Accommodation in French Guiana

Overview of the offer

Since French Guiana is not a major tourist destination, accommodation there is quite expensive and not always plentiful.

Hotels

The department's thirty or so hotels are located on the coast, mainly in Cayenne, Kourou, and Saint-Laurent. While their quality is more or less the same as in mainland France, they are more expensive. You should expect to pay at least forty euros for a double room.

Other options

Homestays

Guesthouses

Camping

Apartments, furnished rentals, and villas

In the Amazon rainforest

Even though tourism—more or less organized—is developing in the Amazonian region and along the rivers, accommodation there remains mostly basic or traditional. In short, there are no real hotels, but at best equipped bungalows, and especially what are called carbets", which are wooden shelters without walls, typical of Amerindian cultures, where people sleep in hammocks in shared spaces. These are usually found along rivers or in Amerindian villages (a few also on the coast), with comfort levels ranging from very basic to comfortable. Some belong to private individuals, while others are owned by travel agencies that use them for their clients. They can operate like guesthouses, with staff, and may include meals or just breakfast.

Prices vary widely: from a minimum of 8 to 10 € just to hang your hammock with a mosquito net (more expensive if you don’t have your own gear), to several dozen euros per night depending on the comfort and additional services. In some cases, booking through local agencies offering accommodation + discovery packages can be financially advantageous overall. Otherwise, there is no official camping in French Guiana, and wild camping is only allowed with the landowner’s permission.

Which accommodation to choose?

If you want to save money, the *carbet* is the best accommodation option. That said, for the vast majority of visitors, this remains primarily an original and occasional experience to try in the rainforest. Beyond that, renting a guesthouse or, alternatively, staying with locals often offers the best value for money in terms of accommodation in the area.