Travel guide French Guiana

The very symbol of traditional subsistence culture, it is a piece of land taken from the forest, which is cleared and then burned. These slash-and-burn cultures, which often surprise the visitor, redraw the landscape. It's a bit like the vegetable garden in metropolitan France: each one plants bananas, dachines, various fruits and vegetables...

In French Guiana, adventure is the order of the day, with so many possibilities for expeditions. From a trip down the Maroni or up the Oyapock River, a feverish escapade in Suriname, a night in a hammock in Brazil or a jaunt through the Kaw marshes, the change of scenery is such that every activity takes on the air of an epic!

The Bushiningués pay tribute to the deceased during the Brokodé ceremony. For three days, the village celebrates. People from the surrounding area join in: prayers, songs, traditional dances and modern music beat time to time. A year or so later, during the Pubaka, new events celebrate the end of the mourning period.

Traditional Amerindian dwelling with a roof made of palm leaves and woven with arouman threads. Today, the carbet is tending to be replaced by a tin or hard-built house. However, the indigenous people still keep their large traditional carbets, tapitu'a, for celebrations. Carbets are also used as tourist accommodation in the forest.

A period of jubilation for the entire population, Carnival in French Guiana requires physical, financial and psychological preparation. It lasts at least a month, and can be spread over three. The party starts in the discotheque on Wednesday for some, and ends... on Sunday. What endurance! The big parades (Cayenne and Kourou) are well worth the detour.

Manioc transformed into semolina, which you're sure to taste on longer or shorter stays in the forest. Every Guyanese cook has his or her own recipe! Without a doubt, the tabbouleh you'll be eating will be couac-based , and rest assured, it's healthy and delicious. When cassava comes in the form of pancakes, it's known as cassave.

French Guiana is also home to the Guiana Space Center, and thus, since 2024, to the Ariane 6 rocket lift-off. A dozen launches are scheduled for 2025. A visit to the space center is also an opportunity to enter the technological and mysterious world of the conquest of the skies. Lift-off imminent!

Of native origin, this one- or two-seater bed goes hand in hand with nights spent in a carbet (don't forget the mosquito net). In general, once you've found the ideal position - slightly diagonal to stretch the fabric - you'll sleep very well. Handmade and available in a wide range of colors, this is a great souvenir to take home with you.

While some walk their dogs, others stroll around with one or two small cages in hand. Birds are highly prized in French Guiana, whether for their singing or their finery. Numerous competitions are organized for picolettes, birds renowned not only for their beauty but also for the variety of their song.

More than a tradition, it's an institution. In most establishments, they'll bring you the bottle, lime and cane sugar, so you can make your own ti'punch. But be careful! This doesn't mean you should overindulge... La Belle Cabresse can be drunk very well, so be on your guard.

These rapids mark the way up or down the Guyanese rivers. In the dry season, it is sometimes necessary to get out of the pirogue to cross them. They are often, during expeditions on the rivers, places to stop and set up a bivouac or for a swim. On the creeks, which here designate the rivers, there are no jumps.

Touloulous are the queens of carnival. Dressed up in costumes, the women deliberately make themselves unrecognizable: not a square centimeter of skin shows through, so nothing can remind you of who's hiding beneath the disguise. For the duration of the carnival, they invite men to dance at the bals. A touloulou never reveals herself.