Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CHRONOLOGY
10,000 BC
Originally settled by various Amerindian
groups, such as the Arawak and the Caribs.
1498 AD
Columbus briefly sets foot in Guiana and dubs it
“the land of pariahs”.
1604
First attempts at French settlement made di
cult
by tropical diseases and native resistance.
1643
Cayenne founded but French soon forced out by
hostile Amerindians.
1664
Cayenne finally established as a permanent settlement.
1665
Dutch occupy Cayenne.
1667
Colony awarded to France under the Treaty of Breda.
All inhabitants now French citizens.
1676
Brief Dutch occupation and expulsion.
1763-65
France sends around 12,000 immigrants as part
of the Kourou Expedition to develop the region, but 10,000
die of yellow fever and typhoid.
1809
Combined Anglo-Portuguese naval force captures
the colony for Portugal.
1814
Guiana restored to France as part of the Treaty of
Paris but Portuguese remain until 1917.
1848
Slavery is abolished. The colony's fragile plantation
economy collapses. Ex-slaves establish Maroon communities
in the jungle.
1852
Region designated a penal colony by Napoleon;
more than 70,000 French convicts transported to the area.
1853
Gold discovered in the interior.
1946
French Guiana becomes an overseas
département
of France.
1947
Penal colony abolished but the last convicts only
leave in 1952.
1964-68
ESA (European Space Agency) establishes space
station in Kourou to launch communications satellites.
1974
French Guiana gains own
Conseil Régional
with
some autonomy in social and economic matters.
1997
Independence leader Jean-Victor Castor arrested by
police, leading to civil violence in Cayenne.
2000
Riots occur in Cayenne following an organized
march calling for greater autonomy.
2008
President Sarkozy dedicates 1000 troops to combat
growing immigration problems.
2009
The largest space telescope yet created is launched
from Kourou.
2010
The option of increased autonomy rejected in
referendum.
2011
Russian rocket “Soyuz” launched from Kourou.
Haiti, Brazil, Suriname and the
Dominican Republic.
OVERLAND FROM BRAZIL
Travellers arriving from Brazil enter
French Guiana via a boat across the
Oyapok River to the town of
Saint-
Georges
(see p.678) and then continue
their journey via road by bus or car.
OVERLAND FROM SURINAME
Travellers from Suriname must take
a
ferry
or
dugout canoe
across the
Maroni River to
St Laurent du Maroni
(see box, p.684) then continue via road
by bus or car.
7
VISAS
As French Guiana is an overseas
department of France,
visas
are only
required for those travellers who would
also need a visa for France. Non-EU
nationals unsure of their visa
requirements should check
W
diplomatie
.gouv.fr/en.
GETTING AROUND
Public transport in French Guiana is
limited and expensive. St Laurent,
Kourou, Cayenne and Saint-Georges are
connected by
taxis collectifs
(shared
minibuses) that only leave when full.
Private taxis
within the three main towns
are difficult to find and pricey.
Scheduled (though infrequent) TIG
buses
(
W
cg973.fr/Lignes-de-transport
-prevues) connect Cayenne and St Laurent
with destinations such as Roura, Mana,
Saint-Georges, Kourou and Iracoubo; few
bus routes operate on weekends.
Hitchhiking is widely practised by
locals outside Cayenne; common-sense
precautions apply.
Renting a car
is relatively inexpensive
and pretty much essential if you wish to
travel beyond the coastal towns or even
around Cayenne and Kourou. Car rental
works out cheaper than the bus if there
are two of you sharing the costs. Prices
start from around €30 per day and you
can rent cars in Cayenne, Saint Laurent
and at Félix Eboué Airport. The main
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
French Guiana's main international
airport,
Aéroport de Félix Eboué
, is some
17km south of Cayenne, near the town
of Matoury. It receives direct flights
from France, Martinique, Guadeloupe,
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