The Guianas refers to the region in the north-eastern part of South America and include French Guiana (French department), Suriname (former Dutch colony), and Guyana (former British colony). This part of South America is not as populated as other areas of the continent. The majority of the Guianas area is covered in primarily untouched rainforest and wildlife, making it a very rugged and unique destination to visit. The Guianas have a unique mix of groups that live there such as native Amerindians, Maroons (escaped slaves), Indians, Southeast Asians, Europeans, and more. These communities continue to practice their own customs and traditions but have come together to make their own culture completely different from anywhere else in the world. Check out this two week (16 day) Guianas itinerary to explore both the culture and the nature.
Arriving in French Guiana
Start your trip by flying into Cayenne, French Guiana. The airport is located about 25 minutes outside of the city of Cayenne. To get to the city center, you can take a taxi (50-60 euros in 2025) directly to your accommodations.
Days 1-5: French Guiana
1
Discovering Cayenne
Optional: take a half-day tour of Monkey Island (Ilet la Mere)
To start your Guianas itinerary, spend the day exploring the city of Cayenne. Visit the Phare de Fort Cépérou, the Cayenne Market, the Musée Alexandre-Franconie, the Hotel des Pamistes, and the Museum of Guyanese Cultures 54 and 78. Each of these will give you insight into the history, culture, and ecology of French Guiana.
2
Wildlife of French Guiana
If you are in French Guiana during turtle nesting season, go to the Plages de Montjoly and Plage de Montabo to try to see the turtles at sunrise.
Head to the Zoo de Guyana to discover the different animals that exist in the rainforest of French Guiana. Much of the wilderness is untouched in French Guiana, making it an amazing place for wildlife to thrive. If you are interested in rugged rainforest adventures, you can look into tours that will take you into the forest.
3
The Space Center of Kourou
The main economy of French Guiana is the European Space Station, located in Kourou. And for those who are interested in space travel, this is a part of the Guianas itinerary that you won’t want to miss. Spend the day visiting the space center’s museum and taking a tour of the sprawling center to see the launch pads and control rooms for various rockets.
You will need to register yourself in advance to do the full tour of the European Space Center. The tour is typically done in French but many of the guides speak English as well and seeing the facility is really interesting, even without fully comprehending everything.
4
Iles du Salut
Take a day tour visiting the Iles du Salut. These three islands are located far enough off the coast of French Guiana that the water is clear and turquoise. (The water near the coast is brown because of the outflow of the rivers from the Amazon into the ocean here.)
On the tour of the islands, you will get to visit the different facilities of the penal colony and jail, swim in the water, and enjoy the tropical weather.
5
Saint-Laurent du Maroni
Drive from Kourou to Saint-Laurent du Maroni. Visit the transportation camp and prison through a guided tour.
Optional: Take a night tour to see the leatherback turtles at Awala-Yalimapo in the Alama nature reserve with a guide.
Stay in Saint Laurent for 1 night
6
Days 6-12: Suriname
An Introduction to Suriname Nature
After crossing the border and registering with the Suriname border patrol, you will be greeted by a driver. (You can set this up in advance with a local tour agency.) The driver will take you to the Peperpot Nature Park, a nature reserve on an old Dutch plantation. Here you can walk around the reserve and spot some local animals, such as monkeys or rainforest birds. After the nature walk, you will be driven to your accommodation in Paramaribo, Suriname. (You can also stop at a currency exchange or ATM in Paramaribo as Suriname is a cash based country.)
In the evening, take a tour to Braamspunt to see the sea turtles coming to the beach to lay their eggs if you are visiting during turtle nesting season.
Stay in Paramaribo for 7 nights
You will spend a few nights in a Maroon community during your time in Paramaribo but we recommend reserving an accommodation for the entire time in Suriname so you do not have to take all your luggage with you on that adventure.
7
A Jewish Settlement and an Amerindian (Indigenous) Community
Take a day tour to visit and learn about Jodensavanne National Monument, the ruins of a former Jewish settlement from the 1600s, and Redi Doti, an Amerindian community near Paramaribo. Here you will learn about the local traditions, customs, and culture of the native people of Suriname.
8
Commewijne River Tour
During this day of the Guianas itinerary, take a day tour to learn about the local history of the Commewijne River next to Paramaribo and Suriname’s colony and plantation background. You will get the chance to see the pink belly dolphins, or Guiana dolphins, that live in the river. You will also visit two different former plantations that have pivoted into different uses today. Plantage Frederiksdorp has been converted to a hotel lodge and Eind-Rust continues to be a commercial farm. You will also visit Fort Nieuw Amsterdam, a fort constructed by the Dutch for protection when the land was a colony. Its a day full of history and culture from the last 300 years.
9
A City Tour of Paramaribo
Visit the city of Paramaribo itself, either through a guided tour or independently. Some important landmarks include the Neveh Shalom Synagogue, S.I.V. Mosque (uniquely located right next to each other), the Saint Peter and Paul Basilica, Fort Zeelandia, the historical city center of Paramaribo, and the Paramaribo Central Market. A tour would give you historical information about this wooden colonial town but walking around independently still allows you to appreciate this unique capital city.
10
Travel from Paramaribo to the Maroon community docks
Take a pirogue up the river to a Maroon community where you will stay for 2 nights.
Head to a Maroon COmmunity
During this day of the Guianas itinerary, you will take the full morning to get to a Maroon community lodge. (We recommend Jaw Jaw due to the integration of the lodge to the community and focus on cultural activities) After a long journey by bus from Paramaribo to the end of the road then a boat journey on the river you will finally arrive to the community and have the chance to walk around it with a guide, learning about the Maroon history. The people here are descendants of escaped slaves and have maintained their African ancestry, traditions, lifestyle, and religion all while adapting to the way of life of the rainforest.
11
Spend the Day in a Maroon COmmunity
You will spend the full day in the Maroon community. There will be a combination of structured activities throughout the day and free time to relax within the community. Some of the popular activities include a walk through the rainforest to look for wildlife, swim in the river with the local kids, cook with the women of the community, relax within the community, learn the local language, etc.
12
Return to Paramaribo
Enjoy the final morning within the Maroon community, relaxing and taking in this incredibly unique lifestyle. You will head back to Paramaribo in the afternoon in the same way that you got to the community and arrive back in the city in the early evening.
13
Travel the Guianas (or the travel agency you use) will help coordinate transportation to and from your destinations in both Suriname and Guyana.
Days 13-16: Guyana
For safety reasons, it is recommended to visit Guyana with a tour company that will help coordinate tours, guides, transportation, etc.
Arrive in Guyana
Spend the day traveling from Paramaribo, Suriname to Georgetown, Guyana
Stay in Georgetown, Guyana for 2 nights
Consider leaving the bulk of your luggage in Paramaribo to make traveling around Guyana easy.
14
Tour of Guyana
For this part of the Guianas itinerary, you will take a guided tour of the city of Georgetown, seeing George’s Cathedral, the chaotic Stabroek Market, and learn about local Amerindian (indigenous) culture. Later in the day, you will be transfered to the airport where you will take a local scenic flight over Kaieteur Falls, the world’s highest single-drop waterfall by volume. When landing here, you will get to see the falls from the ground and have the opportunity to walk through local nature to see wildlife, such as amazing birds. In the late afternoon, you will return to Georgetown
15
Take an overland/ferry transfer from Georgetown to the Bigi Pan Akira Overwater resort
Bigi Pan Akira Overwater Resort
You will travel from Georgetown, Guyana, over the border back to Suriname, and to the Bigi Pan Akira Overwater resort. Here you will get to relax and observe the unique birds and wildlife in this wetland environment.
Spend the night at the Akira Overwater Resort
16
Return to Paramaribo
After a relaxing morning at the Akira Overwater Resort, you will return to Paramaribo. You can fly out of Paramaribo that evening or the next day, depending on flight times and availability.
