CAYENNE

Whether under blazing sun or heavy rain, the extraordinary lushness of the Amazon is astounding for its incredible plant and animal diversity. From the tree canopy to the mangrove, the savannah to the marshes, the rustling landscapes play an invisible melody in which animal, bird, and insect communication are woven together. Symbol of geographical, human, and cultural multiplicity, French Guiana is a favourite destination for contemporary explorers, but it will not leave anyone indifferent. There are countless faces in this unique part of the Amazon, an intricate mosaic of languages and ethnicities carved over the centuries and enriched by wave upon wave of immigration. The Guianese embrace their Native American heritage, yet the country is inhabited by people from five continents, with 45% of the population under the age of 20. While all seek entry into the third millennium, a dream incompatible with the preservation of this exceptional environment, their lifestyles, festivals, traditions, and religions have helped build a model of multiculturalism that will be greatly appreciated for its true value by any traveller who cares for humanity. With so many isolated areas and very few roads, French Guiana remains a land of adventure best travelled by canoe, on capricious rivers bristling with waterfalls and rapids. You will quickly realize that time has a different value here, and life is organized in harmony with nature. It is the jungle itself that imposes this philosophy; we are light years from urban stress. Long before the space centre in Kourou (in the 18th century actually), Cayenne was a centre of astronomical experimentation, but its heyday really began in 1854 with the discovery of gold and a host of mineral resources. The most populous city of the department today is the proud face of this exotic province, which is rehabilitating its rich creole heritage at its own pace, revisiting the past while coming to terms with the present.