Iles du Salut French Guiana
34
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
Azamara Club Cruises (11 Cruises)
Silversea Cruises (2 Cruises)
Frequently Asked Questions
On Île Royale, the only one of the three with a landing stage. Ships anchor offshore and tenders bring passengers in. The archipelago lies about fifteen kilometres off Kourou, in French Guiana.
Good shoes and plenty of water. The path climbs through tropical vegetation to the plateau, the ground is uneven, the ascent steady and the humid heat makes itself felt quickly. Set out early.
About four hours to make the full circuit of Île Royale at an unhurried pace, taking time to stop. This is not a call for rushing.
From 1852 to 1953 these three islets held the most notorious penal colony in France. The contrast between the brilliant light, the blue sea, the palms and the memory these places carry gives the day a rare intensity.
Most of the installations: the convicts' hospital from the late 19th century, the condemned men's quarter, the chapel and presbytery, the asylum and the lighthouse. You move freely among walls the forest is slowly reclaiming.
Yes, the penal colony museum, set in the former governor's house. It retraces the daily life of prisoners, guards and their families, and sheds light on the system the administration coyly called la transportation.
No, no landing is arranged there. You look across to it from the terrace of the former warders' mess, now a restaurant. This is where political prisoners were held, including Captain Alfred Dreyfus, who spent more than four years there.
The third island, reserved for the hard cases. Its Réclusion imposed absolute silence, sometimes for years, and broke men more surely than irons did. No landing is arranged there either.
Henri Charrière's account, filmed twice, made these islands known worldwide. Walking them yourself, in the morning closeness, gives the book a new resonance.
The euro, French Guiana being French, but bring cash: commerce is limited to the restaurant in the old mess. French is spoken, with Guianese Creole on the mainland.
