What to do in Saint Laurent du Maroni, French Guiana

Ever heard of The Guiana’s? They are the far lesser known countries of Latin America, situated all the way in the upper eastern corner of the continent. Divided geographically and spiritually by the mighty Amazon from the rest of the continent, this area is so so different from any other corner of Latin America that it’s bound for absolute unexpected adventures to be experienced.

I travelled the area for two weeks and due to its tropical vibe and jungle-like hinterland it felt as if I was back in Central America. Some things however felt weirdly familiar to me, silently reminding of the colonial past of this area.

The Guianas have been occupied by the English, the Dutch, the French, the Spanish, the Portuguese and perhaps some other forceful powers that I’m unaware of right now.

Guyana’s main influencer have been the British, although if you look closely at the names of the villages (Weldaad, Herstelling, New Amsterdam), one can notice the control of other forces as well. Suriname (also named Guiana Holandesa in Spanish) used to be a Dutch colony, nevertheless its leftish driving style reveals some British regulation as well. And then there’s French Guiana, where the influence of the French is in fact still quite visible until this very day.

Whereas the other Guiana’s are independent, French Guiana is still considered to be a part of France. But make no mistake, in the border town of Saint Laurent du Maroni you’re most likely to hear some Dutch, English and even bit of Spanish and Portuguese too. 

I hopped into the country from Suriname, crossing the chocolate waters of the Maroni river. My first view after being dropped at the border was this French sign above (picture 3 ↑). As I hadn’t been in Europe for a while and I hadn’t realized French Guiana would in fact still be… well French it was so weird for me seeing this. A piece of Europe all the way in the tropics.

Like the other Guianas, French Giuana is just one big piece of jungle, with a couple of villages dropped in between. Most of the French Guianese live in places near the coast, such as Kourou, Cayenne and Saint Laurent du Maroni. As the economy is a bit better in French Guiana compared to Suriname, many people from Suriname try to get a job across the river. Even pregnant women make the journey, hoping to find better delivery care in the hospitals that are subsidized by the French. 

If you’ve heard of Saint Laurent du Maroni before it might be due to Papillon. You know, the book (and movie) about the inmate Henri Charrière and his life in prison in the colonies. Saint Laurent du Maroni is where he and all other French prisoners arrived after an arduous boat ride. Remnants of this past are still visible throughout town.

Although you wouldn’t need longer than a day to see it all, I personally thought it was very much worth it leaving Suriname for a bit to explore this outpost. If only to experience a bit of this penal colony history. 

Here’s what to do:

Taste the fruits and veggies @ the farmers’ market 

The best reason to visit Saint Laurent du Maroni is its weekly farmers’ market. Held both on Wednesdays and Saturdays, try to make it to town on either one of these days as SLDM is full of buzz around that time. I visited the town on a Wednesday, but had very little time to explore it all. My advice would be to reserve an hour or two at least, to wander around and soak up the vibe.

Below a picture of the fish market, located right along the river.

Feel the French vibe

Just like with Paramaribo, I quite liked Saint Laurent du Maroni, as I had the feeling it was frozen in time. And that makes sense if you think of it. The whole town of Saint Laurent is basically set up as to support the transportation camp. As the camp has been out of use a little after WWII, you understand why it is as if the whole town is something of a snapshot of the pre-war era. 

There are quite some old buildings throughout the town and although many are dilapidated it’s still worth it to do a bit of wandering in here. Don’t expect a stroll full of highlights, but just enjoy the daily life in the streets and be surprised at whatever you may run into. 

Dive into history @ Camp de la Transportation / The Transportation Camp

History buffs unite! The eerie Camp de la Transportation is worth it alone visiting French Guiana. This is the place were some 70.000 convicts where gathered and imprisoned upon arrival in the colony. The first Frenchmen came in around 1852 and the prison was officially closed in 1953. That’s amazingly not all too long ago and yet you really feel as if you’ve stepped way back into time, upon setting foot in this area.

Most of the convicts died of tropical diseases, the hard work of the guillotine. Only a few returned to France after the prison was closed. The prison went into ruin, until the book and movie of Papillon came out. Drawn by the mystique of Papillon tourists started to visit the prison and nowadays it’s possible to visit the camp on the inside.

Entrance to the area is 6 euros (USD is barely accepted in French Guiana) and during weekdays you can get an English language tour (a rarety in French Guiana..). During this tour, that lasts an hour, you can see where the prisoners where held, hear how they were treated and see where Papillon carved his name into his cell, number 47 before he was sent to Devil’s Island. 

See life floating by @ at the river

Another nice stroll would be close to the Transportation Camp. Once more, start your stroll at the information center along the banks of river. Maps are provided in here and you can start your walk at the (in)famous Statue du Bagnard (a monument for the convict of the penal colony) all the way up along the river to the old station. Watch life at the river go by, just like the locals do in the weekends in here.

Eat a steak tartare.. or even funkier stuff!

Crème brûlée, duck breast, steak tartare, french fries.. if you’ve been travelling in the tropics for a long time and really looking forward to something other than rice and beans, than Ti Pic Kreol’s is the place to be. 

Fancy a piece of armadillo? Personally it’s not my style, but you can try out some bush meat in here too, if you dare. See for yourself in the second picture. 

C’est tout!

Here’s where to find the places in Saint Laurent du Maroni!