Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni

Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni lies at the western extreme of French Guiana, on the right bank of the Maroni River, which forms the border with Suriname. It is the territory's second most populous town and the gateway to the Guianese west. On the other side of the river, a few minutes by pirogue, is the Surinamese town of Albina.

The town began in 1858 as the center of the bagne, the penal system of French Guiana: all convicts arriving from France landed there and were distributed to other camps. The Camp de la Transportation, with its cells, courtyards and walls, has been restored and today offers guided visits and houses an interpretation center about the prison's history. Around it, the official district, with colonial brick and wooden buildings, preserves the town hall, the church and the houses of former staff.

The river is the other half of the town. Wooden pirogues, long and narrow, make the crossing to Albina and travel up the Maroni toward indigenous villages and the bushinengue communities, descendants of enslaved Africans who escaped the plantations and formed their own peoples in the forest. Half-day and multi-day pirogue excursions depart from the riverbank.

Yellow fever vaccination is often required on entry to French Guiana; check before you travel.

This destination brings together 1 city: Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni.