A remote overseas French department, this tropical backwater is fringed by the Brazilian Amazon and the Atlantic Ocean. Like its neighbour Suriname, French Guiana is home to a diverse ethnic mix and melting-pot of cultures \u2013 indigenous Amerindians, Creole, European colonists, descendants from Asian indentured labourers, Laos refugees and the ancestors of African slaves. The cosmopolitan capital, Cayenne, embodies this raw, cultural blend where tricolore flags flutter on heritage buildings, Hmong communities sell \u2018pho\u2019 in the local market, and communication is in a multitude of Creole dialects. The interior is cloaked in virgin rainforest, sheltering indigenous Maroon communities and some of the world\u2019s most diverse wildlife and flora. French Guiana is known for the harsh penal colonies on the \u00celes du Salut, and the European Space Centre in Kourou; time your visit carefully and you could watch a rocket launch into space. It\u2019s a tricky country to travel around \u2013 expensive (they use the Euro), with limited infrastructure. But as a result, you\u2019ll barely meet any other tourists here. Wild, rustic, exotic and tropical, adventure lovers will be in their element.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":3901,"template":"","format":"standard","country_category":[191],"when-filter":[],"type-filter":[],"who-filter":[],"appeal-filter":[],"class_list":["post-4192","destination","type-destination","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","country_category-south-america-en-us"],"yoast_head":"\n