There's a lot of sightseeing and cultural heritage in this country. French Guiana is not only popular for its lush greenery, but it also features incredible museums:
1. Franconie Museum:
Franconie Museum is the best place to start if you want to learn about the culture of French Guiana. It is situated at Cayenne at a Creole house which itself is a legendary masterpiece of the country. You will find all things related to the country's rich cultural heritage at the museum. Artifacts and things related to nature are the main cream of the museum.
It isn't even that expensive, it’s just 3 euros for adults and free for children under 18. This museum shows the best collection of the flora and fauna of Cayenne and tourists have found it to have a huge compilation of different types of insects. A fascinating attraction of this museum is the large stuffed black-caiman and the butterfly room. Its opening hours are:
Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays
8 AM – 1:15 PM
Monday and Thursday Afternoon s
3 PM – 5:45 PM
Closed Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays
2. Museum of Guianese Cultures
As it is evident from its name, the museum of Guianese culture is home to the culture of French Guiana. This museum is made inside a traditional abode in Cayenne. This museum shows you the evolution of this land from geologic formation to colonial times and all the way to Amerindian times. It also hosts a traditional library with books in English and French. Its admission is free and open on:
08:00-12:45 & 15:00-17:45 Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri
08:00-12:45 Wed
08:00-11:45 Sat
3. Space Museum
Space Museum is all about satellites, planets, stars, and outer space. This museum is built inside the Centre Spatial Guyana which is in Koruru which is located at 54 km from Cayenne, the capital of French Guiana. There's some pretty neat stuff here for space enthusiasts.
The museum inspectors give you a good guided tour and they will show you an animation of how the space came into being. Its admission cost is 6 euros for adults and 3.8 euros for children under 10 years. Its timings are:
Monday-Friday 8 AM to 6 PM – Saturdays 2 PM to 6 PM
4. Felix Eboue Museum
Felix Eboue Museum is the house of France's first black colonial Governor whose name became the museum's name. This was the house where he was born. It shows an iconic representation of the colonial times. Its timings are from 9am-1:30pm every day except Sunday.
Two other museums worth seeing are Numusmatic Museum in Paramaribo and the other one is Stichting Surinaams Museum. French Guiana is a small country but its museums and other tourist attractions make it worth staying for at least a week.
Have you been to French Guiana? Feel free to share your tips and recommendations.
Photo Credits: Cayenne by Wikimedia Commons