The Musée Départemental features a frighteningly large stuffed black caiman, as well as other preserved local critters, an ethno-botanical display and an air-conditioned butterfly and insect room. The upstairs area recaptures life in the old penal colony and displays some Amerindian handicrafts. Look out for the 22 paintings of convict life on display here by former inmate, François Lagrange.
Musée Départemental
French Guiana
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
29.18 MILES
Visiting the Centre Spatial Guyanais and (if you're lucky) seeing a rocket launch are two of French Guiana's biggest highlights. Both need to be arranged…
0.17 MILES
Inside Cayenne's market, shoppers will find a vibrant jumble of Amerindian basketry, African-style paintings and carvings, piles of spices at great prices…
29.71 MILES
Once the administrative headquarters of the penal settlement, Île Royale has several restored prison buildings, including a fine prisoner-built chapel and…
0.18 MILES
Off the gardened Place Léopold Héder are the remains of Fort Cépérou, perched on land bought in 1643 from the Galibi people by the first French colonists…
29.1 MILES
With its eerie solitary-confinement cells and guards' cemetery, Île St Joseph is overgrown with coconut palms, though it does have a good white-sand beach…
28.82 MILES
Don't miss the excellent Musée de l'Espace within the Centre Spatial Guyanais, with informative displays in English and French.
5.33 MILES
This 234m hill rises steeply behind Matoury and is covered with thick primal forest. Two well-marked walking routes take you up to the top and make for a…
29.85 MILES
Covered with a thick foliage of palms, rocky Île du Diable (Devil's Island) was where the most high-profile prisoners were kept, including Alfred Dreyfus…
Nearby French Guiana attractions
0.17 MILES
Inside Cayenne's market, shoppers will find a vibrant jumble of Amerindian basketry, African-style paintings and carvings, piles of spices at great prices…
0.18 MILES
Off the gardened Place Léopold Héder are the remains of Fort Cépérou, perched on land bought in 1643 from the Galibi people by the first French colonists…
3. Musée des Cultures Guyanaises
0.47 MILES
The small and unexceptional Musée des Cultures Guyanaises is devoted to Guiana's early history, from its geologic formation through precolonial,…
0.95 MILES
The sizable Botanical Gardens, built in 1879 and renovated in 2009, today flourish with tropical Guianese flora, including many species of palms.
3.91 MILES
The best beach in the area gets busy on weekends and holidays but is otherwise empty. The water is shallow and murky but there are a few deeper areas that…
6. Grand Matoury Nature Reserve
5.33 MILES
This 234m hill rises steeply behind Matoury and is covered with thick primal forest. Two well-marked walking routes take you up to the top and make for a…
7.53 MILES
The renovated historical ruins at Fort Diamant, an old coastal battery dating from the early 19th century, are along the main beach road.
26.97 MILES
A fun museum featuring lots of insects, dead and alive. Myriad species of butterflies flutter around the butterfly garden, and you can even hold a live…