Parc Amazonien de Guyane

Parc Amazonien de Guyane is France's largest national park and one of the largest protected areas in the European Union, covering approximately 33,900 km² of primary Amazonian rainforest across the southern third of French Guiana. Established in 2007, the park encompasses an area of exceptional ecological significance — home to thousands of plant species, more than 700 bird species, giant otters, jaguars, tapirs, harpy eagles, and eight indigenous Amerindian communities whose ancestral territories span the interior. The park is divided into a free-access buffer zone along its periphery and a protected core zone requiring prior permits. Most visitors enter via the village of Saül in the northern sector, accessible by light aircraft from Cayenne's Rochambeau domestic terminal, which serves as the main hub for hiking and wildlife excursions. Other entry points include the Maroni basin communities of Grand-Santi and Maripasoula, reached by pirogue along jungle rivers. The park's Maison du Parc in Cayenne, on the Route de Montabo, provides comprehensive visitor information, trail maps, and the permit applications required for the core zone. Multi-day guided expeditions departing from Saül, Maripasoula, or the coastal town of Régina penetrate deeper into the park and typically cost €200–€800 or more depending on duration and route. No roads penetrate the interior; the experience of canoe travel along black-water rivers past unbroken primary forest is unlike anything accessible by road in French Guiana.