The Kourou space center, a rare attraction
Less than 10 miles separate the translucent waters of the Îles du Salut from the brown waves of Kourou. Anchoring in the river's mud is good despite the currents, provided you have a modern, well-sized anchor.
The Guiana Space Center, the launch pad for space missions, is well worth a visit. A reproduction of the Ariane V rocket stands very close to the entrance, like a monstrous suppository fifty meters high and five meters in diameter! From the information gathered by the control bodies to the firing zones, everything is fascinating: an unreal environment that injects plenty of stars into your head.
A new launcher has just begun its career: Ariane 6 made its maiden flight on July 9, 2024, with great success!
Cacao, a small town some sixty kilometers into the interior of the country
It is inhabited by an original Asian community: the Mhongs. After the sad days of the penal colony in the 19th century, the village was practically abandoned, until 1977, when a group of political refugees from Laos settled here. They developed one of the country's most important agricultural activities. As a result, the Mhongs have become the main suppliers of fruit and vegetables to the Cayenne market. The women produce embroidery of remarkable quality and finesse.
The "âosplaneur bleuâeuros" museum features a vast collection of endemic insects. The guide impresses his audience by placing huge tarantulas, scorpions and giant spiders on his arm. These delightful and endearing creatures may be venomous, but they're not evil, we're told...
On the other hand, it's quite reasonable not to bother them...
Degrad des Cannes at the bend in the Mahury river
The rudimentary marina of Degrad des Cannes, far from idyllic, had the merit of facilitating access to formalities, and to visit Cayenne. As of January 2023, it is no longer authorized for pleasure craft. However, if you go up the Mahury river for around 6 miles, the anchorage in front of the Roura bridge is a quiet spot, in the middle of the forest, where it's good to drop anchor. A marina project is currently underway at the entrance to Gabrielle Creek. This harbour should make it possible to complete entry/exit formalities. From this point onwards, there are numerous destinations to visit, both by river and by land.
Near the estuary of the Mahury river lies the islet La mère and its delightful anchorage
 "âeurosLa mèreâeurosÂ" has long been home to unfortunate convicts. Then, in more recent times,  "âeurosscientificâeurosÂ" moved in to breed monkeys for therapeutic purposes. Since 2001, it has been uninhabited and classified as a nature reserve. It's a particularly pleasant place to visit, as you walk along the shady path around the perimeter. A tribe of Saïmiris sapajous come to observe the nomadic humanoids at close quarters.
Perhaps a learned community of primates preparing a thesis on the consequences of the presence of lovable bipeds in the equatorial zone...
Excursion by pirogue, a fascinating immersion in the heart of the rainforest
The vegetation is so dense that it completely covers the river, transforming it into a huge leafy tunnel.
The pirogues move between giant bamboo and palm trees. Our eyes are drawn upwards by the flight of blue morphos, and downwards to discover a lizard-caiman in flagrante delicto napping. Then the swampy savannah follows the jungle, and the spectacle remains magnificent. A little further on, sandbanks invite you to stop for a refreshing swim. An Amerindian arts boutique invites you to make a final stop on the river for some charity shopping...
The school canoe rolls by, bringing the little ones home from their studious day at school. For many people in this region, the river remains a major means of communication.
Cayenne, capital of French Guiana
It is a geographical grouping of 3 main communes, including Matoury and Remire-Montjoly. The atmosphere in Cayenne is a blend of Brazil and the West Indies, with a hint of Africa. Traditions are rich in multiple ethnic origins: Amerindians, black maroons, Creoles, in particular. The city, with its pleasant, colorful colonial architecture, is home to many places of interest.
Many of the region's beaches are home to mother turtles
They don't come here to sightsee. Their mission is to deposit impressive offspring in the sand, preserved in natural limestone packaging... They dig a hole with their hind legs and immediately consider it a nest. The nest contains several dozen eggs. A few weeks later, when the newborns emerge, they are quickly introduced to the difficulties of life...
Barely out of their capsule, they have to cross the entire beach without being eaten by a bird or a dog before returning to their element, the sea. And there, far from being out of the woods, other predators lie in wait for them once again, a list of which has no place in this article... We wish them all the best in life.
