Flight Destinations
Flights to French Guiana
Places in French Guiana
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Flights to South America
Although situated within South America, French Guiana is actually a ‘department’ of France rather than being a separate country. It’s situated just north of Brazil, on the Atlantic Ocean coast, and remains relatively untouched in terms of tourism development.
Flights to French Guiana
International flights to French Guiana arrive at the country’s main airport, the Cayenne-Rochambeau Airport (airport code: CAY) just outside the capital city, Cayenne. Being a department of France, French Guiana is well linked to France when it comes to flights, with three flights a day from Paris. Flights to French Guiana from the UK are therefore indirect with one or two stops, one of which will most likely be in Paris. Air France and British Airways provide one stop flights to French Guiana from the UK, or BMI, Aer Lingus, Lufthansa, and Corse Air provide two stop flights from the UK.French Guiana Tourist Attractions
As an overseas department of France, French Guiana is similar in many ways to the mainland of France. Speaking some French will go a very long way here as the general population will not know much, or any, English. Laws and visa requirements are also the same as for France, so although situated within South America, French Guiana is part of the European Union.The main differences between here and mainland France are the climate and the population. French Guiana is quite sparsely populated and the majority of the people live on the coast. This has left the rest of the department to wilderness, a factor which is now increasing the popularity of French Guiana as a tourist destination. It’s becoming a good alternative as a bare bones eco-tourism destination so is great for visitors who are not interested in any Western luxuries, but want to visit to see the nature and ecology up close. Apart from visiting French Guiana for the eco-tourism there are several other destinations you might like to visit whilst here…
Cayenne
The largest city and also the capital of French Guiana is Cayenne. This is an attractive city where the main attraction for tourists is the colonial architecture which can be seen in numerous places around the city. Place de Palmistes and Place de Grenoble are a good place to start as here you’ll see many of the city’s official buildings, but also try a visit to the Museum of French Guianese Culture and look out for the Cayenne Cathedral.
Cayenne is a good place to base yourself when visiting French Guiana. On the days when you’re not hiking into the wilderness or enjoying sightseeing you can visit the city’s beaches. The beaches themselves are nice but don’t venture too far out into the ocean as these waters do have sharks!
Guiana Space Centre
For a complete change from the city the Guiana Space Centre is one of French Guiana’s top attractions. This is the spaceport for France and makes for an interesting visit, but make sure you also take a trip just offshore to Devil’s Island. This famous penal colony was used by the French up until 1952 and is best known by many for the novel and film, ‘Papillon’. You can see restored prison buildings here and get a feel for convict life! The town of Saint-Laurent is another popular attraction – this was the processing point for prisoners and you take guided tours of the facility.