Discover French Guiana

A nature destination combining jungle and ocean between Brazil and Suriname, French Guiana has a thousand and one treasures that can be difficult to explore in a single stay! Europcar French Guiana helps you to see the wonders of French Guiana: from the islands to the heart of the dense vegetation of the Amazon, embark on a resolutely exotic discovery of this unique French department of Latin America!

A privileged location in both seasons

To visit French Guiana in the best conditions, a point on its climate is essential to better understand its natural cycles and target your visits. This French department lost in Latin America has first of all the advantage to display an immense tropical wealth while being sheltered from cyclones thanks to its continental position. You can therefore come and discover French Guiana throughout the year without fearing the unleashing of Mother Nature. However, the year is divided into 2 main seasons:

• From mid-July to the end of November and from March to mid-April: this is the dry season;

• In January and February as well as from mid-April to the end of June, it is the rainy season.

During the rainy season, it is the northeast which is most supplied with water, between Cayenne and Saint-Georges. The rainfall then decreases towards the west, while still remaining around 700 mm around Maripasoula. In other words, it rains seriously during the rainy season, which is often accompanied by thunderstorms from June to August, and you will have to adapt your activities: leatherback turtle watching around Cayenne or Kourou corresponds to this season. The dry season is particularly sunny. On the seaside, the breeze front makes the atmosphere a little more humid while in the south of the country, the lack of wind can sometimes create a stifling impression. This is the time to visit French Guiana and look for water spots, like in the Kaw swamps.

Whatever the season, the temperature is rather stable in French Guiana: expect to live between 26 and 33°C every day!

Discover French Guiana from the sea

With nearly 400 km of coastline, French Guiana offers a real opening to the ocean, into which the Oyapock (east) and Maroni (west) rivers flow. This coastline offers a perpetual ballet of mud banks whose sediments come directly from the Andes, and which are among the sights to see when looking for what to visit in French Guiana. The mangrove that develops on the seashore allows a unique flora and fauna to unfold. It is on this coastal strip that human activity also flourishes: dive into the atmosphere of the Cayenne market to discover all the local products and get to know the locals who frequent it assiduously! The coastal road will also take you on board your rental car to Kourou and its space center: the opportunity to see the famous Ariane rockets up close and even to attend a launch!

French Guiana also has many islands located not far from the coast. A must to visit in French Guiana, which will require you to leave your rental car for a while. Indeed, most of them are very small and protected: walking or hiking is the best way to discover them. Don't hesitate to make a detour to : Les îles du Salut : idyllic but also marked by the presence of a former prison, they can be visited for their natural and historical character; L'îlet de la Mère : to meet the saïmiris (small monkeys with an irresistible face) along the marked out paths. Finally, the coastline lends itself to sport fishing in Guyana, with flagship species such as :

• The tarpon ;

• Giant groupers;

• The rays;

• The aïmara...

To rub shoulders with emblematic fish: that's also what discovering French Guiana is all about!

Visit French Guiana on the forest side

Visiting French Guiana also goes hand in hand with a stay in the heart of the tropical forest. On 34 000 km2, that is to say 40% of the territory, extends indeed the Amazonian park of French Guiana, a national park which shelters an incredible biodiversity as well as indigenous populations:

• Amerindians;

• Bushinengués ;

• Creoles...

So many peoples who showcase their know-how at the craft market of the Maroni. An obligatory stop during your road trip in French Guiana to discover local products, artistic creations and dances in dedicated spaces. Don't forget to leave with your basketry or your carved aluku or wayana wood and only after having tasted the couac (cooked cassava flour) or the cachiri (cassava beer)...  You also want to visit Guyana from a nature-oriented point of view? The Amazonian park is also an ideal destination. Come and marvel at the variety of species such as parrots, snakes, armadillos, monkeys or frogs that blend into the scenery, but also at the gigantic trees, lianas, bamboo, flowers and mushrooms that can only be found in the tropics... Do you dare to leave on the tracks of the jaguar?

For lovers of exotic flowers, the paths of the Saül region represent a constant wonderment when one comes to discover French Guiana: forms and colors vary infinitely, for the greatest pleasure of the eyes.

Rock engravings also dot this vast territory covered by forest. Rock shelters occupied by humans for thousands of years are also as many stops for those who want to visit archaeological sites in French Guiana. To discover them, drive towards the south of the department. The Susky rock of Mamilihpan, a majestic granite island, is among the most spectacular.

More sea or forest? More nature or culture? Or maybe your thirst for discovery has no limit? Whatever the case, you are ready to rent a car to visit Guyana and discover its most beautiful secrets!

You want to go to French Guiana but you don't have precise dates yet?

Check out our articles to find out when to go to French Guiana :

• When to go to French Guiana

• Visit French Guiana in December