploring the market around lunch is one of the best things to do in Cayenne!
Museums in Cayenne
Best Things to do in Cayenne: Musée Alexandre-Franconie
The Musee Alexandre-Franconie is located in the city center. It is a collection of the different animals and bugs that can be found throughout French Guiana. The first floor includes mammals, reptiles, a large collection of preserved butterflies, and other insects. On the second floor, there is information about the indigenous people who inhabited the land prior to European colonization. It is worth the walk up to the next level to get a sense of what this land was like prior to French colonization.
Museum of Guyanese Cultures 54 and Museum of Guyanese Cultures 78
These two buildings are located down the street from one another. 54 is the former home of the commander of the labor prisons in the territory. It is an interesting display of how homes were designed during the colonial time. It also shows how people used to stay cool and dry in this harsh climate. 78 is a display of artifacts from the different people who have inhabited the territory. It displays crafts and artwork that former penal colony prisoners created and left behind, tools and pottery by the indigenous people, crafts from the Vietnamese refugees, and current artwork that has maintained the culture of the slaves that were forcibly brought to the territory.
Discovering the Wildlife of French Guiana
Îlet la Mère
Off the coast of Cayenne is Ilet la Mere, a tropical island with many monkeys that can be visited in a half day tour. You can message Tropic Alizes to find out the availability of the tour. They do not operate daily. This tour is not necessary to go on, especially if you are looking to go into the interior of the territory or visit the Iles du Salut because you will have the opportunity to see many monkeys there.
Plage de Montjoly and Plage de Montabo
Do not swim in the ocean of French Guiana, unless a tour guide tells you that you can
The waters here are incredibly dangerous, even if they do not seem menacing, due to the rip current.
Between the months of March and August (peaking between June and July), leatherback turtles and some other species come to the beaches along the coast to lay their eggs. The Plage de Montjoly and Plage de Montabo near Cayenne are some of those destinations. While you may be able to see these large turtles come to land on your own, you probably want to reach out to a tourism agency and find a guide or tour because these professionals know the behaviors and habits of these animals. During peak breeding season, you have the best chance of seeing them independently. They typically come to the beaches around sunrise and high tide. If you go in the dark, make sure you have a red light lamp because white lights from flashlights can blind the turtles. Avoid going to the beaches when it is pitch black out and alone.
The other main spot within French Guiana to see the leatherback turtles is Awala-Yalimapo in the Alama nature reserve. You can look into attending a tour from Saint-Laurent at the north-west side of the department and add it to the end of your French Guiana itinerary if you plan to continue onwards to Suriname.
Exploring the Amazon Rainforest
If you are interested in seeing and experiencing the raw Amazon rainforest, then finding a tour within French Guiana or Suriname is something to consider. These tours depart from Cayenne or Kourou. The interior of the country is untouched and undeveloped, and while that might mean that you will be sleeping in hammocks on raised platforms, you will also have amazing access to the raw and lesser-affected wildlife of the rainforest. This is especially great for those interested in sustainable eco-tourism within this jungle. The Tourism Committee of French Guiana is filled with pamphlets from local agencies that offer these various experiences in and around Cayenne.
Zoo de Guyane
The Zoo de Guyane is a zoo and rehabilitation site for tropical animals found in French Guiana. Many of these animals were injured in the wild by poachers and were brought to this zoo to be rehabilitated and protected. However, because they were cared for by humans or have permanent injuries, the animals cannot be released into the wild.
The zoo is organized in a large loop that takes up to 3 hours to complete. You will see capybaras, large cats, birds, sloths, monkeys, snakes, and more. It is truly an incredible way to see the elusive animals of the rainforest that you most likely will not get to see in the wild and may have never heard of such as the giant anteater or tapir. If you wear hiking boots, you can also do the nature trail that takes you on an elevated path through the rainforest that surrounds the zoo at the back end of the loop. Here, you can spot some wild monkeys and other animals if you are lucky!
